Store of the Worlds: The Stories of Robert Sheckley by Robert Sheckley Read Free Book Online Page B

animal life.
    And evidently, the Men were skilled at detecting invaders, Pid thought. He wished he knew how the other expeditions had failed. It would make his job much easier.
    A Man lurched past them on two incredibly stiff legs. Rigidity was evident in his every move. Without looking, he hurried past.
    â€œI know,” Ger said, after the creature had moved away. “I’ll disguise myself as a Man, walk through the gate to the reactor room, and activate my Displacer.”
    â€œYou can’t speak their language,” Pid pointed out.
    â€œI won’t speak at all. I’ll ignore them. Look.” Quickly Ger shaped himself into a Man.
    â€œThat’s not bad,” Pid said.
    Ger tried a few practice steps, copying the bumpy walk of the Man.
    â€œBut I’m afraid it won’t work,” Pid said.
    â€œIt’s perfectly logical,” Ger pointed out.
    â€œI know. Therefore the other expeditions must have tried it. And none of them came back.”
    There was no arguing that. Ger flowed back into the shape of a log. “What, then?” he asked.
    â€œLet me think,” Pid said.
    Another creature lurched past, on four legs instead of two. Pid recognized it as a Dog, a pet of Man. He watched it carefully.
    The Dog ambled to the gate, head down, in no particular hurry. It walked through, unchallenged, and lay down in the grass.
    â€œHmm,” Pid said.
    They watched. One of the Men walked past, and touched the Dog on the head. The Dog stuck out its tongue, and rolled over on its side.
    â€œI can do that,” Ger said excitedly. He started to flow into the shape of a Dog.
    â€œNo, wait,” Pid said. “We’ll spend the rest of the day thinking it over. This is too important to rush into.”
    Ger subsided sulkily.
    â€œCome on, let’s move back,” Pid said. He and Ger started into the woods. Then he remembered Ilg.
    â€œIlg?” he called softly.
    There was no answer.
    â€œIlg!”
    â€œWhat? Oh, yes,” an oak tree said, and melted into a bush. “Sorry. What were you saying?”
    â€œWe’re moving back,” Pid said. “Were you, by any chance, Thinking?”
    â€œOh, no,” Ilg assured him. “Just resting.”
    Pid let it go at that. There was too much else to worry about.
    They discussed it for the rest of the day, hidden in the deepest part of the woods. The only alternatives seemed to be Man or Dog. A Tree couldn’t walk past the gates, since that was not in the nature of Trees. Nor could anything else, and escape notice.
    Going as a Man seemed too risky. They decided that Ger would sally out in the morning as a Dog.
    â€œNow get some sleep,” Pid said.
    Obediently his two crewmen flattened out, going immediately Shapeless. But Pid had a more difficult time.
    Everything looked too easy. Why wasn’t the atomic installation better guarded? Certainly the Men must have learned something from the expeditions they had captured in the past. Or had they killed them without asking any questions?
    You couldn’t tell what an alien would do.
    Was that open gate a trap?
    Wearily he flowed into a comfortable position on the lumpy ground. Then he pulled himself together hastily.
    He had gone Shapeless!
    Comfort had nothing to do with duty, he reminded himself, and firmly took a Pilot’s Shape.
    But Pilot’s Shape wasn’t constructed for sleeping on damp, bumpy ground. Pid spent a restless night, thinking of ships, and wishing he were flying one.
    Pid awoke in the morning tired and ill-tempered. He nudged Ger.
    â€œLet’s get this over with,” he said.
    Ger flowed gaily to his feet.
    â€œCome on, Ilg,” Pid said angrily, looking around. “Wake up.”
    There was no reply.
    â€œIlg!” he called.
    Still there was no reply.
    â€œHelp me look for him,” Pid said to Ger. “He must be around here somewhere.”
    Together they tested every bush, tree, log, and