Adventures in the Far Future & Tales of Outer Space — page 283: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Persuasively, the answer came, “At the moment, neither of us has much choice. We are hunted, and if they have energy trackers—yes, | see they do—they’ll find us by this body’s thermal radiation alone. Best we_- surrender peaceably. Once aboard the ship, loaded with all the might of Vwyrdda, our chance should come.” Laird lay quietly, watching the hunters move closer, and the sense of defeat came down on him like a falling world. What else could he do? What other chance was there? “All right,” he said at last, audibly. “All right. But I'll be watching your every thought, understand? | don’t think you can stop me from committing suicide if | must.” “| think | can. But opposing signals to the body will only neutralize each other, leave it helplessly fighting itself. Relax, Laird, lie back and let me handle this. | am Daryesh the warrior, and | have come through harder battles than this.” They rose and began walking down the hillside with arms lifted. Daryesh’s thought ran on, “Besides—that’s a nice-looking wench in command. It could be interesting!” His laughter rang out under the moon, and it was not the laughter of a human being. “IT can’t understand you, John Laird,” said Joana. “Sometimes,” replied Daryesh lightly, “Il don’t understand myself very well—or you, my dear.” She stiffened a littl. “That will do, Lieutenant. Remember your position here.” “Oh, the devil with our ranks and countries. Let’s be live entities for a change.” Her glance was quizzical. “That’s an odd way for a Sol- man to phrase it.” Mentally, Daryesh swore. Damn this body, anyway! The strength, the fineness of coordination and perception, half the senses he had known, were missing from it. The gross CORniclooo SS CO