Chapter 23

In the next room George Hanlon sank into a comfortable chair, then opened the cage door and the toogan fluttered out and perched on the chair arm. The young man fitted his mind more closely to the bird’s brain and began probing. Carefully he studied its every line and channel, utterly oblivious to everything else.

His first brief examination brought a slight sound of pleased surprise to his lips. This bird had a real mind, far better than any he had previously discovered in any animal or bird, even better than a dog’s. And he could read everything in it.

Best of all, the toogan had a pictorial type of mind--it remembered in scenes as well as words. It transmitted an almost perfect likeness of the being Hanlon had first known as The Leader and later as His Highness Gorth Bohr--any slight discrepancies being caused by the difference between a bird’s ability to see and that of humans.

Like a swiftly unreeling three-dimensional film, Hanlon saw the Minister working at his desk, walking about the room, receiving callers, playing with the bird, eating--and sharing his food with it--talking to it confidentially as he might have done to a well-trusted aide.

For over an hour Hanlon sat there, and the bird, seemingly asleep, sat on the chair arm without making a move. Finally Hanlon rose, and the toogan flew onto his outheld arm much as a falcon might ride. In that manner they returned to the main office where the others were still working.

They were all amazed at this peculiar situation, but only Admiral Hawarden came even close to guessing what was going on. The memory of that astounding performance of the pigeon made him think perhaps this surprising young man had actually been reading the bird’s mind--or something equally fantastic.

Hanlon set the toogan down on a corner of the big desk, then started walking toward a corner closet. As he neared it the bird seemed to come to life. It began screaming, “No need looking there! There’s nothing in there. Nobody’s ever to look into that closet! Sic ‘em, Pet!”

It dove straight at Hanlon, beak open and screaming in rage. But the man’s hand and mind were quicker. Taking possession of the bird’s mind again, he silenced it and grabbed it by the neck, holding it gently but firmly under his arm.

“Open that closet and search it thoroughly,” Hawarden snapped.

Several of the Corpsmen jumped forward, and again the toogan struggled, but Hanlon was holding it firmly by force, as well as tightening his mental control, which the powerful compulsion Bohr had implanted in the bird’s mind had momentarily broken through.

In minutes everything was out of the closet, and while some of the officers were examining every bit of the contents, others, with powerful, portable glo-lights, were going over the walls and shelves. There was a three-foot ladder-stool in the closet, and one of them started to mount it to search the ceiling.

But the moment the man touched the stool the bird’s mind gave Hanlon a clear picture of a procedure it had witnessed many times. He gasped, and called out to the Corpsmen, “That stool! Never mind looking at the closet itself or that other stuff. Bring the stool out here!”

The surprised lieutenant jumped down, and carried the little ladder over to where Hanlon was standing with the bird.

“Unscrew the left rear leg--about the middle, I believe.”

The officer up-ended the stool, and after a moment’s work found out how to unscrew the leg--it had a reverse thread. In a few more instants he had it off, and they all gasped.

The leg was hollow, and in it were a number of tightly-rolled sheets of very thin, tough paper.

The Corpsman started to unroll the papers, but at a quick signal from Hanlon, Admiral Hawarden stepped forward.

“I’ll take those, Lieutenant. I think, for the time being, at least, we need search no further. Since most of the papers we have found here are purely planetary matters, they’re not for us to meddle with, even though we have permission to do so. Back to Base--if these are not what we want we can start again later.”

As the men filed out, Hawarden activated the visiphone, and got the minister’s office at the imperial palace. “Find anything we want there, Captain?” he asked the man who answered.

“Not yet, sir.”

“Report back to Base, then. I think we’ve got it here.”

He disconnected and handed the papers to Hanlon who had, in the meantime, returned the toogan to its cage, and now sat down. He saw the young man’s face fall at first glance at those dozens of rolled sheets.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s in code,” came the explanation reply as Hanlon swiftly examined each page. “In code--or in Bohr’s native language, whatever that may be.”

“Ouch! If it’s that, we’re sunk. Better get Trowbridge on it anyway, hadn’t we?”

“Yes,” slowly, “that’s all we can do now.” After some moments, “Guess I’ll keep out of sight for a while. I’ll go back to the hotel. You can get in touch with me there. I’m still sort of shaky from that beating I got, and need a lot of rest.”

“Want the doctor to look you over again?”

“No, I don’t think I need that now. He said to have the dressings renewed in two days, so I’ll see him tomorrow.”

“Right, Newton. If anything comes up, I’ll get in touch.”

“Oh, be sure and let me know about that freighter. You’ve had no word yet, I suppose.”

“Only that it’s still there, being loaded. The scouts are watching it closely, ready to blast at first sign of departure.”

“Warn them that we want all of the crew and passengers.”

The two started out, but suddenly Admiral Hawarden stopped Hanlon with his hand on the young man’s arm. “About that business with the toogan. I’m not prying if you don’t want to talk, but shouldn’t I warn all the men who saw it, to keep quiet?”

“Shades of Snyder, yes! I got so interested I forgot all about others seeing me with it. Yes, absolutely, it must never be talked about.”

He again looked pleadingly at the admiral. “I ... I’m sorry, sir ... but at that I know you’re smart enough to have figured out most of it. All right, highly confidential, I can do a bit of mind-reading, and especially with animals and birds, whose minds are not as complex as human’s. I can even control ‘em to some extent.”

The admiral nodded. “I sort of figured as much, with the amazing performance of that pigeon. Your secret is safe with me--it certainly must not be spread around. But I don’t mind saying I’m glad it’s you has that ability, not me,” with a half-hearted laugh.

“It is a load,” Hanlon admitted soberly, then brightened, “but it sure saved my neck when Bohr had me prisoner and was about to torture me.”

The admiral looked surprised, then shivered. “The bees! I hadn’t connected...”, his voice died away, and after another brief hesitation he left, while Hanlon slowly made his way outside, took a ground-cab, and was driven back to the hotel.

About five the next morning Hanlon was awakened by the stealthy sound of a key in the lock of his hotel room door. His hand slid swiftly under his pillow, and firmly grasped the blaster there.

As he saw the door open and a figure slip inside, in one swift movement he sat up, and switched on the bed light. “Up with those hands!” he commanded the man who was closing the door carefully, his back still towards the bed.

The hands went up, and the man slowly turned.

“Dad!” Hanlon yelled in relief, and climbed out of bed. “How did you get here so soon?”

His father met him halfway, and said from their embrace, “I was on Estrella when your call came. That’s only a few lights from here, and they sent a speedster.” Then he grinned. “I’m glad to see you’re learning to keep your eyes open, even in your sleep.”

Hanlon started dressing while they talked. In swift, concise sentences he told his father all that had occurred to him since he started his job.

“Nice work, Spence,” his father applauded when he had finished, then grinned again, “although I ought to spank you for taking such risks, after I told you to take it easy at first. I was a bit worried when you disappeared, until Hooper reported what you were after. But about your job,” he continued after a moment, “we had no idea you could get so much. We merely hoped you might find a lead or two for us to work on. But you’ve practically wrapped this up for us.”