Kirth Gersen's Arrest

cover art by Eric Peterson

In my previous blog post, I described how Wendy was sent into the AR Simulator as part of an effort to discover the fate of "poor Pallis" Atwrode. Below is part 2 of Wendy's adventure on Alphanor and the story of how Kirth Gersen began his collaboration with IPCC Special Agent Atwrode.

Note: the following story is fan-fiction. You should read Star King by Jack Vance before trying to read about Wendy's adventures in the Asimov Reality.

The Melnoy Heights
Wendy was reminiscing about the two weeks that she had spent with Ryjyl Wishwell. Of course, those memories were tinged with a aura of mystery since Ryjyl was not real. Somehow Grean had "extracted" a copy of Ryjyl from the AR Simulator. Wendy wondered how that magic had been accomplished. Possibly Grean had instantiated Ryjyl as a replicoid, an artificial life form that looked like the original Ryjyl from the Asimov Reality.

Adding to the mystery, according to Grean, it had been a teleporter duplicate of Wendy that had spent two weeks learning from Ryjyl about her work as a Police Inspector on the Planet Alphanor. Ryjyl worked in Avente and often dealt with the petty crime that clung to the tourists who visited Sailmaker Beach. Only on rare occasions, when a major crime was committed in Avente, did Ryjyl work "under cover" in coordination with the IPCC.

This was one of those times and for some reason, Grean had decided to allow Wendy to take the place of Ryjyl during the IPCC investigation into the death of Kate Prekus, a young student at Sea Province University. Wendy was worried that she might bungle the investigation, but for its first two hours, all she had to do was sit and wait while Kirth Gersen slept. Wendy was monitoring him by means of a nanite tracking device that she had planted on Gersen.

With nothing else to do, Wendy tuned her attention to the data arriving from the other nanite probe that had been linked to Agent Atwrode. Pallis was doing routine police work, investigation various leads related to the death of Kate Prekus. That work was tedious and unproductive, as was most police investigative work. Wendy reviewed in her mind what she had learned from Ryjyl about the police methods and techniques used on Alphanor.

Finally, Gersen was waking up. A few minutes later, Wendy put her full attention back on Gersen as he walked out of his hotel.

Wendy followed Gersen back to Sea Province University where she was now technically out of her jurisdiction. Wendy told herself: technically I'm not Inspector Wishwell, so I'm free to ignore technicalities. Parking her car in a visitors lot, she did not bother to inform the Campus Police that she was present. The Avente Police had checked on Gersen's story and verified that Gersen previously visited the Department of Galactic Morphology where he had met with Warpweave, Kelle and Detteras, three top officials of the Department. Strangely, none of the four, Gersen, Warpweave, Kelle or Detteras was cooperating with the police: all of them had offered no useful information beyond the fact that they knew each other.

Now, Wendy was watching with interest while Gersen again met with Warpweave, Kelle and Detteras. Listening to their conversation, Wendy noticed that the name Lugo Teehalt soon came up. Wendy used her Police communicator to submit a request for background information about Teehalt.

More intriguingly, Gersen, Warpweave, Kelle and Detteras spent considerable time discussing a "valuable planet" which had recently been discovered. Gersen seemed eager to sell the location of the planet to the Department of Galactic Morphology for a large finders fee and after lengthy argument over the price, Warpweave, Kelle and Detteras agreed to the deal. Then, Gersen, Warpweave, Kelle and Detteras made plans to depart that evening from the spaceport on an interstellar voyage to the mystery planet.

Gersen departed from the University, driving his rental car back towards Avente. Gersen checked out of the hotel where he had gotten only two hours of sleep. Wendy then followed Gersen to the local branch of Amalgamated Distribution Service. Wendy watched with growing curiosity as Gersen purchased an electronic timing device and an explosives detonator.

Gersen then took a subway train to the spaceport. Wendy drove to the spaceport and parked her car in the parking structure near the terminal building.

