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The Captain said, "I refuse to consider your proposal, Mr. Moray. The matter will not come to a
vote. May I remind you that I am currently in supreme command of this ship? Must I order your arrest?"
"Arrest, hell," Moray said scornfully. "You're not in space now, Captain. You're not on the bridge of your ship. You have no authority over any of us, Captain--except maybe your own crew, if they want to obey you."
Leicester stood on the rostrum, as white as his shirt, his eyes gleaming with fury. He said, "I remind
all of you that MacAran's party, sent out to explore, has discovered
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traces of intelligent life on this planet. Earth Expeditionary has a standard policy of not placing colonies
on inhabited planets. If we settle here we are likely to bring cultural shock to the stone age culture."
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Another uproar. Moray shouted angrily, "Do you think your attempts to evolve a technology here foryour repairs wouldn't do that? In God's name, sir, we have everything we need to establish a colonyhere. If we divert all our resources to your insane effort to repair the ship, it's doubtful if we can evensurvive!"
Captain Leicester made a distinct effort to master himself, but his fury was obvious. He said harshly,
"You are suggesting that we abandon the effort--and relapse into barbarism?"
Moray was suddenly very grave. He came forward to the rostrum and stood beside the Captain. His
voice was level and calm.
"I hope not, Captain. It is man's mind that makes him a barbarian, not his technology. We may have to do without top-level technology, at least for a few generations, but that doesn't mean we can't establish a good world here for ourselves and our children, a civilized world. There have been civilizations which have existed for centuries almost without technology. The illusion that man's culture is only the history of his technostructures is propaganda from the engineers, sir. It has no basis in sociology--or in philosophy."
The Captain said harshly, "I'm not interested in your social theories, Mr. Moray."
Doctor Di Asturien rose. He said, "Captain, one thing must be taken into account. We made a most
disquieting discovery today--"
At that moment a violent clap of thunder rocked the hospital tent. The hastily rigged lights went out
And from the door one of the security men shouted:
"Captain! Captain! The woods are on fire!"
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Chapter
SEVEN
Everyone kept their heads; Captain Leicester bellowed from the ,platform, "Get some lights in here;security, get some lights!" One of the young men on the Medic staff found a handlamp for the Captainand one of the bridge officers shouted, "Everyone! Stay in place and wait for orders, there is no dangerhere! Get those lights rigged as fast as you can!"
MacAran was near enough to the door to see the distant rising glare against the darkness. In a fewminutes lamps were being distributed, and Moray, from the platform, said urgently, "Captain, we havetree-felling and earth-moving equipment. Let me order a detail to work on firebreaks around the
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encampment."
"Right, Mr. Moray. Get with it," Leicester said harshly. "All bridge officers, gather here; get to the ship and secure any flammable or explosive material." He hurried away toward the back of the tent. Moray ordered all able-bodied men to the clearing, and requisitioned all available handlamps not in use on the bridge. "Form up in the same squads you did for grave digging detail," he ordered. MacAran found himself in a crew with Father Valentine and eight strangers, felling trees in a ten-foot swath around the clearing. The fire was still a distant roar on a slope miles away, a red glare against the sky, but the air smelled of smoke, with a strange acrid undertone.
Someone said at MacAran's elbow, "How can the woods catch fire after all this rain?"
He brought back memory of something Marco Zabal had said that first night. "The trees are heavilyresined--practically tinder. Some few of them may even burn when they're wet--we built a campfire ofgreen wood. I suppose lightning can set off a fire at almost any time." We were lucky, he thought, wecamped out in the center of the woods and never thought of fire, or of firebreaks.
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"I suspect we'll need a permanent firebreak around any encampment or work area."
Father Valentine said, "You sound as if you thought we were going to be here a long time."
MacAran bent to his saw. He said, not looking up, "No matter whose side you're on--the Captain'sor Moray's--it looks as if we'd be here for years." He was too weary, and too unsure of anything at thismoment, to decide for himself if he had any real preference and in any case he was sure no one wouldconsult him about his choice, but down deep he knew that if they ever left this world again he wouldregret it
Father Valentine touched his shoulder. "I think the Lieutenant is looking for you."
He straightened to see Camilla Del Rey walking toward him. She looked worn and haggard, her hairuncombed and her uniform dirty. He wanted to take her in his arms but instead he stood and watched herattempt not to meet his eyes as she said, "Rafe, the Captain wants to talk with you. You know the terrainbetter than anyone else. Do you think it could be fought or contained?"
"Not in the dark--and not without heavy equipment," MacAran said, but he accompanied her back toward the Captain's field quarters. He had to admire the efficiency with which the firebreak operation had been set up, the small amount of ship's firefighting equipment moved to the hospital.
The Captain had sense enough to use Moray here. They're really two of a kind--if they could only work together for the same objectives. But just now they're the irresistible force and the immovable object
.
The fine rain was changing to heavy sleet as they came into the dome. The small dark crowded
dome was dimly lit by a single handlamp, and the battery seemed to be already failing.
Moray was saying: "--our power sources are already giving way. Before we can do anything else,
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sir, in your plan or mine, some sources of light and heat have to be found. We have wind-power and solar-power equipment in the colonizing materials, although I somehow doubt if this sun has enough light and radiation for much solar power. MacAran--" he turned, "I take it there are mountain streams? Any big enough for damming?"
"Not that we saw in the few days we were in the mountains," MacAran said, "but there's plenty of
wind."
