Echo. Part 14

"Alex, they're far in advance of us. Of anything we've ever imagined. Sunset thought they were possibly millions of years old. He had a tendency to exaggerate, but he might very well have been correct."

"How did Sunset happen to be with you?"

"I was with him him. We were friends. I went with him once in a while."

"Okay. Then what happened?"

"They told us to go away. They didn't want to be bothered by savages."

"Savages."

"That's a direct quote."

"They speak Standard?"

"Yes."

"How'd they manage that that?"

"I don't know."

"The communication was by radio?"

"It was voices in the s.h.i.+p. Or, rather, a a voice." voice."

Alex shook his head. "An actual voice? Or something you heard in your head?"

"A voice. It told us to leave. Not to come back. And not allow any others 'of your kind' to intrude."

"That's fairly hard to believe, Rachel."

"Believe what you want. Ask yourself what else would have kept Sunset silent. He knew what it would mean. Once the word got out, there'd be no keeping people away from the place. Even if we refused to make the location public, it would initiate a major hunt. Who knew what the outcome might be? Alex, these creatures were terrifying."

"Why do you say that?"

"It was as if they got inside us. Took us over. Even today, so many years later, the mere thought of them-" She shuddered. She shuddered.

"How did you respond?"

Her gaze grew intense. "What do you think? Yes, sir. We'll do what you say. Won't see any of us around here anymore. Good day to you all." "What do you think? Yes, sir. We'll do what you say. Won't see any of us around here anymore. Good day to you all." She actually managed a smile. She actually managed a smile. "How would "How would you you have responded?" have responded?"

"Where'd the tablet come from?"

"They took over the s.h.i.+p. Took it down through the atmosphere and landed it in an open field."

"That must have been disconcerting."

"I know how this sounds. It's nonetheless true. They told us we would not be harmed, but I'll admit I wasn't rea.s.sured."

"What happened when you were on the ground?"

"The area was filled with ruins. Stone buildings. Magnificent architecture, but allowed to go to ruin. I asked what they were. Why they'd been abandoned."

"What did they say?"

"That they were no longer needed. Then we were told to leave the s.h.i.+p." Her eyes grew large, and she shook her head. Her eyes grew large, and she shook her head. "We opened up. Got out." "We opened up. Got out."

"And then?"

"They told us they wanted to do an a.n.a.lysis."

"Of the s.h.i.+p?"

"I guess. Maybe of us us. d.a.m.n it, Alex, I don't know the answers to most of this."

"It sounds like a harrowing experience."

"There is no word."

Another pause. Then: "So what happened? On the ground?"

"A stream ran among the ruins. We stood and watched the s.h.i.+p for a while, but we didn't see anybody, anything go in. The tablet was set up in front of one of the buildings. A big place. Vaulted roof, what was left of it. Like a church. Or a temple." go in. The tablet was set up in front of one of the buildings. A big place. Vaulted roof, what was left of it. Like a church. Or a temple."

"And Tuttle removed it?"

"No. Not exactly."

"How did you come into possession of it?"

"We asked them about it. What was it? What did it say? They indicated it was a date and dedication. They wouldn't do a translation for us. Said we wouldn't understand. But Sunset wanted to know if we could have it."

"And-?"

"When we got back to the s.h.i.+p, it was waiting."

"Rachel, did you ever actually see see them?" them?"

"No. We were alone the whole time. But not alone."

"Did you ask any other questions? Like, how did they learn the language? Who were they?"

"I was too scared. It didn't strike me at the time that I particularly wanted to ask questions."

"What about Tuttle?"

"No. Not him either. It's the only time I've ever seen him almost speechless."

"Okay." Alex scribbled something on a notepad. "You never went back?"

Her eyes rolled toward the ceiling. "Are you serious? Would "Are you serious? Would you you have gone back?" have gone back?" For a long few moments, no one spoke. Then she continued: For a long few moments, no one spoke. Then she continued: "Can I count on you to say nothing about this?" "Can I count on you to say nothing about this?"

"Yes."

"And to drop your investigation, which can only call attention to the matter?"

Alex leaned forward in his chair, propped his elbow on the arm, and rested his chin in his palm. "Rachel, I would certainly drop the investigation if your account were true. Unfortunately, I find it impossible to believe."

