The City of the Sun Read Online Free Page A

haven’t.
    In the meantime, he or she had signaled his or her perfect comprehension of what Nathan was saying.
    Nathan went on: “We have also come here to study the colony and its way of life. We have a great deal to learn concerning the prospects of colonies on alien worlds. This is information which Earth needs desperately, in order that the risks taken by future colonists may be minimized. We need to know a great deal about the possible pitfalls and dangers....”
    The melodious voice cut in again: “That is enough. You will return to your ship now. A Servant will come to you if you are to be allowed to enter the city. If the Ego permits, then you may put your case to him.”
    With that, the rider jerked the rein and the beast began to turn away.
    “Wait!” said Nathan, quickly. He might as well have been King Canute talking to the tide. The man/woman in the silvery tunic rode back to the archers, who parted to let their leader through, and then turned their own mounts. Not one of them glanced back. They were apparently confident of our compliance.
    Nathan stared after them for fully half a minute, and then turned to me. “What...?” he began.
    Since everyone else was interrupting him, I thought I might as well get in on the act. “I don’t know,” I said, quickly. “But we’d better do as he says. Quickly. And no one comes out again without protective clothing. We’ll suit up in the lock so that we don’t risk carrying anything inside. Isolation. I don’t want that stuff growing on me, and if I’ve already picked up a spore of some kind I don’t want to infect everyone else aboard the Daedalus . This could be serious.”
    I was moving even as I spoke. I wasn’t particularly worried—I’d been infected with parasites of all shapes, sizes and colors in my time. I’d even picked up alien parasites occasionally during the last three years—ectoparasites aren’t so fussy about what kind of flesh they chew their way into. Alien worms and fungi itch just the same as our parasitic brethren on Earth. However, there was a certain niggling anxiety in my mind. This was one hell of a parasite, if appearances could be trusted. And it had no real right to be infecting humans so easily and so copiously as this. The survey team hadn’t promised a bug-free world—there are always a few local pests that are adaptable enough to bother people—but on the other hand, the survey team hadn’t dropped the slightest hint about anything like this.
    Nathan had to walk pretty quickly to catch up with me.
    “You think we might have picked it up already?” be said. “From the air?”
    “I’d rather not take chances,” I told him. “Black isn’t my color. But once we’ve been through decontamination and suited up, we’re as safe as we can be. Let’s do that first, and then we’ll be free to worry about everything else.”
    I caught his eye as we marched back up the slope, and I could see in his face that he thought—as I did—that there would still be a lot that warranted worrying about.

CHAPTER THREE
     
    Nathan told the rest what had happened. He told it neatly and economically—but there really wasn’t all that much to tell. When he asked me if I had anything to add all I could say was: “It wasn’t exactly the greatest first contact in history.”
    “You were in on it,” he pointed out. “I didn’t notice your telling contribution.”
    I smiled, sweetly.
    “This parasite...,” said Conrad.
    “Ah,” I said, turning to him. “The matter in hand.”
    It really wasn’t an appropriate time for levity, but I felt the need of a little levity to lighten my mood. I hadn’t seen much of Arcadia so far, but what little I had seen I hadn’t liked.
    “It’s obviously not debilitating,” said Conrad. “The man who spoke to you seemed perfectly fit and healthy.”
    “Well,” I said—and now I abandoned the levity—“if it was a man, I’d have to be cautious about guaranteeing certain aspects of