Argosy: The Short Story Magazine — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

ad 2 ee Fl ee ee ee ee ie Pied ae dee id ot ee ee ek ee ee Se ee EN ee a ee ee i a—2 - <a ale ? at eo ce hv. - wt se Mi eet a i gt e, : - . . ye ? nad A ’ oe 2 a i18 JOHN WYNDHAM We relaxed again. ‘‘ No good,” I said. ‘“‘ You'll have to tell her we can’t reach her, Petra.”’ We damped out the exchange that followed as much as possible, then Petra reduced the force of her thoughts so that they did not dazzle us, and started to relay the thoughts she was receiving. They had to be very simple so that she could copy them even though she did not understand them, and they came to us rather like baby-talk, with many repeats to make sure we understood. . The main, urgent emphasis was on importance—the importance | of Petra. At all costs she must be protected. Such a power of projection as hers was unheard of without special training—it was 7 a very valuable discovery indeed. Help was already on the way to us. But until it came, we must play for time and safety—Petra’s safety, not, apparently, our own—at all costs. “Did you get that? ”’ I asked the others. They had. Michael said, ‘‘ She finds Petra’s ability particularly surprising among ‘backward and primitive people.’ Who is she | meaning—not us, surely? ” - ** Certainly it was us,” responded Rosalind. ‘‘ Not a shadow of 3 doubt about that.”’ “There must be something wrong,’ I put in. ‘“‘ She must be E. thinking we are Fringes people. And as for help . . . She’s some- where south-west, and everybody knows that there are miles and miles of Badlands that way. I don’t see how she can possibly help.” | Petra emerged from her contemplations to add conversationally, “Zealand must be a funny place. Everybody there can make think-pictures—well, nearly everybody—and nobody wants to hurt | them for it. They aren’t all very good at it, though—most of them ( are more like you and David,” she told us. ‘‘ She’s much better than most of them, and she’s got two babies she thinks will be good at it. She doesn’t think they’ll be as good as me, though.- She says I can make stronger think-pictures than anybody at all,’’ she added complacently. *““"That doesn’t surprise me a bit,” said Rosalind deflatingly. “The next thing you want to learn is to make good think-pictures, not just noisy ones.” Petra remained unabashed. ‘“‘ She says people who can only talk with words can never understand one another much; so they’re ; not a lot of good compared with think-picture people.” We let her prattle on. But one thing stood out clearly—these Zealanders thought very well of themselves, and it looked as if 7, Rosalind had been right when she said that “ primitive ”’ had meant ordinary Labrador people. When it was clear starlight we began to pack up. I had crossed the glade, and was stooping to unhobble one of the greathorses when there was a sudden command in my mind. * Don’t move! ” It was a rough, uncouth thought-shape, not made by anyone I knew, but it was plain and threatening. 7 a i, Wey paseo comiclooks.conn