Hunt the Space-Witch! by Robert Silverberg Read Free Book Online

us in small groups,” she said. “Whenever there is danger of our forming an army or a city, they break it up. Somehow they always know. So you would never be allowed to conquer the world. They would not permit it.”
    â€œSo this is their laboratory, then?” he said, as a bit more of the picture became clear.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œI mean—the Star Giants watch—and study you. They keep the social groups down to manageable size—seventy, eighty, no more. They experiment in psychology.”
    An image filtered through his mind—a world in a test tube, held by a wise-faced, deeply curious Star Giant who was unable to regard anything so small as a man as an intelligent being. Men were serving as so many fruitflies for the Star Giants—who, without any evil motives, out of sheer scientific interest, were deliberately preventing human civilization from reforming. A pulse of anger started to beat in him.
    â€œI don’t follow you,” she said. “They watch us only because they like to?”
    How to explain the concept of lab research to a savage? he wondered. “Yes,” he said. “They watch you.”
    She frowned. “But you can control the robots? Harkins, perhaps the Star Giants will not be able to stop the robots. Perhaps—”
    He didn’t need a further suggestion. “You’re right! If I can gain control of the robots, I can smash the Star Giants—drive them back to where they came from!”
    Was it true? He didn’t know—but it was worth a try. In sudden excitement he leaped away, freeing the girl.
    She hadn’t forgotten revenge. Instantly she was upon him, knocking him to the ground. He rolled over, but she clung to him. At that moment, a deep shadow swept down over both of them.
    â€œLook up there,” Harkins said in a hushed voice.
    They stared upward together. A Star Giant was standing above them, his treelike legs straddling them, peering down with an expression of grave concern on his massive, sculpture-like face.
    â€œHe’s watching us,” she said.
    â€œNow do you understand? He’s observing —trying to learn what kind of creatures these little animals on the forest floor may be.” He wondered briefly if this entire three-cornered scene—Harkins versus Jorn, then Harkins versus Katha—had been arranged merely for the edification of the monstrous creature standing above them. A new image crossed his mind—himself and Katha in a vast laboratory, struggling with each other within the confines of a chemical retort held by a quizzical Star Giant. His flesh felt cold.
    Katha turned from the Star Giant to Harkins. “I hate them,” she said. “We will kill them together.” With the fickleness of a savage, she had forgotten all about her anger.
    â€œNo more fighting?”
    She grinned, flashing bright white teeth, and relaxed her grip on Harkins. “Truce,” she said.
    He pulled her back close to him, and put his mouth to hers wondering if the Star Giant was still watching.
    She giggled childishly and bit deep into Harkins’ lower lip. “That was for Jorn,” she said, her voice a playful purr. “Now the score is even.”
    She pressed tightly against him, and kissed the blood away.

Chapter Five
    He was greeted by suspicious stares and awkward silences when he returned to the village.
    â€œJorn is dead,” Katha announced. “Harkins and Jorn met in combat at the edge of the forest.”
    â€œAnd now Jorn is beneath the ground,” cackled the ugly woman named Elsa. “I saw it coming, brothers. You can’t deny that I warned him.”
    â€œHarkins is our leader now,” Katha said firmly. “And I am his woman.”
    The sleepy-eyed villager who had voted for Harkins’ life once said, “Who has elected him?”
    â€œI have, Dujar,” Harkins said. He doubled his fists. In a society such as this, you