Gersen spent considerable time onboard a spaceship that was registered to the Department of Galactic Morphology. The police department sticktight that was following Gersen now hovered above the spaceship, waiting for Gersen to emerge. However, the nanite probe continued to provide Wendy with information about Gersen's activities inside the spaceship. Wendy learned that this was the spaceship that would carry Gersen, Warpweave, Kelle and Detteras into space latter that day. Gersen found Sivij Suthiro already onboard the ship. Wendy watched with amazement as Gersen shot Suthiro and then questioned him about Hildemar Dasce and the missing girl, Nova Prekus. Suthiro was certain that Dasce had taken Nova to a secret world beyond where he would hold her as his captive. Gersen shot Suthiro a second time, killing him. Gersen planted a small bomb inside the ship, attached to the timing device and detonator that he had previously purchased.

Gersen departed from the spaceport and returned to where he had left his rental car at the hotel parking lot. He drove north, past the tourist area of Sailmaker Beach and on into an area populated by local residents. Starting with a few hints provided by the dying Suthiro, Gersen began searching for the dwelling of Hildemar Dasce. Soon enough, Gersen found people in the Melnoy Heights district who knew Dasce because of his bizarre appearance. Wendy followed Gersen to Dasce's cottage and parked in the street nearby when Gersen pulled into the driveway.

Wendy wondered if Dasce might be at home, but when Gersen broke in, he found the place silent and nobody present. The sticktight was tracking Gersen, recording his activity inside Dasce's home and transmitting directly to police headquarters. Gersen carefully searched through Dasce's belongings. The only thing he took was a page out of a book. Then Wendy noticed a small man who ran hurriedly into the house.

This short man was apparently the owner who rented the cottage to Dasce. When breaking in, Gersen had set off a silent alarm. Wendy watched with amusement as Gersen proceeded to pretend to be a Policeman looking for Dasce.

Just then, Special Agent Pallis Atwrode contacted Ryjyl: "Inspector Wishwell? This is Agent Atwrode. Do you know Gersen's current location?"

Wendy replied, "Hello, Pallis. Yes, I've followed him to the home of Hildemar Dasce."

"You found Dasce?"

Wendy Larsen, disguised as Ryjyl
and disguised as a tourist.

"No, apparently Dasce departed from Alphanor with Nova Prekus as his prisoner." Wendy quickly told Pallis how Gersen had broken into Dasce's home and was now impersonating a police officer.

Agent Atwrode said, "Go ahead and arrest Gersen. I'll arrive soon by air."

Wendy got out of her car and walked up the cobblestone lane towards Dasce's rental house. Gersen stepped out the front door and after a brief glance at Wendy, he walked briskly back to his rental car. Wendy followed along and waited for Gersen to get into the car. She knocked on the car's window.

Gersen opened the window and Wendy showed him Inspector Wishwell's Police Badge. "Hello again, Mr. Gersen."

Gersen finally recognized Wendy and he said, "Oh, hello Inspector. Is Melnoy Heights your usual beat?" Ryjyl shook her head, but said nothing. Gersen asked, "Are you following me?"

Wendy laughed and replied, "Obviously. Thank you for leading us to Dasce's home. We did not know about Dasce's alternate identity as 'Mr. Spock'. Did you find anything useful in there?" Gersen started the car, apparently ready to drive off. "Please don't rush off, you are under arrest."

"On what charge?"

"Oh, let me see.... where do you suggest I begin?"

Gersen said, "I'm no criminal."

Wendy suggested, "Let's begin with the murder of Sivij Suthiro."

Gersen shut of the car's power system and asked, "You found his body?"

"It is right where you left it, Mr. Gersen."

Gersen explained, "I killed him in self-defense. He attacked me."

"Actually, I've been ordered to arrest you for breaking and entering."

Gersen asked, "Ordered by who?"

"Agent Atwrode." Wendy pointed up into the sky. "That's her arriving now."

Special Agent Atwrode landed her flyer right in front of Gersen's car. Pallis walked up and told Wendy, "We've discovered that Lugo Teehalt has in interesting background with links to the Department of Galactic Morphology." She gave Wendy a street address in the nearby village of Sesimbra. "Meet us at this address in Sesimbra. It is some kind of cult that was founded by Teehalt. Coordinate with the IPCC agents assembling there. I'll lead the raid on the cult at seven, but I need to speak with Gersen first."

