The Andre Norton Megapack - 15 Classic Novels and Short Stories

the captive’s description of those powers in action suggested a supernatural origin of Foanna knowledge, or at least for its application. But Ross thought that the answer might be that they possessed the remnants of some almost forgotten technical know-how, the heritage of a very old race. He had tried to learn something of the origin of the Foanna themselves, wondering if the robed ones could be from the galactic empire. But the answer had come that the Foanna were older than recorded time, that they had lived in the great citadel before the race of the Terrans’ prisoner had risen from very primitive savagery.
    “What do we do now?” Karara broke in upon Ross’s thoughts as she refastened the containers.
    “These slaves that the Wreckers take upon occasion…Maybe Ashe.…” Ross was catching at very fragile straws; he had to. And the stranger had said that able-bodied men who swam ashore relatively uninjured were taken captive. Several had been the night before.
    “Loketh.”
    Ross and Karara looked around. The prisoner put down the water bulb, and one of his hands made a gesture they could not mistake; he pointed to himself and repeated that word, “Loketh.”
    The Terran touched his own chest. “Ross Murdock.”
    Perhaps the other was as impatient as he with their roundabout method of communication and had decided to try and speed it up. The analyzer! Ashe had included the analyzer with the equipment by the gate. If Ross could find that…why, then the major problem could be behind them. Swiftly he explained to Karara, and with a vigorous nod of assent she called to Taua, ordering the rest of the salvage material from the gate be brought to them.
    “Loketh.” Ross pointed to the youth. “Ross.” That was himself. “Karara.” He indicated the girl.
    “Rosss.” The alien made a clicking hiss of the first name. “Karara—” He did better with the second.
    Ross carefully unpacked the box Taua had located. He had only slight knowledge of how the device worked. It was intended to record a strange language, break it down into symbols already familiar to the Time Agents. But could it also be used as a translator with a totally alien tongue? He could only hope that the rough handling of its journey through the gate had not damaged it and that the experiment might possibly work.
    Putting the box between them, he explained what he wanted; and Karara took up the small micro-disk, speaking slowly and distinctly the same liquid syllables she had used in the dolphin song. Ross clicked the lever when she was finished, and watched the small screen. The symbols which flashed there had meaning for him right enough; he could translate what she had just taped. The machine still worked to that extent.
    Now he pushed the box into place before Loketh and made the visibly reluctant Hawaikan take the disk from Karara. Then through the dolphin link Ross passed on definite instructions. Would it work as well to translate a stellar tongue as it had with languages past and present of his own planet?
    Reluctantly Loketh began to talk to the disk, at first in a very rapid mumble and then, as there was no frightening response, with less speed and more confidence. There were symbol lines on the vista-plate in accordance, and some of them made sense! Ross was elated.
    “Ask him: Can one enter the castle unseen to check on the slaves?”
    “For what reason?”
    Ross was sure he had read those symbols correctly.
    “Tell him—that one of our kind may be among them.”
    Loketh did not reply so quickly this time. His eyes, grave and measuring, studied Ross, then Karara, then Ross again.
    “There is a way…discovered by this useless one.”
    Ross did not pay attention to the odd adjective Loketh chose to describe himself. He pressed to the important matter.
    “Can and will he show me that way?”
    Again that long moment of appraisal on the part of Loketh before he answered. Ross found himself reading the reply symbols aloud.
    “If you dare, then I will lead.”
    CHAPTER 7
    Witches’ Meat
    He might be recklessly endangering all of them, Ross knew. But if Ashe was immured somewhere in that rock pile over their heads, then the risk of trusting Loketh would be worth it. However, because Ross was chancing his own neck did not mean that Karara need be drawn into immediate peril too. With the dolphins at her command and the supplies, scanty as those were, she would have a good chance to hide here safely.
    “Holding out for