The Weakling Page 3

Leuwan who was Kio Barra.

  But such a thing would never again happen at Kira Barra. With hiscontrols and amplifiers, he was more than a match for the most powerfulof the great psionics--so long as they didn't meet him with affectionatesympathy.

  He stood silently as the servitor put the cap on his head and placed thecloak about his shoulders. Then, tucking his heavy duty distorter underhis arm, he turned toward the outer door. The control jewels on his capburned with inner fire as he raised himself a few inches from the floorand floated out toward the dock.

  * * * * *

  Not far from the forest shaded village of Tibara, logs had been lashedtogether to form a pier which jutted from the shore and provided amooring for the hollowed logs used by men of the village in harvestingthe fish of the lake. Several boats nested here, their bows pointingtoward the fender logs of the pier. More were drawn up on the gravel ofthe shore, where they lay, bottoms upward, that they might dry and becleaned.

  A few villagers squatted by their boats and near the pier. Others wereby the nets which had been spread over the gravel to dry.

  One large section of the pier was vacant. Always, this area was reservedfor the use of the Lord of the Mountain Lake.

  As Barra's boat sped through the water, he concentrated his attention onthe logs of the pier, urging his boat to increasing speed. The sharpprow rose high in the water, a long vee of foam extending from it, tospread out far behind the racing boat.

  As the bow loomed almost over the floating logs, Barra abruptlytransferred his focus of attention to his right rear, pulling with allthe power of the boat's drive crystals. The craft swung violently,throwing a solid sheet of water over pier and shore, drenching the logsand the men about them.

  Then the bow settled and the boat lay dead in the water, less than aninch from the pier's fender logs.

  Barra studied the space between boat and logs for an instant, thennodded in satisfaction. It was an adequate landing by anyone'sstandards.

  His tension somewhat relieved, he raised himself from the boat andhovered over the dock.

  Sternly, he looked at the villagers who were now on their feet, brushingwater from their heads and faces. They ceased their movements, eyinghim apprehensively and he motioned imperiously toward the boat.

  "Secure it!"

  The jewels of his control cap glowed briefly, amplifying and radiatingthe thought.

  The villagers winced, then two of them moved to obey the command. Barraturned his attention away and arrowed toward the screen of trees whichpartially concealed the village proper.

  As he dropped to the ground in the clearing before the headman's hut,men and women looked at him, then edged toward their homes. He ignoredthem, centering his attention on the headman himself.

  The man had gotten to his feet and was anxiously studying his master'sface.

  For a few seconds, Barra examined the man. He was old. He had beenheadman of the village under the old Master Protector, his father--andhis brother had seen no reason for change, allowing the aging headman toremain in charge of the welfare of his people.

  But this was in the long ago. Both of the older Kio Barra had been soft,slack men, seeking no more than average results. He, Leuwan, wasdifferent--more exacting--more demanding of positive returns from theEstates.

  Oh, to be sure, Kira Barra had somehow prospered under the soft hands ofhis predecessors, despite their coddling of the subhuman pseudomen, butthere had been many laxities which had infuriated Leuwan, even when hewas a mere youth. He frowned thoughtfully.

  Of course, if those two hadn't been so soft and tolerant, he would havebeen something other than Lord of the Mountain Lake. He would have hadto find other activities elsewhere. He dropped the line of thought.

  This was not taking care of the situation.

  He put his full attention on the man before him, driving a demand withfull power of cap amplifier.

  * * * * *

  "Why are all your people idling away their time? Where are your herdsmenand guards?"

  The headman's face tensed with effort. He waved a hand southward andmade meaningless noises. Faintly, the thought came through to Barra.

  "In south forest, with herd. Not idle, is rest day. Few work."

  Barra looked angrily at the man. Did this fool actually think he couldevade and lie his way out of the trouble his obvious failure tosupervise had brought? He jabbed a thumb northward.

  "What about that herd drifting toward the north river?" The two greencommunicator crystals gleamed with cold fire.

  The headman looked confused. "Not north," came the blurred thought. "Noherd north. All south forest, near swamp. One-hand boys watch. Someguard. Is rest day."

  Unbelievingly Barra stared at the pseudoman. He was actually persistingin his effort to lie away his failure. Or was he attempting some sortof defiance? Had his father and brother tolerated such things as this,or was this something new, stemming from the man's age? Or, perhaps, hewas trying the temper of the Master Protector, to see how far he couldgo in encroaching on authority.

  He would deal with this--and now!

  Abruptly, he turned away, to direct his attention to the centralsurrogate. It was equipped with a projector crystal.

  The air in the clearing glowed and a scene formed in the open space.Unmistakably, it was the northern part of Kira Barra. The lake wasshown, and sufficient landmarks to make the location obvious, even to apseudoman. Carefully, Barra prevented any trace of the blank, swirlingnull from intruding on the scene. Perhaps the subhuman creature beforehim knew something of its properties, but there was no point in makingthese things too obvious.

  He focused the scene on the stream and brought the approaching herd intothe picture, then he flashed in his own face, watching. And he broughtthe view down closely enough to indicate that no human creature was nearthe herd. Finally, he turned his attention to the headman again.

  "There was the herd. Where were your people?"

  The old man shook his head incredulously, then turned toward one of thefew men who still remained in the clearing.

  He made a series of noises and the other nodded. There were more of thegrowls and hisses, then the headman waved a hand southward and the othernodded again and turned away, to run into the trees and disappear.

  The headman faced Barra again.

  "Send man," he thought laboriously. "Be sure herd is still south." Hepointed toward the area where the projection had been.

  "That not herd," he thought. "That other herd. Never see before."

  * * * * *

  Barra scowled furiously.

  "You incapable imbecile! You dare to call your master a liar?"

  He swung about, his furious gaze scanning the village. The pile ofstones he had noticed before caught his attention. He focused on it.

  A few stones rose into the air and flew toward the headman.

  The old man faced about, his eyes widening in sudden fear. He dodged oneof the flying stones, then turned to flee.

  Barra flicked a second control on him briefly and the flight was halted.

  More stones flew, making thudding sounds as they struck, then sailingaway, to gain velocity before they curved back, to strike again.

  At last, Barra turned from the litter of rock about the formless mass onthe ground. He stared around the village, the fury slowly ebbing withinhim.

  A few faces could be seen, peeping from windows and from between trees.He motioned.

  "All villagers," he ordered. "Here before me. Now!" He waitedimpatiently as people reluctantly came from their huts and out of thetrees, to approach the clearing.

  At last, the villagers were assembled. Barra looked them over,identifying each as he looked at him. Apart from the others, one of theyounger herd guards stood close to his woman. Barra looked at himthoughtfully.

  This man, he had noted, was obeyed by both herds and herdsmen. He hadseen him at work, as he had seen all the villagers
, and obviously, theman was capable of quick decisions--as quick, that was, as any pseudomancould be. He pointed.

  "This village needs a new headman," he thought peremptorily. "You willtake charge of it."

  The man looked toward the huddled mass in the center of the litter ofrocks, then looked back at his woman. A faint wave of reluctance came toBarra, who stared sternly.

  "I said you are the new headman," he thought imperiously. "Take charge."He waved a hand.

  "And get this mess cleaned up. I want a neat village from now on."

  As the man lowered his head submissively, Barra turned away, rose fromthe ground, and drifted majestically toward the lake shore. He couldcheck on the progress of the village from his view crystal back at theResidence.

  The situation had been taken care of and there was no point in remainingin the depressing atmosphere of the village for too long.

  Besides, there was that adventure projection he hadn't finished.Perhaps it would be of interest