Wendy said, "I'll drive to Sesimbra as soon as I lock up Dasce's house. There may be important evidence in there."

"Leave that task for the forensics crew. They are on the way over here. At the very least they should be able to get Dasce's finger prints and possibly his DNA code." Pallis now turned to look at Gersen. She opened the door to Gersen's car. "Come with me, Mr. Gersen." They got into the IPCC flyer and Pallis immediately took them into the air.

Agent Atwrode set the autopilot and turned to Gersen. "Why didn't you tell us about Teehalt?"

Gersen shrugged, "Time is short. I'm in a hurry."

Pallis asked, "Who is Keelen Tannas?"

Gersen sighed and then said nothing. Agent Atwrode stared at Gersen. Finally he said, "Keelen Tannas is an alias used by Teehalt."

Pallis nodded. "I see. Why are you trying to protect Teehalt? What do you know about this weird cult that Teehalt started?"

"I know nothing about it."

Pallis looked skeptically at Gersen, "Tell me what you do know about Teehalt."

"He was hired by the Department of Galactic Morphology as a locater. He found an Earth-like planet. Teehalt did not want to give the location of the planet to his sponsor. Malagate then had Teehalt killed. After a silly mix-up on Smade's Planet, I ended up with Teehalt's ship. The rest you know."

"So it is only by chance that you became involved?"

Gersen thought back over the events of the past few months and then he gazed intently at Pallis. He felt a strange connection to her.

Pallis said, "I have some telepathic ability, Kirth. All of my family on Ys shares the ability to judge people's character. Strangely, I feel that your crazy story is true. I also know that you have previously done odd jobs for the IPCC. Who is Parsifal Pankarow?"

Gersen also felt like he could trust Agent Atwrode, "Listen, Pallis, we should be working together."

"I agree, Kirth."

"I propose a deal. I'll tell you about Pankarow and you get Inspector Wishwell to drop the silly burglary charge."

"Fine."

Gersen explained, "Pankarow was one of the men who destroyed Mount Pleasant."

"The raid on Mount Pleasant? That was 25 years ago... few people remember that event, but the IPCC has never closed that case."

Not wanting to admit that he had murdered Pankarow, Gersen lied: "I'm searching for Pankarow. During my search, I received information from the IPCC."

"Yes, I know that you requested information from the IPCC data-banks pertaining to Pankarow."

"As a part-time field operative for the IPCC, I should not have been given any useful information about Pankarow. I now suspect that the IPCC wanted to make use of me as their agent inside Brinktown."

Pallis smiled and asked, "What is your point, Mr. Gersen?"

"I believe the IPCC maneuvered me towards Smade's Planet. So my involvement with Teehalt was not due to simple random chance."

Pallis laughed and asked, "That's your theory?"

Gersen nodded.

Pallis glance out the window and checked the time. "The IPCC is not as well organized as you imagine, but I agree that there is something odd going on. The tip we received with the secret identity of Pankarow and his location arrived only hours before you asked for information about him. You seemed like a competent weasel and eager to find Pankarow, so you were provided with the tipster's information about Pankarow. There are many questions that could be asked, both about your intentions and those of the tipster."

For a moment Pallis gazed out the window, then her eyes locked back on Gersen. "However, time grows short for both of us." The aircar was now descending, having settled into the landing pattern for patrons arriving at the spaceport. "Kirth, allow me to offer my analysis of our situation. You need to depart from Alphanor this evening. I'll drop you off at the spaceport in just a minute. I'm going to further investigate Teehalt's background, but let me warn you... today I learned that he was involved in some long-term project for selective breeding... they were selecting for advanced telepathic ability. I'm worried that the Star Kings might now be interested in telepathy." The air car settled onto the roof of the spaceport parking garage. "Until we meet again... be careful, Kirth." She pushed a button and the door beside Gersen popped open. He got out of the aircar, glanced back once as Pallis took the flyer up and away and then he walked quickly to the terminal building.

in the Asimov Reality

Gersen tried to push away the misgivings that Pallis had inflicted upon him. What if Attel Malagate had telepathic powers? Gersen had not made his plans for the upcoming trip to the planet of the Dryads with that possibility in mind. He shook his head sadly, unhappy over having been forced to work with Agent Atwrode. He cursed himself for being stupid enough to let Inspector Wishwell follow him.

