became engrossed in the escalation of arms, footsteps broke his concentration.
He dismounted from his chair to look over a podium that gave him a view down dimly lit tunnels of data banks. In the dim red light of an aisle, he spied a tall, muscular figure sauntering through the maze, being careful at each intersection to inspect the next aisle. He could tell by the gait that it was not one of the Owlers; nor was it Landrew, nor Dreveney. Not instantaneously recognizing this silhouette, Deacon became fearful. He broke into a sweat as he saw the stranger step into a green-lit corner. He was an Earthling, about six and a half feet tall, with a swarthy complexion, now curiously assuming a crouch on his haunches, listening intently. Is he listening and spying on me? Deacon wondered. Deacon slowly bent down behind the rails, fumbling for his handheld device to alert Gem.
Damnation , he thought as he realized he had plunked the signalet on a bench in a distant aisle where he had retrieved the history. Whoever this person was, he was here without Deacon’s knowledge and was now skulking around each data bank. Methodically inspecting each aisle, he was now approaching the sector under the balcony, moving furtively toward Deacon, ever so much closer.
The intruder paused, and the light exposed his facial profile. Deacon had seen this swarthy face before, but in his anxious state, his memory was failing him. Was he friend or foe? He couldn’t take a chance. He spied the aisle where he had left the safety control. It would require a leap over the rails, then a dash of fifty yards, and then a sharp left turn, followed by a further run to the bench. It would require him to grab the device while running at full speed, signal Gem, and then outrun the culprit until Gem arrived. But where was Gem? Which direction to run when he had the signalet? How stupid of me to abandon my safety alarm.
Suddenly Deacon was terrified. Gem was the security system. Gem was controlling any visitors. How had this stranger entered? With or without Gem’s approval? The intruder clumsily knocked into a cart just as Deacon dared to steal a peek and examine him closer, searching his memory unsuccessfully as to his identity. Yet he felt he should know this being. From out of the silence, a door slammed. Suddenly, another being appeared in the shadows on the balcony at the very far end of fourth floor, at least five hundred feet away.
An Owler at last? Deacon wondered. His eyes penetrated the murkiness for a sign of Jim or Gem. The shadows were too deep. The figure above stepped to the front of the balcony and leaned over, surveying the maze below. It was not Gem, not Jim. If either one of these individuals was in honest search of him, why didn’t they summon him? Hail him? Determine his whereabouts? The visitor above moved out of sight, but Deacon recognized the whine of the lift, which would deliver him to the same level he was on. But with this new development, the first invader now focused his attention to the door of the lift and started to proceed toward it on tiptoe.
Deacon hid, terrified, and as the prowler passed by, he scrutinized him. He stopped only twenty yards in front of Deacon. There he extracted some wire from his pockets and curled it around his stubby fingers, preparing it; he jerked it to check its tautness. Deacon knew then that to sit and do nothing would result in the murder of one or both of them. What a tragedy if this new arrival is Landrew!
As the elevator arrived, the man in front of Deacon disappeared to stalk the recent arrival. As soon as he disappeared, Deacon summoned his courage and jumped from his hiding place. He leaped over the rails, dashed to the aisle where he had left the handheld, and turned left, not daring to look behind. There he grabbed the security device on the run, and he began pressing hard the alarm button to signal Gem as he sprinted down the aisle. As he did this, he decided to scream for help to identify
He dismounted from his chair to look over a podium that gave him a view down dimly lit tunnels of data banks. In the dim red light of an aisle, he spied a tall, muscular figure sauntering through the maze, being careful at each intersection to inspect the next aisle. He could tell by the gait that it was not one of the Owlers; nor was it Landrew, nor Dreveney. Not instantaneously recognizing this silhouette, Deacon became fearful. He broke into a sweat as he saw the stranger step into a green-lit corner. He was an Earthling, about six and a half feet tall, with a swarthy complexion, now curiously assuming a crouch on his haunches, listening intently. Is he listening and spying on me? Deacon wondered. Deacon slowly bent down behind the rails, fumbling for his handheld device to alert Gem.
Damnation , he thought as he realized he had plunked the signalet on a bench in a distant aisle where he had retrieved the history. Whoever this person was, he was here without Deacon’s knowledge and was now skulking around each data bank. Methodically inspecting each aisle, he was now approaching the sector under the balcony, moving furtively toward Deacon, ever so much closer.
The intruder paused, and the light exposed his facial profile. Deacon had seen this swarthy face before, but in his anxious state, his memory was failing him. Was he friend or foe? He couldn’t take a chance. He spied the aisle where he had left the safety control. It would require a leap over the rails, then a dash of fifty yards, and then a sharp left turn, followed by a further run to the bench. It would require him to grab the device while running at full speed, signal Gem, and then outrun the culprit until Gem arrived. But where was Gem? Which direction to run when he had the signalet? How stupid of me to abandon my safety alarm.
Suddenly Deacon was terrified. Gem was the security system. Gem was controlling any visitors. How had this stranger entered? With or without Gem’s approval? The intruder clumsily knocked into a cart just as Deacon dared to steal a peek and examine him closer, searching his memory unsuccessfully as to his identity. Yet he felt he should know this being. From out of the silence, a door slammed. Suddenly, another being appeared in the shadows on the balcony at the very far end of fourth floor, at least five hundred feet away.
An Owler at last? Deacon wondered. His eyes penetrated the murkiness for a sign of Jim or Gem. The shadows were too deep. The figure above stepped to the front of the balcony and leaned over, surveying the maze below. It was not Gem, not Jim. If either one of these individuals was in honest search of him, why didn’t they summon him? Hail him? Determine his whereabouts? The visitor above moved out of sight, but Deacon recognized the whine of the lift, which would deliver him to the same level he was on. But with this new development, the first invader now focused his attention to the door of the lift and started to proceed toward it on tiptoe.
Deacon hid, terrified, and as the prowler passed by, he scrutinized him. He stopped only twenty yards in front of Deacon. There he extracted some wire from his pockets and curled it around his stubby fingers, preparing it; he jerked it to check its tautness. Deacon knew then that to sit and do nothing would result in the murder of one or both of them. What a tragedy if this new arrival is Landrew!
As the elevator arrived, the man in front of Deacon disappeared to stalk the recent arrival. As soon as he disappeared, Deacon summoned his courage and jumped from his hiding place. He leaped over the rails, dashed to the aisle where he had left the handheld, and turned left, not daring to look behind. There he grabbed the security device on the run, and he began pressing hard the alarm button to signal Gem as he sprinted down the aisle. As he did this, he decided to scream for help to identify
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