"Wait! You're just going to leave?"

  "That's right, sweets," I said, and closed the door behind me. I looked down at my telecarb

  .heard the door of the lab open.

  . . . thought about Trebor's white room.

  . . . felt a hand on my sleeve.

  . . . and blinked.

  "Holy Mother of God," Claire whispered. "What is that?"

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Trebor's jumbled face showed as much astonishment as Claire's. Before I could say anything, Nasus and Leinad surged in unison from the floor behind Trebor. Claire squeaked and fell backward. Immediately, a chair rose to catch her. On contact, she yelped and jumped to her feet. I caught her sleeve to keep her from bolting.

  "Easy," I said. "They're kinda ugly, but pretty harmless." I pointed to each Thrittene and introduced them. "This is Dr. Claire Foucault," I then said to the room.

  "Wh-where are we?" Claire said in a gasp. Her eyes just about popped out of her head. Her head darted left and right as if she were trying to get her bearings or find a means of escape.

  Trebor glided closer.

  "You have arrived on Thrittene," he said to her. He turned to me with a frown below the eyes on his chin, which was really his forehead when his face was upside down. "Really, Jack Meter, we advised you to experiment with the telecarb, but we did not have this sort of thing in mind. Why have you brought Dr. Claire Foucault here?"

  "Dr. Foucault and I had a slight misunderstanding." I still held Claire by the arm and could feel her trembling. Her breathing had accelerated, and if she continued that way she'd soon hyperventilate. I squeezed hard. "We hadn't exactly planned this visit."

  Claire twisted her arm from my grip, grabbed my sleeve and turned me to face her. "Did he say we're on another planet?"

  "I told you Annie had discovered something big." I pointed at Trebor. "He's part of it."

  "Your companion appears distraught," Trebor said in an interested tone.

  Claire shifted wild eyes to him. "Don't come any closer."

  "Don't freak out on me, Claire," I said.

  "Take me back."

  "In a while. I have business with Trebor, here." I hefted the box that held the sash higher on my arm. "Take deep breaths, relax. We'll be gone in no time."

  "I said take me back." Her clenched teeth made it difficult for her to speak clearly. She clutched my sleeve again.

  I raised my eyebrows. "Or what, Claire?"

  That stopped her. She stared at me, stunned, then took a deep breath. She exhaled very slowly. "You'll suffer for that."

  I flashed her a smile. "I love it when you talk dirty."

  "Is Dr. Claire Foucault recovered, Jack Meter?" Trebor asked.

  I looked into her eyes and saw the suppressed panic. I also caught a glimmer of curiosity.

  "She'll do for now," I said to him, my eyes still fixed on hers.

  She let go of my arm and backed up a step. She crossed her arms across her chest and squinted at Trebor.

  "Do you have some news for us, then?" Nasus said. Claire gave a start at the new voice.

  "How can I understand what they're saying?" Claire said.

  "Jack Meter's cerebral cortex decodes the transmissions of our thoughts and feelings then sends them out telepathi-cally to you. As long as you remain with him, you will understand other life forms."

  "You didn't tell me I was also a public address system," I said.

  Claire stared at me. I pulled my sleeve to uncover the telecarb.

  "I'm plugged into the universe, sweets. How d'ya like that?"

  "Jack Meter," Nasus said, her voice impatient. "Must I repeat myself? What have you discovered?"

  "About your thief? A few interesting tidbits. I found out about other things, too." I pressed the box closer to my body. I wished I hadn't brought it with me. "Does the name Annie Barnes mean anything to you, Trebor?"

  Trebor cast a covetous look at my box. "You have recovered our tleb?"

  "Is that what you call it?"

  "I will take it now, Jack Meter."

  "I don't think so, Trebor. First, you'll tell me how you came to give this.tleb.to Annie."

  Trebor's face contorted and darkened. Instinctively, I knew it wasn't an effect of their loss of cohesion. This time, I'd succeeded in making him angry.

  Shrill cries broke out around us, their rebound from the white walls a physical wave that pushed against us. Time for us to go. I turned to Claire, but she backed away, her hands on her ears to block the sounds, her face stark with shock.