Gersen quickly dodged through a door and watched for the sticktight that he suspected was following him. He could not be certain, but he suspected that Atwrode had taken the device off of his tail. Now he had one last task to complete on Alphanor before the scheduled departure time. Using a public discree booth in the terminal building, Gersen established a connection to the Universal Technical Consultative Service. Providing the information he had obtained that day concerning the location of Dasce's secret planet, the Service quickly provided him with a list of possible stars that might be near Dasce's hideout.

Gersen stepped out of the booth, nodding. With luck, he now knew where Nova Prekus was being held captive by Hildemar Dasce. He walked to the dock area and again boarded the spaceship of the Department of Galactic Morphology.
 
_____________________

Shortly before seven, Agent Atwrode arrived at the village of Sesimbra where she meet with Inspector Wishwell, Captain Nekker of the Sesimbra Police and a team of five IPCC agents. Nekker looked at Wendy and asked, "Who is this?"

Pallis replied, "Captain Nekker, this is Inspector Wishwell of the Avente Police. She's been working undercover today, so she is not in uniform." She then asked Captain Nekker, "Do you have the cult's compound secured?"

Nekker replied, "It is not much of a compound, just a set of nine private homes on Redwood Circle. We have the entire area surrounded by twenty of my officers, and that's our surveillance boat up above, on watch." He pointed upwards. "Here is the search warrant." Nekker transmitted the electronic warrant to Agent Atwrode. "It just came through from the judge. Since none of the residents of the 'compound' is linked to a crime, you need to be diplomatic."

Pallis chuckled, "Inspector Wishwell and I will conduct the interviews. Captain Nekker, keep your staff deployed around the perimeter. Stop anyone exiting or entering... hold them for questioning." She turned to her fellow IPCC agents, "I believe that Lugo Tehalt is dead, but his apparent death may have been a trick. Stand-by; stay out of sight and be ready to move. If he has telepathic powers, he might be difficult to deal with."

Captain Nekker laughed, "Telepathy? Is the IPCC seriously accepting the claims of this cult?"

Agent Atwrode glanced at Nekker and shrugged, "Humor me for one more hour, please, then I'll be gone." She turned to Ryjyl and said, "Let's go."

As they walked up the dead-end street towards Redwood Circle, Wendy noticed that the other IPCC agents were following along, about fifty meters behind. Wendy knew that Gersen had already left Alphanor. She had watched his interview with Agent Atwrode and Wendy was still receiving data from the nanite probe that she had put into Gersen's body, but she asked Pallis, "What did you do with Gersen?"

Pallis checked the time. It was a few minutes after seven. "He's on his way to the planet of the Dryads."

Wendy remembered that Grean had mentioned the Planet of the Dryads, but she did not know what that meant. She asked, "So you did not really want him arrested?"

"No, I just wanted you to hold him until I arrived. Thank you for doing so."

Turning a corner, they were now on Redwood Circle. Wendy asked, "Do you really think a colony of telepaths is living here in this neighborhood?"

Agent Atwrode could sense no telepathic link to Ryjyl, so she made no effort to reply. She walked up a path to one of the homes that had been linked to Lugo Teehalt and waved at the door camera. A few seconds later the door opened. A middle aged woman looked at Pallis and Ryjyl and asked, "Can I help you?"

Pallis handed the woman her IPCC identification. The woman read the ID and handed it back. "This is Police Inspector Wishwell." Ryjyl held out her police badge then Pallis handed over her discree, which was displaying the search warrant. "We have a judge's warrant to search this house and ask any residents about a missing man named Lugo Teehalt."