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"That will do for a temporary makeshift," Captain Leicester said. "MacAran, do you know exactly
where the fire is located?"
"Far enough to be no immediate danger to us," MacAran said, "although we're going to need firebreaks from now on, anywhere we go. But this fire's no danger, I think. The rain's turning to snow and I think that will smother it out."
"If it can burn in the rain--"
"Snow's wetter and heavier," MacAran said, and was interrupted by what sounded like a volley of
gunfire "What's that?"
Moray said, "Game stampede--probably getting away from the fire. Your officers are shooting food. Captain once again, I suggest conservation of ammunition for absolute emergencies. Even on Earth, gamehas been hunter recreationally with bow and arrow. There are prototype in the recreation department,and we'll need them for enlarging the food supply."
"Full of ideas, aren't you," Leicester grunted, and Moray said, tight-mouthed, "Captain, running a spaceship is your business. Setting up a viable society with the most economical use of resources is
mine
."
For a moment the two men stared at one another in the failing light, the others in the dome forgotten. Camilla had edged around behind the Captain and it seemed to MacAran that she was supporting himmentally as well as backing him up physically. Outside there were all the noises of the camp, and behind itall the small hiss of snow striking the dome. Then a gust of high wind struck it and a blast of cold air camein through the flapping doorway; Camilla ran to shut it, struggling against the wild blast, and was flungback. The door swung wildly, came loose from the makeshift hinges and knocked the girl off her feet; MacAran ran to help her up. Captain Leicester swore softly and began to shout for one of his aides.
Moray raised a hand. He said quietly, "We need stronger and more permanent shelters, Captain.
These were built to last six weeks. May I order them built to last for a few years, then?"
Captain Leicester was silent, and with that new and exaggerated sensitivity it almost seemed to
MacAran that he could hear what the Captain was thinking.
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Was this an entering wedge? Could he use Moray's undoubted talents without giving him too muchpower over the colonists, and diminishing his own? When he spoke his voice was bitter; but he gave waygracefully.
"You know survival, Mr. Moray. I'm a scientist--and a spaceman. I'll put you in charge of the camp, on a temporary basis. Get your priorities in order and requisition what you need." He strode to the door and stood there looking out at the whirling snow. "No fire can live in that. Call in the men and feed them before they go back to making firebreaks. You're in charge, Moray--for the time being." His back was straight and indomitable, but he sounded tired. Moray bowed slightly. There was no hint of subservience in it.
"Don't think I'm giving way," Leicester warned. "That ship is going to be repaired."
Moray shrugged a little. "Maybe so. But it can't be repaired unless we survive long enough to do it.
For now, that's all I'm concerned about."
He turned to Camilla and MacAran, ignoring the Captain.
"MacAran, your party knows at least some of the terrain. I want a local survey made of all resources, including food--Dr. Lovat can handle that. Lieutenant Del Rey, you're a navigator; you have access to instruments. Can you arrange to make some sort of climate survey which we might manage to use for weather prediction?" He broke off. "The middle of the night isn't the time for this. We'll get moving tomorrow." He moved to the door and, finding his way blocked by Captain Leicester standing and staring into the whirling snowflakes, tried to move past him a time or two, finally touched him on the shoulder. The Captain started and moved aside. Moray said, "The first thing to do is to get those poor devils in out of the storm. Will you give orders, Captain, or shall I?"
Captain Leicester met his eyes levelly and with taut hostility. "It doesn't matter," he said quietly, "I'mnot concerned with which of us gives the orders, and God help you, if you're just looking for the powerto give them. Camilla, go and tell Major Layton to secure from firefighting operations and make sure thateveryone who was on the firebreak line gets hot food before he turns in."
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The girl pulled her hood over her head and hurried off through the snow.
"You may have your talents, Moray," he said, "and as far as I'm concerned you're welcome to use
mine. But there's an old saying in the Space Service. Anyone who intrigues for power, deserves to get it!"
He strode out of the dome, leaving the wind to blow through it, and MacAran, watching Moray, felt
that somehow, obscurely, the Captain had come off best.
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Chapter
EIGHT
The days were lengthening, but even so there seemed never to be enough light or enough time for thework which had to be done in the settlement. Three days after the fire, extensive firebreaks thirty feetwide had been constructed around the encampment, and firefighting squads had been organized foremergency outbreaks. It was about that time that MacAran went off, with a party of the colonists, tomake Moray's survey. The only members of the previous party to accompany him were Judith Lovat and MacLeod. Judy was still quiet and contained, almost unspeaking; MacAran was worried about her, butshe did her work efficiently and seemed to have an almost psychic awareness of where to find the sort ofthing they were looking for.
For the most part, this woodland exploration trip was uneventful. They laid out trails for possibleroadways toward the valley where they had first seen herds of game, assessed the amount of firedamage--which was not really very great--mapped the local streams and rivers, and MacAran collectedrock samples from the local heights to assess their potential ore contents.
Only one major event broke the rather pleasant monotony of the trip. One evening toward sunsetthey were blazing trail through an unusually thick level of forest when MacLeod, slightly ahead of the mainparty, stopped short,
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turned back, laying a finger on his lips to enjoin silence, and beckoned to MacAran.
MacAran came forward, Judy tiptoeing at his side. She looked oddly excited.
MacLeod pointed upward through the thick trees. Two huge trunks rose dizzyingly high, withoutauxiliary branches for at least sixty feet; and spanning them, swung a bridge. There was nothing else tocall it; a bridge of what looked like woven wickerwood, elaborately constructed with handrails.