  "Wait!" I yelled over the noise. "Hold on to me."

  Too late. The floor undulated and rolled. I lost my balance and dropped the box. It started to sink into the floor and move away. I flung myself on it and snatched it up, rolled away then jumped to my feet.

  Trebor surged in front of me. I swung the box and hit him hard. A square hole yawned on the side where the box had passed through. He looked down in surprise.

  "Jack!" Claire yelled.

  I turned around. White matter engulfed her, her head the only part that stuck out. I launched myself toward her, but Trebor blocked my way. He still had the hole in his side.

  "We have no wish to harm you, Jack Meter. Why do you always resort to violence? Give us the tleb."

  I held on tight to the box. Trebor's eyes followed my hands with intense concentration. I peeked around him. The white matter that still enveloped Claire's body flowed seamlessly from the floor. Why hadn't Trebor wrapped me up in the same kind of cocoon? Once he'd immobilized me, he could easily get his hands, so to speak, on the tleb. He wanted it very badly, yes, but something prevented him from just taking it away from me. Something that had changed since the first time I'd woken up on Thrittene.

  Claire squeaked my name.

  "You won't get prissy on me and faint, right, Claire?" I said.

  I heard her gasp.

  "I have never fainted in my life."

  "What, then? You're going to start bawling? I knew you couldn't take the heat." I sighed dramatically. "Women."

  "Let me go!" she said to the room. Her voice sounded strained, as if she were struggling to get free. "Jack, you miserable excuse for a human being, when I get my hands on you."

  "What an incentive, honey. You really know how to sweet-talk a guy."

  She let out a scream of frustration. From past experience, I knew her mind sharpened to razor edge when she got angry. I would need her to think quickly and not panic if we were to get out of here.

  I threw back my head and laughed.

  "Jack Meter," Trebor said. "You may continue this argument later. We will free her as soon as you relinquish the tleb. Give it to me."

  His face was upside down again, and he was missing an arm. The remaining one snaked toward me.

  I stuck the box inside my jacket and fastened the buttons. I was getting really pissed off, but I had to direct part of that anger at myself for being such a sap. Twice now, Trebor and his friends had stretched the truth so far it sagged like a worn elastic.

  "You're not getting your sticky hands on this box until you tell me your story again," I said, "and from the beginning. This time, it'd better be the true version."

  Trebor's arm stopped mid-flight. "I have no idea what you mean, Jack Meter. I admit we may not have been totally straightforward with you at the outset—"

  "Save it, pal," I said. "You did all the shuffling you could and it didn't work. Either you start singing like a canary, or I'm out of here." I tapped the box through my jacket. "And you won't ever see this baby again."

  "You want me to mimic a bird?" Trebor said, looking baffled. His features slackened and lost definition. From the top down, his body split vertically in two. When the two parts took shape again, Nasus stood beside him.

  "Jack wants us to confess the truth, Trebor," she said.

  I automatically searched for Leinad. "Where's the other Stooge?"

  "Pardon?" Trebor wore the same confused frown.

  "Where's Leinad?" I repeated.

  The room turned purple, and Leinad emerged from the floor beside Nasus. I threw a quick glance at Claire. Her mouth had fallen open. She closed it with a snap and glared at me.

  "I'm so glad the whole little family is back together," I said. "You should've started with the truth, Trebor. I probably would have handed over whatever's in this box. Now, I'm curious."

  "The tleb is too important. We could not depend on your good will, Jack Meter. We could not take the risk."

  "Why the cocoon around Claire? We're not going anywhere. You control my telecarb, so why worry?"

  Trebor pressed his lips together. He looked peeved. I paused, frowned at him, flipped to Claire then stared at my telecarb. I grinned.

  "I'll be damned. You can't control my telecarb, can you?

  The mouth on Trebor's forehead quivered. The eyes on his chin glowered at Leinad.

  "We cannot," he said. "It appears that the telecarb is too compatible with your neurological system."

  "Meaning it likes me better than it likes you," I said and started to chuckle.

