The Players Read online

silly!" He drew his hand back to throw the ornament into thechest. Then, he felt himself stopped. An irresistible compulsion seizedhim, and he dazedly secured the amulet about his neck. Feeling sick andweak, he tucked it into his garments. Then, still moving in a daze, heleft the cabin and returned to the deck. He did not so much as try toresist the sudden desire.

  The breeze made him feel a little better, but he was still shaken, andhis head ached violently. Little snatches of undefined memory tried tocreep into his consciousness, but he couldn't quite bring them intofocus. He turned toward the rail, and saw Min-ta still there.

  "Well," commented the easterner, "your accounts didn't take long."

  Musa smiled wanly. "It was stuffy down there. I felt I had to come upfor some air."

  Min-ta nodded. "It does get close in the quarters during the day." Hepointed alongside.

  "We are favored still," he said. "Another kontar has joined us."

  Two of the great fish paced the ship, gliding and leaping effortlesslyfrom wave to wave. Musa watched them.

  "We must be favored indeed."

  "Yes." Min-ta smiled. "May our favor last."

  Musa's head still ached, and the glints of the sun reflected from thewater made it worse. He looked aft, to the faint line where sky metwater. There was a low line of clouds. His gaze traveled along thehorizon, and he noted that the clouds seemed a little darker forward.Still, he felt uneasy, and alone.

  * * * * *

  _"See what I meant?"_

  _"Ooh! Yeah. Yeah, I see. What a backlash that was! I've got thegrandfather of all headaches, and I won't be able to think straight fora week. Wonder how Musa feels--But I got results, anyway."_

  _"Yes. You got results. So did I once, when I tried something similar.But I'll live a long time before I try it again. How about you?"_

  _"Don't worry. Next time I try to exert direct mental control on anotherentity, this planet'll have space travel. Wonder if some klordontablets'll help any."_

  _"Might. Try one, then let's get busy and scatter a few morecommunicators around that ship. Be more practical than beating ourbrains out."_

  * * * * *

  As the days passed, Musa became familiar with the shipboard routine andlost some of his early uneasiness regarding his traveling companions. Hebecame acquainted with other traders, finding them to be average men,engaged in the same trade as himself. He talked to members of the ship'scompany, and found them to be normal men, who worked at their trade in acompetent manner. Only the four priests held aloof. Ignoring officers,sailors, and traders alike, they spoke only to their slaves, who passedtheir comments to the ship's company.

  On the morning of the tenth day, Musa came to the deck, to find the searougher than usual. Waves rose, scattering their white plumes for thewind to scatter. Ahead, dark clouds hid the sky, and occasional spraycame aboard, spattering the deck and the passengers.

  Just outside the cabin entrance, a small knot of traders were gathered.As Musa came out, they separated.

  Musa went over to the rail, looking overside at the waves. The twokontars were not in sight. He looked about, noting the sailors, whohurried about the deck and into the rigging, securing their ship forfoul weather. Close by, Ladro and Min-ta were talking.

  "It is quite possible," said Ladro, "that someone aboard has broken alaw of the great Kondaro, and the kontars have gone to report the sin."He glanced at Musa calculatingly.

  "Yes," agreed Min-ta, "we--"

  An officer, hurrying along the deck, stopped. "All passengers will haveto go below," he said. "We're in for bad weather, and don't want to loseanyone overboard."

  "Could this be the wrath of Kondaro?" asked Ladro.

  The officer glanced at him questioningly. "It could be, yes. Why?"

  Again, Ladro cast a look at Musa, then he caught the seaman by the arm,pulling him aside. The two engaged in a low-toned conversation,directing quick glances at Musa. At last, the officer nodded and wentaft, to approach one of the slaves of Kondaro.

  Musa started across the deck to the ladder, his heart thuddingpainfully. Surely, he thought, he had done nothing to offend even themost particular of deities. Yet, the implications of Ladro's glances andhis conversation with the ship's officer were too obvious for even thedullest to misinterpret. Musa took a long, shuddering breath.

