The Darkside Of The Sun

Einstein Had Been Right It Would End Right Behind You . Try getting that on the ident panel. Do you think you can handle it?’
    ‘It’ll do,’ said Isaac ruefully. ‘It’s hardly a thoroughbred.’
    They walked through the human scientific colony towards the Maze, the nearest wall of which loomed over the low domes.
    ‘What did you think of the High-Degrees?’ said Hrsh-Hgn.
    ‘Remarkable,’ said Dom non-committally. ‘What about you?’
    ‘I met several while you were taken on that tour. I wass sstruck by their phnobisshness, ass you might expect, and your ssuggesstion that each race ssees itss reflection in the—’
    A small silver egg rolled up to them at the Maze entrance, waving a sheaf of papers in a tentacle. The reddish tint of its eyeshield said it was a very low-degree Creap indeed.
    ‘Psst!’ hissed a non-directional voice. ‘Wanna buy a map? Can’t see the Maze without a map. Compiled by my brood-brother from genuine aerial photographs!’
    ‘Sod off, cinderbrain!’ screamed a large Creap, thundering towards the group. ‘Now, sir and frss, you are obviously discerning people and you want a map. Now I have a map, sir and frss, the like of which is seldom seen.’
    ‘Do I need a map?’ Dom asked.
    ‘Not precissely,’ said the phnobe, who had visited the Maze before. ‘But they do make good souvenirss!’
    A dozen other map-sellers lurched and rolled after them as they strode into the Maze.
    The Jokers had their little joke. Occasionally a researcher would point out that the Maze was probably never designed as a maze at all, but none could come up with a believable alternative use. Dom wasn’t surprised when his two companions faded away on either side of him – Hrsh-Hgn had warned him of the Maze effect.
    Something in the monomolecular walls created a separate universe for every individual. That was why all maps and aerial photographs ceased to be useful. Dom’s own map of the maze could be perfectly accurate – for Dom.
    Once he saw a shadowy outline of Hrsh-Hgn walk out of a wall and disappear into another. Dom thumped the wall good and hard and then, glancing around to make sure that no one was watching, played a stripper beam over the white surface. It didn’t even get hot. As an illusion it was pretty solid.
    He found the centre after ten minutes’ brisk walking. He had the memory sword still turned to the stripper setting, and his finger hovered on the stud as Ways turned round and smiled.
    ‘I see you were expecting me,’ he said pleasantly.
    Dom fired. Ways gave him a hurt look, and extended a hand. A growing, light-bending sphere bounced towards Dom and disappeared.
    ‘Round One,’ said Ways. ‘Now I’ve a resonance-dampening matrix, but what have you got?’
    ‘Who are you?’ said Dom. He thumbed the weapon on its knife setting.
    ‘Ways of Earth.’ He stopped and tossed the knife back to Dom. ‘I’m afraid you have blunted the blade,’ he continued, ‘but that was a pretty smart throw.’
    ‘My next question was have you come to kill me, but that’s not intelligent, is it?’
    ‘No,’ said Ways, ‘I don’t seem to be achieving anything, but I must keep trying otherwise what is free will for?’
    ‘Do I get any explanations?’
    ‘Sure. You must realize that the universe is too big to hold us and the Jokers. Some people are afraid that the Jokers might turn up any day now.’
    ‘Do they expect some kind of big-brained monsters?’
    ‘I think gods are what they are expecting. You know where you are with big-brained monsters, but gods are another matter. No one wants to be a slave race. Oh, I’ve got a couple of things for you.’
    The robot slid aside his chest panel and threw Ig at Dom. The little animal screamed vengeance at Ways from the safety of its master’s shoulder, then dived inside Dom’s shirt.
    ‘And there was something else …’ said the robot. He patted his carry-all, and felt around behind his chestplate. ‘Sorry for the delay, you know how it is, thing wanted never there. Ah, here.’
    Dom caught the small grey sphere before he could stop himself. It was warm. Ways watched him closely.
    ‘That is a matrix engine without a coil,’ he said. ‘By now it should have blown your head off. Crude, I know.’
    Dom hurled the globe over the nearest wall. It sparkled briefly under the light of the Chains before landing with a thud in the next avenue. Then Ways cannoned into him.
    The robot had weight behind him. Dom rolled