  "Perhaps," Trebor said. "Leinad designed the telecarb with a self-protection feature. It seems it has decided this self-protection extends to you. We cannot harm you in any way." He paused. "But we can still track your whereabouts."

  I studied his features. So far, I hadn't been too successful in reading their various body parts. They'd lied to me repeatedly, but in this case I knew they were telling the truth. For one, my skin didn't itch. Plus, they showed their desperation by keeping Claire prisoner. They'd had a bit of luck when she appeared with me, but they had taken advantage of the situation quickly enough.

  Which meant they must want my telecarb back, too. Tough. I wasn't ready to hand it over. I'd made a promise to the Emotions entities, and I intended to keep it. For that, I needed the telecarb. And until I knew more about Annie's involvement with the Thrittene, the tleb would remain in my possession, too.

  The tricky part would be to leave Thrittene with the information I wanted, both devices and Claire.

  I checked on her. She seemed to have recovered somewhat and was following our exchange with interest. I had to get close enough to take her back to Earth with me. We'd have to make a break for it, take the Thrittene by surprise. I only hoped my rebellious telecarb would continue in its protective mode. I'd have only one chance to find out.

  I smiled at Trebor.

  "So, you know where I've traveled, then."

  Leinad undulated closer. "What have you discovered?"

  "He will not tell us yet, Leinad," Nasus said, her voice as sultry as ever. The smile she threw at me matched her voice. "Think of this, Jack Meter. We hold your companion. You have the box and the information. We appear to be at a stand-off."

  "I suppose," I said.

  "Humans are so fragile," Nasus said, "and so ignorant of our limitations."

  Her eyes gleamed. Any trace of seduction had disappeared from her voice, her stance.

  "Jack, I can't breathe," Claire said in a strangled voice. "It's squeezing my lungs."

  She panted behind me, her short rasps the only sound in the sudden stark silence. I shrugged.

  "Go ahead, get rid of her. It would be a relief. She's been a thorn in my side forever."

  An obvious ploy even a small-time hood on Earth wouldn't fall for, but I counted on the Thrittene's scant knowledge of human negotiations. I sneered at Claire.

  "I warned you, Claire. Now, you have to deal with the consequences."

  "Jack!" she croaked.

  I decided to give Nasus another few seconds. I held my own breath, clutched the box more firmly under my jacket and got ready to move. Nasus laughed suddenly, a torrid ripple that raised the hair on the nape of my neck.

  "Very well."

  From the corner of my eye, I saw the white matter dissolve and Claire crumple to the floor.

  "Fortunately for you, Jack Meter," Nasus said, "I find your unpredictable nature fascinating."

  I strode over to Claire and leaned down to help her. She brushed my hand aside then pushed herself up slowly.

  "Get away from me, Jack. I nearly died, you jerk!"

  "We can bicker another time, Claire." I grabbed her hand and whispered in her ear. "Stick close to me from now on. Don't get separated from me again. You keep in contact with me. I'll get us out of here."

  She opened her mouth to say more then seemed to think better of it and pressed her lips together. She nodded once and shoved her hands in her lab coat pockets.

  I walked back to Nasus, Claire in tow. Once we stopped, she clutched my sleeve.

  I considered the three aliens for a moment. Entities that could pass for creation's rejects were hard to take seriously. I'd underestimated their ruthlessness and single-minded motivation, but I wouldn't make that mistake again.

  "What do these.things want with Annie's box?" Claire asked into my neck.

  Leinad twitched at Annie's name.

  "We're going to find that out, aren't we, Leinad?" I said.

  "The tleb and the telecarb do not belong to you, Jack Meter," Trebor said. "We see now that we made a mistake in soliciting your help. Return our property and forget the entire experience. Surely, it will be a relief to return to your normal life." He coughed slightly. "We will honor our side of the bargain, if you wish, Jack Meter, even though you did not fulfill its terms."

  "What kind of shady deal did you strike with them?" Claire said.

  I lifted my hand to stop her. She stiffened but said no more. Hell would freeze over before I told Claire about my little bargain with Trebor. Besides, this wasn't the time to die.