The woman read the warrant and handed the discree back to Pallis. She said, "Missing? About a year ago he was hired as a locater. He went into the Beyond."

"You knew Teehalt?"

"Is he dead?"

"That is what we are investigating."

The woman shook her head and then shrugged. "Come in. We will talk."

As soon as Pallis and Ryjyl entered the house and the woman closed the door, she shouted, "Dimitar, come talk to the police."

Pallis and Ryjyl sat at the dining room table and Inspector Wishwell set her police camera on the table. Dimitar, a middle aged man, arrived from the other end of the house. Pallis glanced at the search warrant and asked, "Are you Svelta and Dimitar Ganev?"

Svelta and Dimitar nodded. Svelta told Dimitar, "The police think Teehalt is dead."

Dimitar asked, "Teehalt returned to Alphanor?"

Pallis was feeling strong telepathic emanations around both Svelta and Dimitar. Svelta seemed to be capable of sending out emotional impulses, and possibly influencing the emotions of others. Pallis had the feeling that Dimitar had sensed her arrival in Redwood Circle before Ryjyl and Pallis had even entered into range of the Ganev's door camera. She asked Dimitar, "When did you last see him?"

"A couple of weeks ago."

Svelta asked Dimitar, "You saw him? And you did not tell me?"

Dimitar told Svelta, "Lugo asked me to keep his presence on Alphanor a secret. He was only here one day, then he returned to space."

Pallis asked Dimitar, "Who was Teehalt hiding from?"

"He told me nothing. He needed money. That's all I know. He'd gotten involved with some trouble Beyond."

Pallis asked, "Why did Teehalt come to you for help?"

"We are old friends."

"How old?"

"We've known each other for 45 years."

"What can you tell us about Teehalt?"

"Not much."

Pallis stood up and moved closer to Svelta and Dimitar where they stood on the other side of the table, across from Ryjyl. "Mr. and Mrs. Ganev, let me be clear. We have learned that Teehalt may be dead or, optimistically, he might be alive and being held as a prisoner by a gang of criminals. This is an official police investigation. If you withhold information and in so doing contribute to Teehalt's death then you will be held accountable. So, tell me what you know. Now, let's start 45 years ago. Mr. Ganev, isn't it true that you are Teehalt's son?"

Svelta looked at her husband and shouted, "What?"

Dimitar put an arm around Svelta and looked into her eyes, but said nothing.

Pallis continued, "I advise you to talk to me, Dimitar, otherwise my next stop will be next-door to speak to your children. We've already checked the genetic evidence. You are Teehalt's son."

"I see it must be true." Svelta asked Dimitar, "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Dimitar pulled his gaze from Svelta and spoke to Pallis, "I was in my 30s before I guessed the truth and asked Teehalt. He told me the truth on condition that I tell nobody else." Dimitar sat in a chair and rested his arms on the table. "It began almost fifty years ago, when Teehalt still worked at the University. He met my mother and they discovered that they shared a weak telepathic connection."

Pallis interrupted and asked Dimitar, "Isn't it true that Teehalt was screening the University students, searching for those with telepathic abilities?"

"Probably. Teehalt never told me any details about his work at the University. My mother was a student when she met Teehalt, that much is clear. Then my sister was born and Teehalt was dismissed from his job. Two years later, I was born." Dimitar fell silent, gazing deep into the polished surface of the table.

Pallis put a hand on his shoulder. "Continue. Tell us everything."

"Look, this is all unnecessary. Please go away. I know nothing about Teehalt and his current troubles. Don't bother our children. They know even less than I do."

Agent Atwrode sat beside Dimitar, "Tell me what you know about Teehalt's past."

"There is not much to tell. Apparently he had wealthy relatives in the Beyond." Dimitar turned his head and glanced at Pallis. "Lugo did not like to talk about his past. I believe he may have been born in Brinktown."