The color drained out of her face. She stared at Alex with such unalloyed venom that I almost expected her to materialize physically and attack him. "Then let it be on your head," "Then let it be on your head," she said. she said. "Whatever happens, it will be your responsibility." "Whatever happens, it will be your responsibility." And she broke off. And she broke off.

ELEVEN.

It is unthinkable that G.o.d should have painted so vast a canvas, and left it for us alone. We will find others like ourselves as we move out among the stars. They will be everywhere.

-Bishop Benjamin Hustings, in reaction to the discovery that there was no one at Alpha Centauri (2511).

"What makes you think she was lying? I'll admit the story was pretty far out. But why not?"

"She has a problem, Chase."

"And what's that?"

"How does she account for the tablet?"

"I thought she managed that pretty well."

He poured coffee for us. "Do you really think," he said, "that aliens who don't want us showing up in their neighborhood would provide evidence that they exist? Why on earth would they hand over the tablet?"

"I don't know. They're aliens aliens, Alex."

"It doesn't matter, Chase. Logic is still logic. It makes no sense that they'd do that. Moreover, if Tuttle was so so determined to keep their existence hidden, so much that even he of all people would say nothing, would he really bring that piece of rock home and stick it in a cabinet in his den? No, my proud beauty, had they actually given it to him, he and Rachel would have had time to think about it on the way home. And they'd have disposed of it. Jettisoned it somewhere. And there's something else." determined to keep their existence hidden, so much that even he of all people would say nothing, would he really bring that piece of rock home and stick it in a cabinet in his den? No, my proud beauty, had they actually given it to him, he and Rachel would have had time to think about it on the way home. And they'd have disposed of it. Jettisoned it somewhere. And there's something else."

"What?"

"Henry told us she came back from a tour flight and quit World's End. Whatever it was that happened, I'd be shocked if it hadn't happened on that flight. Which would mean Tuttle wasn't there."

"That's guesswork."

"No. She just told us Tuttle wasn't there."

"When did she say that?"

"She said, 'You were right. I did find another civilization.' You think she'd have said that if she was out on a mission with Tuttle?"

"I guess not. So what is is going on? Do you have a better explanation?" going on? Do you have a better explanation?"

"No. Worse, I can't even imagine imagine one. But it's there. We just need to look harder." one. But it's there. We just need to look harder."

"What did you have in mind?"

"World's End Tours operates out of Serendipity."

"Dip," I said. I said.

"Pardon?"

"Dip. They call it Dip."

"Okay."

"We're going out there, aren't we?"

He actually managed to look guilty. "Yes."

"Whatever we want to talk to them about, why not do it here? They have an office downtown."

"That's purely administrative. I've already checked. We want to talk to the operational people. Especially Miriam Wiley."

"She is-?"

"Director of operations at Dip. We have a better chance of getting what we want directly from her rather than talking to the bureaucrats."

I sighed. "When do we leave?"

He retired to his office, but later I saw him outside, wandering along the edge of the woods, hands in his jacket pockets, a battered broad-brimmed hunter's hat pulled low over his eyes. It was by no means unusual for him to go for a walk around the grounds. Frequently, he took the north trail out to the river, which was a half kilometer away. Occasionally, he simply strolled across the property, enjoying the crisp country air.

It was a gray, listless day, cool, damp, without a breath of wind. The grackles, which had filled the trees yesterday, were quiet, and nothing moved in all that landscape.

He seemed uncertain where he wanted to go, wandering first one way, then another. And there was something different about the way he walked, the way he was carrying himself. His head was bowed, his shoulders slumped. Sometimes, he simply stood in one place, not moving, for minutes at a time, staring, not at the corona bushes, which were always resplendent in a kind of final effort at that time of year, but at a blank piece of sky, or at the ground.

After a while he pa.s.sed from my view. But he didn't come back inside. I thought about going out to see if I could help, but I didn't know what to tell him. Yes, Rachel was lying. But there was something she wanted to keep hidden, and it was obvious she would pay a price if we proceeded.

It's been a long time now since Alex stood out there on the edge of the forest. But it's an image I've never forgotten.

We needed a day or two to clear up loose ends. It was the first time I'd gone out in the Belle-Marie Belle-Marie since I'd met Robin. "So where is this Serendipity?" he asked. since I'd met Robin. "So where is this Serendipity?" he asked.

"About thirty light-years."

"You need company?"

"Don't you have school to teach?"

"Oh, yeah. I'd forgotten." Big smile.