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was his alien information putting unfortunate notions into his consciousness. Cirl was his love.
Now, how did things rest? He had, with Cirl's marvelous help, conquered his nightmares, but he had
yet to conquer the actual Monsters. The liability of his effort was in the nature of the Bands: they
disbanded too readily at the mere suggestion of violence, then lost discipline when finally worked up
to some semblance of combat fervor. Clearly it was an unsane state for them, leading to awkward
instability.
He needed to give them direct combat experience against a lesser foe than the Monsters, to sift out
and toughen his most effective troops. He had to do this soon, because the Monsters would not sit
back politely and wait for him to get ready.
What offered? He needed a real enemy, not another mock-up. A real challenge, but not too great to be
overcome. Something like the water monster, or-
The Kratch! There was a suitable challenge! The Bands saw evil in very few things, but the evil of the
Kratch they conceded. The spaceways would be well rid of such a monster.
Rondl put it to them fairly. "We aren't ready to tackle the interstellar Monsters yet. But I will form my
complement from those who prove they can handle the necessary rigors by performing satisfactorily
in an interim mission. This will not be easy, but I think it is easier than dealing with the Solarians."
"But what is it?" Tembl inquired eagerly.
"We are going to eliminate the Kratch from the zone of debris nearest the home planet, to make this
region safe for Bands."
Suddenly there was nervousness. This was real! Bands wavered and dimmed and spun erratically.
"This is volunteer," Rondl clarified. "I want only those who choose to join me, knowing the danger.
Because I deem the Kratch to be a lesser threat than the Solarians, and anyone who is unable to face
the Kratch will not be able to oppose the real Monsters. This is a selective process; I want no more
Bands getting into situations beyond their endurance and disbanding at critical moments. Those who
do not wish to tackle the Kratch do not have to give up the overall effort; there will be other tasks,
such as marking the progress of the Monsters and conveying messages-tasks that are less stressful, but
just as important. So consider carefully what type of participation you prefer. This particular mission
is for the most aggressive of you."
They considered carefully. The Kratch was not theoretical; the Kratch was dire and direct. No Band
could approach a Kratch and be ignored. The Kratch was involuntary disbanding incarnate.
In the end about thirty Bands volunteered for the Kratch mission. Rondl had hoped for more, but was
not about to force the issue; that would be counterproductive.
"I was pursued by a Kratch," Rondl flashed to this more select group. "It caught me, but I managed to
collect a load of dust, and jettisoned the dust into the monster, giving it indigestion. I feel that way is
too dangerous; we need safer alternatives. But it does indicate that the Kratch is not extremely
intelligent, and can be balked by fairly obvious means. Do any of you have suggestions?"
Tentatively, they closed with the problem. "We could lead it into a dangerous place," a yellow Band
suggested. "One with many rocks."
"I tried that before," Rondl said. "It gained on me, and caught me before I found a suitable place. Who
would like to lead the Kratch that way?"
The Bands were daunted. None of them were eager to assume this type of chore.
"Actually, if we had a region of sure peril to the Kratch, and knew precisely where it was, we could
safely lead the monster there, provided we had a sufficient lead," Rondl said. "It is a matter of margin.
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If it thinks it can catch one of us, and we know it cannot, the task becomes feasible. Preparation is the
key." Now more of the Bands became positive, but still no one had a suggestion.
After a pause, Rondl continued. "I do have two notions relating to this problem, which you can
consider and judge. First, we must thoroughly scout the region so we know exactly where to find the
proper formation, so there need be no dangerous guesswork when the Kratch is roused. I repeat:
planning is fundamental."
"But suppose the Kratch comes upon us while we search?" a dark blue Band inquired.
"Now you're thinking ahead," Rondl said approvingly. "This is where my second notion comes in. I'm
going to teach you the art of cross-tag."
They spun uncertainly, not knowing what he meant. Small wonder; it was another alien notion. "It is a
game in which one person pursues another," Rondl explained. "Then a third party cuts in between [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]