Pallis slipped her business card into Dimitar's shirt pocket and then gestured towards Ryjyl who grabbed the video recording device, got up from the table and followed Pallis towards the door. Agent Atwrode turned back and told Dimitar Ganev, "If you remember anything about Teehalt's recent connections to the University, please give me a call." Svelta was bent over her husband, an arm around his shoulders that seemed to be shaking with sobs.

Pallis and Ryjyl stepped outside and went to stand at the edge of the street. Wendy said, "Dimitar did not tell us everything he knows about Teehalt."

Pallis nodded, "I agree. And most of what he could tell us is his own private family affair. All we want to know is who hired Teehalt as a locater."

Agent Atwrode used her discree to contact Captain Nekker, "Atrwrode here. All clear. You can pull your people off of the perimeter. Teehalt is not here."

Nekker said, "That was quick. I knew you were wasting your time."

Pallis chuckled and said, "I had to investigate the possibility. Thank you for humoring me."

Nekker said, "Bloody waste of time." He cut the connection.

Ryjyl followed Pallis up the street where they met the other IPCC agents who were trying to stay out of view behind a hedge row. Pallis told them, "No need to hide. Teehalt was last on Alphanor a few weeks ago. Check the landing records at the spaceports. He may have been using the Keelen Tannas alias, or some other name. Search for the Beneficial Grant 291 ship registry number... the model 9B. More likely, Teehalt arrived by commercial spaceliner from another Concourse world." After acknowledging Agent Atwrode's orders, the IPCC agents turned and moved quickly up the street. Pallis and Ryjyl continued along more slowly, walking up the quiet street.

Wendy asked, "What will you do next?"

"I'm leaving Alphanor tonight. I will follow behind, tracking Gersen's ship." She made an adjustment to her discree. "There, all set. The call number that I left with Dimitar will now feed through to you. He knows you... when he calls, just tell him that I had to go into the Beyond, looking for Teehalt."

"How do you know he will call?"

Pallis said nothing of her telepathic connection to Dimitar. "He wants to help Teehalt, but he does not want to further upset his family." Pallis put an arm around Wendy's waist. "Dimitar will call as soon as he gets Svelta settled down. I'm sorry I had to involve you and make you watch while I blasted Svelta's view of reality."

"Should I interview the other people listed on the search warrant?"

"No, please don't harass them, Ryjyl. My mentioning of Dimitar's children was only a threat that was meant to get his attention. It worked."

As they turned the corner off of Redwood Circle, Ryjyl took one look back at the Ganev house and then asked Pallis, "What do Dimitar's children have to do with Teehalt?"

Pallis said, "I'll tell you, but this is off the record. Not local police business. Agreed?"

Wendy said, "Agreed."

Pallis walked in silence for a few seconds then said, "I suppose since you have no telepathic sensitivity it was not obvious to you, but Svelta is Dimitar's sister."

Wendy shouted, "What?"

Pallis explained, "Teehalt's cult is an inbred little colony that originated with Teehalt himself and three telepathically sensitive students that he found at the University fifty years ago." They had reached Agent Atwrode's aircar and stopped walking. Pallis gazed at Ryjyl and wondered how much she should say. Through their years of working together, Pallis had learned to trust Ryjyl. Pallis continued, "My guess is that somehow Malagate learned about Teehalt's little telepath breeding project. Malagate and Teehalt made a deal, maybe Malagate blackmailed Teehalt into locating. If Teehalt is dead, we may never know."

Wendy asked, "So the Star Kings are interested in telepathy?"

"Apparently Malagate is interested in telepathy. I hope to help Gersen capture Malagate, so I'm off to the Planet of the Dryads. Dimitar may know something about Teehalt's contact in the Department of Galactic Morphology. I wish I could stay a few days to learn what Dimitar knows, but I believe Gersen is in danger. Malagate might kill Gersen as soon as the location of the Planet of the Dryads is revealed."

Agent Atwrode got into her aircar and flew off into the gathering darkness of the evening.

Wendy went down the street to Ryjyl's car. While driving back to Avente, she lost her connection to the nanite probe inside Gersen's body. Gersen had activated the intersplit space drive and now he, Warpweave, Kelle and Detteras were speeding off to the Beyond at superluminal speed. Thinking about what Grean had told her and also about Gersen's actions just before leaving Alphanor, Wendy realized that Gersen's first priority would be to find Dasce's planet and rescue the missing girl, Nova.

