The Unreasoning Mask by Philip José Farmer Read Free Book Online Page A

stepped out and hit you on the back of your head. You

regained some consciousness, got to your feet, and then I came through

with the chair. It knocked you down again."
     
     
Ramstan remembered that he had left the window open. Swearing, he shut it.

His own mask was still on, but Benagur had breathed in the spores. He would

begin to feel the effect of the psychedelics in about three to four hours.

It would be eight to ten days before his body would get rid of them.
     
     
Ramstan shut the door to stop the flow of breeze-borne spores from entering

the corridor.
     
     
"When you get back to ship, Benagur, report to sickbay."
     
     
"No! I won't be hospitalized again! I just got out! There's too much . . ."
     
     
"Too much what?"
     
     
"Too much going on. The Tenolt, everything . . . Why would they want to

gas you?"
     
     
Ramstan said, "I doubt we'll ever find out. What I want to know right now

is why you came here."
     
     
"Shouldn't you call for the sanitizers?" Benagur said.
     
     
Ramstan didn't like being told that he should do so. But Benagur was right.

He called ship and was put through to Chief Petty Officer Wang. She said

that she and a squad would be up in five minutes. Ramstan ordered her

to bring along a medic and a squad of marines.
     
     
Ramstan looked hard at Benagur, who was still on the inflatable.
     
     
"I'll ask you again. Why did you come here?"
     
     
Benagur straightened, and he winced.
     
     
"I wanted to have it out with you."
     
     
"Yes?"
     
     
"You know why," Benagur said loudly.
     
     
"You tell me," Ramstan said softly.
     
     
"I want to hear your explanations, privately, before I take action.

That is, if I have to do it. I hope I don't have to."
     
     
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ramstan said. "You sound as if

you're going to make charges against me. Is that it?"
     
     
"Why did you order the marines? So you can put me under arrest?"
     
     
"You keep sidling away from my questions. I decided that you should be

escorted to sickbay. There's no telling how fast the spores may affect

you. You might even . . ."
     
     
"What?"
     
     
"Become violent. It's for your own good."
     
     
"Sure it is!" Benagur cried. "Of course! Listen! I've been very much

disturbed -- and puzzled -- by your strange behavior on Tolt. You were

missing for some time from ship. Suddenly, there you were, like a thief

in the night, carrying that bag and shouting that ship must take off

at once. And you've never given a word of explanation. No one has dared

to ask you what was in it. But, believe me, everybody has been talking

about it. And I've not had one good night's sleep."
     
     
"'Like a thief in the night,'" Ramstan said. "Well, out with it, man!

Exactly what do you suspect?"
     
     
His face was expressionless, but his heart was thumping like an imprisoned

annual trying to butt its way through a wall, and he was sweating.
     
     
"I don't want to do this, Captain! That's why I came here, so we could talk

alone and solve this matter without the crew knowing about it. Maybe it's

not too late to rectify matters. Maybe we could go back to Tolt and just

leave it there and take off, hoping the Tenolt would be so happy to have

it back that they wouldn't bother us."
     
     
"What is it ?" Ramstan said.
     
     
Benagur's face was red now. He shook as if his bones were crumbling.

Ramstan had seen him angry before, but he had never seen him fearful.

Or was he reading him wrong? Was it fury possessing him?
     
     
" It, it!" Benagur shouted. "You know what it is! The glyfa! The glyfa!

The Tolt idol!"
     
     
"You're accusing me of having stolen the glyfa?" Ramstan said. He was

surprised at the steadiness of his voice.
     
     
"I'm not accusing you!" Benagur said. "I'm telling you what you and I know!"
     
     
"I wonder if you haven't accidentally breathed in some spores before tonight.

There's no other way to account for this crazy accusation."
     
     
Benagur