  His fears on that other day had been well grounded, then.

  He gazed at the lowering sky, then out at the waves. Where could a lone,friendless man find help in this waste of wind and water?

  Slowly, he climbed down the ladder leading to his tiny cubicle.

  Once inside, he again started checking over his personal items. Therewas nothing there to help. Hopelessly, he looked at the collection inthe chest, then he got out a scroll of prose and went to the centraltable to read in an effort to clear his mind of the immediatecircumstances.

  Minutes later, he went back to his bunk and threw the scroll aside.Possibly, he was just imagining that he was the target of a plot.Possibly there was a real sea god named Kondaro--an omnipotent seadeity, who could tell when persons within his domain were too curious,or harbored impious thoughts, and who was capable of influencing theactions of the faithful.

  Possibly, his opinions of the priesthood had been noted and hadoffended. Or, perhaps, that peculiar little device he had seen a prieststudying was capable of warning the god that it had been profaned by anunsanctified gaze. Possibly, this storm was really the result of such awarning. He was sure the priest hadn't seen him, but it could be thatthe device itself might--

  Musa threw himself on his bunk.

  * * * * *

  A deep voice resonated through the room.

  "Musa of Karth," it said, "my master, Dontor, desires your presence ondeck."

  Musa came to his feet. Two of the slaves of Kondaro stood close by,swords in hand. One beckoned, then turned. Musa followed him into theshort passage, and up the ladder. As they gained the deck, the smallprocession turned aft, to face the senior priest.

  Dontor stood on the raised after deck, just in front of the helmsman.The wind tugged at his gold and crimson robe, carrying it away from hisbody, so that it rippled like a flag, and exposed the bright bluetrousers and jacket. Dontor, chief priest of the _Bordeklu_, stoodimmobile, his arms folded, his feet braced against the sway of hisvessel. As the trio below him stopped, he frowned down at them.

  "Musa, of Karth," he intoned, "it has been revealed to me that you havedisplayed undue curiosity as to the inner mysteries of the worship ofthe Great God. In your conversations, you have hinted at knowledgeforbidden any but the initiated.

  "You came to us, a stranger, and we trusted you. But now, we are allfaced with the wrath of the Great One as a result of your impieties. Asacrifice, and only a sacrifice, will appease this wrath. Can you nameany reason why we should protect you further, at the expense of our ownlives? What say you?"

  Musa stared up at him. The cotton in his throat had suddenly becomethick, and intensely bitter. Unsuccessfully, he tried to swallow, and amental flash told him that whatever he said, he was already convicted.Regardless of what defense he might offer, he knew he would be condemnedto whatever punishment these people decided to deal out to him. And thatpunishment, he realized, would be death. He straightened proudly.

  "Oh, priest," he said thickly, "I am guilty of no crime. You, however,are about to commit a serious crime, which is beyond my power toprevent." He hesitated, then continued. "Be warned, however, that ifthere are any real gods above or below, you will receive punishment. Thegods, unlike men, are just!"

  Aware of sudden motion in his direction, he rapidly finished.

  "So, make your sacrifice, and then see if you can save your vessel fromthe natural forces of wind and water."

  The priest stiffened angrily.

  "Blasphemy," he said. "Blasphemy, of the worst sort." He looked awayfrom Musa. "I believe that in this case, the Great One will require theship's
company to deal with you in their own way, that they may bepurged of any contamination due to your presence." He raised his arms.

  "Oh, Great Kondaro, Lord of all the seas, and the things within theseas," he began.

  Musa evaded the two slaves with a quick weave of his shoulders. Coveringthe distance to the side of the ship with a few quick steps, he jumpedover the rail. As he fell, the wind tore at him, and his windmillingarms and legs failed to find any purchase to right him.

  He hit the water with a splash and concussion that nearly knocked thebreath from his body, and promptly sank. As the water closed over hishead, he struck out with hands and feet in an effort to climb again tolight and air. His head broke the surface, and he flailed the water inan effort to keep his nose in air. The ship