 Arriving back in Avente, Wendy parked at the police station. She did not want to go inside where it was possible she would meet co-workers who knew Inspector Wishwell. Wendy began to wonder how much longer Grean would leave her in the Simulator. Then a call came from Dimitar Ganev. Wendy said, "Inspector Wishwell."

Ganev said, "I want to talk to Agent Atwrode."

Wendy explained, "She just departed from Alphanor, gone to check a lead on Teehalt. You can tell me everything that you know about Teehalt's remaining links to the University."

Ganev blurted out what he knew, "About a year ago, Lugo was contacted by the University. He told me that he was leaving Alphanor and going to find a distant world where he could move us all, his entire family. "

Wendy asked, "Who was his contact at the University?"

Provost Gale Warpweave (source)

"Lugo never told me a name, but he referred to his contact in the Department of Galactic Morphology as 'she' and as 'her'. That's all I know."

"Thank you, Mr. Ganev. If you think of anything else, please call me again." The call ended.

Warpweave, Kelle and Detteras were the three officials in the Department of Galactic Morphology who might have hired Teehalt using funds from Beneficial Grant 291. Provost Gale Warpweave was the only one of the three who was female. Or was she? Gersen believed that whoever had hired Teehalt was secretly the Demon Prince, Attel Malagate and a sexless parthenoid.

Pallis was still connected to Wendy by way of the nanite probe that she had put inside Agent Atwrode earlier in the day. Wendy knew that during her final half hour on Alphanor, Pallis had tied up the loose ends of her IPCC work. She'd received a report from the forensics team, including a complete set of Dasce's finger prints. Pallis went to the spaceport, checked out an IPCC spaceship and departed into space. She activated the automated tracking system that would allow her to follow Gersen.

Pallis was still within range of Alphanor's communications system, which had radio links to all of the Concourse worlds. Wendy called Pallis.

 

Pallis answered the incoming call from Inspector Wishwell, "Atwrode here."

 

"This is Ryjyl. I want to warn you about something before you go chasing after Gersen. There is a chance that he knows the location of a secret world in the Beyond where Dasce is holding Nova as his prisoner."

For a moment, Pallis was silent. She then said, "If so, Gersen may be on his way to that planet, not the Planet of the Dryads. Thanks for the warning. I'll let you know what happens when I get back to Alphanor." Just then, the Jarnell Intersplit space drive of Agent Atwrode's ship activated and that ended the call.

Wendy, not yet realizing that the connection had been severed, continued speaking and said, "One more thing... Provost Gale Warpweave is Malagate."

Not hearing a reply from Pallis, Wendy checked her discree and saw the message: NO SIGNAL.

At that moment, Wendy was pulled out of the AR Simulator.

_____________________

Back in Grean's workshop, the replicoid of Ryjyl Wishwell and Grean had been watching Wendy's adventure inside the AR Simulator. At the end of Dimitar Ganev's call to Wendy, the scene being displayed by the Omniviewer froze. Ryjyl said to Grean, "Well, now we know that Warpweave is Malagate. But sadly, the knowledge came too late. Warpweave is in space. If you can return me to Alphanor just a few hours earlier in time then I can arrest Malagate for the murder of Lugo Teehalt."

Grean shook her head, "It would do no good. Malagate perpetrated his evil in a past Reality; it is over and done with. But, if you step back into the teleportation chamber, I will return you to your world."

Ryjyl glanced at the Omniviewer and saw Wendy disappear. Ryjyl turned her gaze towards the teleportation chamber and there was Wendy, still in the physical form of Ryjyl. Wendy pushed open the door of the chamber and stepped out. Ryjyl and Wendy nodded to each other as they passed. Ryjyl entered the chamber and pulled shut the door and disappeared. The Omnivierwer showed Ryjyl's arrival back on Alphanor. She got out of her car, retrieved her police uniform from the trunk and walked into the Police Station.

