The Crystal Crypt Read online

  Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the OnlineDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

  THE CRYSTAL CRYPT

  By PHILIP K. DICK

  _Stark terror ruled the Inner-Flight ship on that last Mars-Terra run. For the black-clad Leiters were on the prowl ... and the grim red planet was not far behind._

  "Attention, Inner-Flight ship! Attention! You are ordered to land at theControl Station on Deimos for inspection. Attention! You are to land atonce!"

  The metallic rasp of the speaker echoed through the corridors of thegreat ship. The passengers glanced at each other uneasily, murmuring andpeering out the port windows at the small speck below, the dot of rockthat was the Martian checkpoint, Deimos.

  "What's up?" an anxious passenger asked one of the pilots, hurryingthrough the ship to check the escape lock.

  "We have to land. Keep seated." The pilot went on.

  "Land? But why?" They all looked at each other. Hovering above thebulging Inner-Flight ship were three slender Martian pursuit craft,poised and alert for any emergency. As the Inner-Flight ship prepared toland the pursuit ships dropped lower, carefully maintaining themselves ashort distance away.

  "There's something going on," a woman passenger said nervously. "Lord, Ithought we were finally through with those Martians. Now what?"

  "I don't blame them for giving us one last going over," a heavy-setbusiness man said to his companion. "After all, we're the last shipleaving Mars for Terra. We're damn lucky they let us go at all."

  "You think there really will be war?" A young man said to the girlsitting in the seat next to him. "Those Martians won't dare fight, notwith our weapons and ability to produce. We could take care of Mars in amonth. It's all talk."

  The girl glanced at him. "Don't be so sure. Mars is desperate. They'llfight tooth and nail. I've been on Mars three years." She shuddered."Thank goodness I'm getting away. If--"

  "Prepare to land!" the pilot's voice came. The ship began to settleslowly, dropping down toward the tiny emergency field on the seldomvisited moon. Down, down the ship dropped. There was a grinding sound, asickening jolt. Then silence.

  "We've landed," the heavy-set business man said. "They better not doanything to us! Terra will rip them apart if they violate one SpaceArticle."

  "Please keep your seats," the pilot's voice came. "No one is to leavethe ship, according to the Martian authorities. We are to remain here."

  A restless stir filled the ship. Some of the passengers began to readuneasily, others stared out at the deserted field, nervous and on edge,watching the three Martian pursuit ships land and disgorge groups ofarmed men.

  The Martian soldiers were crossing the field quickly, moving towardthem, running double time.

  This Inner-Flight spaceship was the last passenger vessel to leave Marsfor Terra. All other ships had long since left, returning to safetybefore the outbreak of hostilities. The passengers were the very last togo, the final group of Terrans to leave the grim red planet, businessmen, expatriates, tourists, any and all Terrans who had not already gonehome.

  "What do you suppose they want?" the young man said to the girl. "It'shard to figure Martians out, isn't it? First they give the shipclearance, let us take off, and now they radio us to set down again. Bythe way, my name's Thacher, Bob Thacher. Since we're going to be hereawhile--"

  * * * * *

  The port lock opened. Talking ceased abruptly, as everyone turned. Ablack-clad Martian official, a Province Leiter, stood framed against thebleak sunlight, staring around the ship. Behind him a handful of Martiansoldiers stood waiting, their guns ready.

  "This will not take long," the Leiter said, stepping into the ship, thesoldiers following him. "You will be allowed to continue your tripshortly."

  An audible sigh of relief went through the passengers.

  "Look at him," the girl whispered to Thacher. "How I hate those blackuniforms!"

  "He's just a Provincial Leiter," Thacher said. "Don't worry."

  The Leiter stood for a moment, his hands on his hips, looking around atthem without expression. "I have ordered your ship grounded so that aninspection can be made of all persons aboard," he said. "You Terrans arethe last to leave our planet. Most of you are ordinary and harmless-- Iam not interested in you. I am interested in finding three saboteurs,three Terrans, two men and a woman, who have committed an incredible actof destruction and violence. They are said to have fled to this ship."

  Murmurs of surprise and indignation broke out on all sides. The Leitermotioned the soldiers to follow him up the aisle.

  "Two hours ago a Martian city was destroyed. Nothing remains, only adepression in the sand where the city was. The city and all its peoplehave completely vanished. An entire city destroyed in a second! Marswill never rest until the saboteurs are captured. And we know they areaboard this ship."

  "It's impossible," the heavy-set business man said. "There aren't anysaboteurs here."

  "We'll begin with you," the Leiter said to him, stepping up beside theman's seat. One of the soldiers passed the Leiter a square metal box."This will soon tell us if you're speaking the truth. Stand up. Get onyour feet."

  The man rose slowly, flushing. "See here--"

  "Are you involved in the destruction of the city? Answer!"

  The man swallowed angrily. "I know nothing about any destruction of anycity. And furthermore--"

  "He is telling the truth," the metal box said tonelessly.

  "Next person." The Leiter moved down the aisle.

  A thin, bald-headed man stood up nervously. "No, sir," he said. "I don'tknow a thing about it."

  "He is telling the truth," the box affirmed.

  "Next person! Stand up!"

  One person after another stood, answered, and sat down again in relief.At last there were only a few people left who had not been questioned.The Leiter paused, studying them intently.

  "Only five left. The three must be among you. We have narrowed it down."His hand moved to his belt. Something flashed, a rod of pale fire. Heraised the rod, pointing it steadily at the five people. "All right, thefirst one of you. What do you know about this destruction? Are youinvolved with the destruction of our city?"

  "No, not at all," the man murmured.

  "Yes, he's telling the truth," the box intoned.

  "Next!"

  "Nothing-- I know nothing. I had nothing to do with it."

  "True," the box said.

  The ship was silent. Three people remained, a middle-aged man and hiswife and their son, a boy of about twelve. They stood in the corner,staring white-faced at the Leiter, at the rod in his dark fingers.

  "It must be you," the Leiter grated, moving toward them. The Martiansoldiers raised their guns. "It _must_ be you. You there, the boy. Whatdo you know about the destruction of our city? Answer!"

  The boy shook his head. "Nothing," he whispered.

  The box was silent for a moment. "He is telling the truth," it saidreluctantly.

  "Next!"

  "Nothing," the woman muttered. "Nothing."

  "The truth."

  "Next!"

  "I had nothing to do with blowing up your city," the man said. "You'rewasting your time."

  "It is the truth," the box said.

  For a long time the Leiter stood, toying with his rod. At last he pushedit back in his belt and signalled the soldiers toward the exit lock.

  "You may proceed on your trip," he said. He walked after the soldiers.At the hatch he stopped, looking back at the passengers, his face grim."You may go-- But Mars will not allow her enemies to escape. The threesaboteurs will be caught, I promise you." He rubbed his dark jawthoughtfully. "It is strange. I was certain they were on this ship."

 
; Again he looked coldly around at the Terrans.

  "Perhaps I was wrong. All right, proceed! But remember: the three willbe caught, even if it takes endless years. Mars will catch them andpunish them! I swear it!"

  * * * * *

  For a long time no one spoke. The ship lumbered through space again, itsjets firing evenly, calmly, moving the passengers toward their ownplanet, toward home. Behind them Deimos and the red ball that was Marsdropped farther and farther away each moment, disappearing and