All Judgment Fled by James White Read Free Book Online Page A

light which crept

steadily down the distance scale, and in the telescope the Ship grew and

spread until it overflowed the field of view. Gradually P-Two's velocity

with respect to the other vessel lessened until it hung motionless at

a distance of one mile from the Ship.
     
     
Like a minnow investigating a sleeping shark, McCullough thought.
     
     
Berryman cleared his throat loudly and said, "The -- the Ship is broadside

on to us. I estimate its length at just under half a mile and its

diameter at about one hundred yards. The diameter is uniform throughout

its length, like a torpedo, except where it curves inward at nose and

stern. Two-thirds of the way toward the stern -- I'm assuming it is

the stern because the other end contains more transparent material --

the hull is encircled by a belt of large, transparent blisters. Twelve

of them, I think. The sun is shining directly into one and I can see

metallic reflections.
     
     
"There is another cluster of transparent domes encircling the nose,"

he went on, "but these are smaller and flatter -- possibly housing the

Ship's communications and sensory equipment, while the bigger ones are

either weapons or -- or . . . Maybe Professor Pugh would have some ideas

on what they are, because there is nothing visible on the Ship resembling

a conventional rocket motor or even a jet orifice . . ."
     
     
The pilot was dividing his attention between the telescope and the

direct vision port. His voice was quiet, controlled and ostentatiously

matter-of-fact. But every time he moved, the perspiration beading his

forehead was shaken loose and hung suspended away from his face, like the

stylized sweat of startlement of a character in a comic strip. Walters'

lower lip had disappeared behind his upper teeth and McCullough did not

know how he himself looked, but he did not feel at all well.
     
     
Berryman went on steadily, "We are beaming signal patterns denoting,

we hope, intelligence at them on a wide spread of frequencies and we

are igniting flares every fifteen minutes. So far there has been no

response. I don't understand this -- we're not exactly sneaking up on

them. Have I permission to move in?"
     
     
To give him credit, Morrison did not warn them to be careful or remind

them, again, of the absolute necessity of doing the right thing. Instead

he said, "Very well. We will close to one mile and cover you . . ."
     
     
"What with?" said McCullough, in spite of himself.
     
     
He had been thinking about Hollis again and the physicist's delusion

about a Dirty Annie on P-One. McCullough wondered suddenly if such

delusions were contagious, like some kind of psychosomatic head cold
     
     
"A figure of speech, Doctor. We shall furnish moral support only.

And please remember that everything we say is being rebroadcast all over

Earth, so keep this channel clear for Captain Berryman."
     
     
For the past few minutes McCullough had completely forgotten that

everything emanating from P-Two was being relayed through Prometheus

Control all over the world. He could just imagine the battery of

ground-bound space medics playing back that section of their tape,

discussing each word and inflection in the minutest possible detail and

muttering among themselves about father figures and archetypal images

and basic insecurities. McCullough felt his face beginning to burn,

but the two pilots were too busy repositioning their ship to notice it.
     
     
     
For the better part of their arbitrary "day" they drifted slowly back

and forth along the tremendous alien hull. Each pass covered a different

strip of its surface, allowing them to chart the various features it

contained. When they approached the transparent domes in what they

assumed was the bows, they lit a flare, but there was no reaction,

no sign of life of any kind.
     
     
Berryman said, "Either there is nobody at home or the watch-keeping

officer is asleep or worse. If it wasn't for the fact that