  "Not before you tell me why you're so eager to get rid of us when I've barely started to investigate," I told Trebor.

  "We have merely re-evaluated the possible dangers and decided to withdraw our request for help."

  "After all the trouble you went through to get me here then repair me? Come on, Trebor, try harder."

  The three merged into Trebor. "We do not have to explain our decision to you, Jack Meter."

  "That's true. But you know what? I notice every time you guys melt into one, my skin starts to itch. If you're thinking of feeding me another invention, forget it. I'm not interested." I scratched my chin, the rustle of my beard loud in the silence. "Now, what could incite you to cancel our agreement? Your other telecarb is still missing, you still have cohesion problems. If what you told me is true, that you can't leave your world, you'll need someone else to help." I threw out a wild guess. "You made a deal with someone else."

  The room hissed like a deflating balloon. The Thrittene's features blurred and melted. Claire gasped, and I looked down—we were slowly sinking.

  "Damn!" I said. "You did make another deal."

  "Jack," Claire said through clenched teeth, "do something."

  "What the hell do you want me to do?" I clutched the tleb. "Trebor, stop that."

  He didn't seem to hear me. We were now up to our knees in the stuff. Claire lost her balance and fell forward. Her arms sank into the floor up to her elbows. I grabbed the back of her lab coat and pulled her upright. The force I exerted pushed me down to my waist.

  "Trebor," I yelled, "if you don't snap out of it, I'm getting the hell out of here! I still have the tleb, remember?"

  Nasus split from Trebor first, and the white matter receded a few inches. Leinad soon followed. We were standing on a solid floor again. A multitude of sounds swirled around us. All three stared at me.

  "As I said before," Nasus finally said, "you can be quite astonishing, Jack Meter."

  I shook my head, disgusted. "Did you think I wouldn't figure it out?"

  "We have concluded a transaction with someone else," she said. "This latest agreement better meets our requirements."

  "What does this guy have that I don't?"

  The Thrittene darkened, sounds deepened, but they said nothing.

  "Fine. Someone steals a prototype telecarb from you. You hire me, but as soon as things heat up a bit, you want to cancel. Now, who could have a vested interest in stopping the investigation?" I stared at them. "You made a deal with the thief, didn't you?"

  The Thrittene sank partway into the floor and lost definition.

  "He said if we recovered the devices and terminated your employment, he would give us back our stolen tele-carb," Leinad said.

  "And you bought that?"

  "Why, yes. He seemed in earnest."

  "I bet he told you he was sorry about stealing your property, too."

  All three of them nodded.

  "How can you be so dumb?"

  "It's dangerous to believe someone you don't understand," Claire piped up. "You don't know how our minds work. How can you possibly tell a lie from the truth?"

  I could have applied the same thing to my own situation. I picked up on some of her words.

  "You said 'our minds,'" I said. "How did you figure out the thief comes from Earth?"

  "Annie told me someone had tampered with her research, remember?" she answered. "If she used the device in that box, it must mean that she contacted those.. .that..."

  "Thrittene."

  She nodded once. "If the thief stole a telecarb, he must have found a way to contact them." She shrugged. "Annie's research."

  I scratched my chin. "So, we're looking for someone working at NARC."

  "Which leaves us with several thousand employees," Claire said. She clasped my arm tighter. "You know what that means, Jack? Annie was the first human to ever contact alien life forms."

  "Hmm. Annie must have found a way to communicate with the Thrittene. Once the link was established, it was only a step to try a visit. The Thrittene designed the tleb—"

  "In fact," Leinad interrupted, "the reverse happened. We found Annie Barnes and contacted her. The first traveling device was cruder, with larger components that did not have neurological connections to the user. It worked strictly with touch and thought."

  "One of the Thrittene must have traveled to Earth," I said to no one in particular. "I bet Annie tried to detain him, and she ended up here, just like Claire did."

  "You surmise correctly," Leinad said. "Annie Barnes was working on a project related to temporal fluctuations when we detected her signal. When one of our scientists tried to cross over, the effect was devastating. He began to disintegrate."

 

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