Grean said, "Welcome back, Wendy."

Wendy used her nanite control systems to morph her body back to her usual form. She said, "I wish I could morph while I'm inside the Simulator."

Grean explained, "Sorry, my dear, that kind of advanced nanite technology was not available to you during this mission inside the Simulator."

Wendy asked, "You let Ryjil watch my mission?"

"Yes, we were both entertained by your little adventure on Alphanor."

"Won't she mess up the Simulation with her 'outside' knowledge?"

"No, I simply reset the simulator. There was certainly no need to send the Ryjyl replicoid into the Simulator. The version of Ryjyl that I just 'sent back' to Avente was the original version, held in a special memory buffer while you were inside the Simulator pretending to be Inspector Wishwell. Anyhow, your mission was a success. We now know that Malagate used the female body form of Gale Warpweave when on Alphanor."

"What was Warpweave's interest in telepathy?"

"The whole purpose of the Asimov Reality was to breed humans with telepathic ability. Warpweave wanted to create a new human/Star King hybrid with telepathic ability. He bribed Dr. Kelle to obtain secret astronomical records showing the location of some distant stars that were good possibilities to have Earth-like planets. Teehalt investigated those star systems and found the Planet of the Dryads. After Teehalt saw the Dryads, he had a change of heart and realized that he should not reveal the location of the Planet of the Dryads. Later, when he learned that Gale Warpweave was actually Malagate, Teehalt's resolve was strengthened, but his spaceship was being tracked and he could not escape from Malagate's henchmen. He was probably killed on Smade's planet, but it is also possible that he survived and was taken away by Malagate or possibly Dasce."

"Why does it matter?"

"I'm interested in the general question of how human telepathy became possible in the far future of the Asimov Reality. Did any of Teehalt's gene combinations end up getting passed into the future time when there were humans with advanced telepathic abilities? But as you say, that is rather academic. As I told you previously, I'm more interested in the fate of Pallis Atwrode."

"Because of her telepathic abilities?"

on Dasce's secret planet

"Because she appeared in Vance's first Demon Princes novel and then disappeared, never to be mentioned again. We have confirmed that Pallis worked for the IPCC and she knew quite a lot about breeding humans for telepathy. Now that you have seen Pallis in action, I want you to return to the Simulator, adopting the role of Pallis."

Wendy felt herself morphing into a new body form. Grean had transformed Wendy into a physical duplicate of Agent Atwrode. Examining herself and her new clothing (plain space traveler's gray), Wendy said, "Now I must deal with Dasce?"

"Yes." Grean adjusted the Omniviewer to again show Dasce's secret hide-away. "I'll insert you right inside the crater where Dasce holds his prisoners captive. In addition to Kate Prekus, there is another prisoner, a man named Robin Rampold." Grean had learned that much from the nanite probes that had been planted inside the bodies of Pallis and Gersen. "I suspect that Pallis died either on Dasce's Planet or on the Planet of the Dryads." Having looked into the future, Grean actually knew the answer to that puzzle, but it was a simple tangible problem that could hold Wendy's attention during the next phase of her mission inside the AR Simulator. "In either case, I want to know what happened on Dasce's Planet, specifically, how Dasce died. There is a mystery here since in the version of events as told by Jack Vance, Dasce did not die on the secret planet where he held Rampold as his captive for 17 years." Grean gestured towards the Omniviewer and said, "Just step on through."

Wible's resort and casino on Alphanor (source)

"Why are you sending me on this mission with even less preparation than I had for my visit to Alphanor? This seems far more dangerous, dropping in on Dasce. At least give me a blaster."

"Relax, my dear Wendy. Remember, you will return here at the end of your little journey, even if the worst happens and Dasce kills you. Just keep your eyes open. The real Pallis will arrive not too long after you do, and I want to know what happened to her."

Not at all happy, but following her orders, Wendy shrugged and stepped into the AR simulator.

Next: Wendy meets Hildemar Dasce

visit the Gallery of Book and Magazine Covers