The Sinners of Erspia

“How long will it take?"

The gnome shrugged, and looked about him. “How long did it take your people to make this vehicle?"

Laedo gave an embarrassed laugh. “I've no idea."

“Why do you want this part made?"

Laedo saw no reason to lie. “So that I can return home to my own world far off in space. My ship is damaged and I am stranded here."

“Then this is a matter of great importance to you,” the gnome replied quickly. “If we are to help you, you must help us."

“I have helped you already. I rescued Ruzzok."

Mezzen pulled a face, increasing his ugliness to a quite extraordinary degree. “What of his comrades who are still prisoners of the fairies? You did not rescue those."

The meeting was not going as Laedo had hoped. “I took a risk in rescuing even Ruzzok. If I had tried to release the others the fairies would have been upon us."

Grunting his scepticism, Mezzen then said, “How many of us gnomes do you think this vessel could carry? Fifty? A hundred? Damaged though I assume it is, since it cannot take you home, it still brought you here from the world of the fairies. So it can return there as well. You could travel to and fro, transporting large numbers of us to assist the coming invasion."

Mezzen looked at him steadily as he added, “Be our friend and we will be yours."

Laedo reminded himself that all previous invasions had failed. In all likelihood this was because the gnomes’ catapults could not fling enough troops and materials to the other half of the split worldlet.

Ethically, he could not for one moment consider siding with the gnomes in their grotesque ambition. It looked like he would have to return to Fairyland and get to work on the projector station's command system.

A thought occurred to him. Erspia-3 was similar to Erspia-1 in some ways. On the latter, the planetoid had also been divided, by ‘good’ followers of Ormazd and ‘bad’ followers of Ahriman. The dichotomy was more complete on Erspia-3, with two landscapes facing one another across a ten mile gap. On the one were the peaceful, delightful fairies. On the other, the belligerent, rapacious gnomes.

Perhaps the legendary Klystar liked to play with the good and evil aspects of the human psyche, separating them and allowing them to struggle with one another in various ways.

Another thought struck him. The surface gravity on Gnomeland was as weak as on Fairyland, but there appeared to be no need for it, since the gnomes did not fly. Why ... ?

Of course. It was to enable the gnomes to reach Fairyland so as to engage in warfare with its inhabitants.

Everything had been planned from the start, just like placing a bridge between two formicariums so as to watch the two nests of ants fight one another.

Including the improbability that the gnomes could actually succeed in conquering Fairyland using their own resources. Laedo's cargo ship could tip the balance in their favour.

“I shall have to think about it,” he said.

“What is there to think about?” Mezzen challenged, his voice loud and suspicious. “Our interests converge. You wish to have your ship repaired. We wish to take possession of the land in the sky. We can give each other what we want."

His voice fell. “Or are you really here as a spy for the fairies?” he rumbled. “To report on our preparations?"

“I do not wish to see anything of your preparations,” Laedo replied mildly. “There is no reason why I should act for the fairies. They cannot manufacture a steel part for me."

He stepped towards the portal. “Please give me a few hours to think about this. I will come out and speak to you when I have decided."

Silently Mezzen and Ruzzok followed him along the corridor. Laedo opened the port.

“Hold him,” Mezzen snapped.

Two more gnomes were standing on the platform at the top of the steps. They pointed weapons at Laedo's chest.

These were not the long spears or elegant longbows favoured by the fairies. They were compact, powerful-looking crossbows, lever-drawn, trigger-operated. In the groove of each cross-piece rested a wicked steel bolt. Paralysis seized Laedo as he saw the gnomes’ forefingers curled tensely around those triggers. He felt unable either to reach for his gun or to press the stud which would close the port. Instead he raised his hands and backed away, almost bumping into the two coming up behind him.

“We will keep our bargain once the war is over,” Ruzzok promised him. “We will help repair your ship."

They took him back to the main cabin. “Now,” Mezzen said, “show us how to work this vehicle."

“You won't be able to do it,” Laedo claimed. “It takes years of training."

In fact he imagined the gnomes would be able to master the controls quite quickly once they had been demonstrated, at least as far as the close manoeuvring engine went. That was all they would need to fly between the two landscapes.

“That may or may not be true,” Mezzen replied thoughtfully. “If it is, you can fly the machine for us."

Laedo realized he was being threatened. Did he face torture? He was beginning to curse his rashness in coming here.