«Rainbow Mars», Larry Niven
Gravity pulled outward from the center of the extension cage as it was pulled toward present time. The view through the wall was a jitter of color and motion. Svetz lay on his back and looked up at the snake. A filter helmet showed only as a faint golden glow around its head. It wouldn't strangle on post-Industrial air, and it couldn't bite him through the inflated bubble.
A ripple ran down the feathers along its spine, a gaudy flurry of color, nine meters from head to tip of tail. It seemed to take forever. Tiny rainbow-colored wings fluttered at its neck. Its eyes opened.
The natives of - 550 Atomic Era would have carved his heart out without losing that same look of dispassionate arrogance.
Svetz raised the noodle rifle.
A loop of it shimmied aside as he fired. The anesthetic crystal needle shattered on the wall. The shimmy ran down the tail, while Svetz fired again and missed again. Then the tailtip snapped down and flicked the needle gun out of his hands.
Svetz cringed back.
The rainbow-feathered head lifted to study him.
+1108 Atomic Era. Watery colors around the cage took on shapes. For an instant Svetz saw startled techs, and Ra Chen yell-tig. Then the snake fell over him in coils, knocking the breath out f him. Coils constricted around his torso. He wriggled an arm free and reached for the needle gun, but a loop of tail coiled around his wrist.
Immobile, he looked into the ophidian face.
The hatch opened. Techs played sonic handguns along the snake's length. It went limp. Hillary Weng-Fa and Wilt Miller pulled Svetz out of the X-cage and looked him over. Other techs coiled be torpid snake on a lifter platform for transport to the Secretary-General's Vivarium.
Wrona pushed past Chairman Ra Chen to lick Svetz's face, Svetz hugged her. The touch of fur was a comfort.
"Feathers," Ra Chen said. "Futz. Are you all right?"
"Fine. Sir, I think it decided not to kill me. Treat it right."
"The picture book didn't show feathers."
"There must be more than one kind of snake," Svetz said. "The locals worshipped this one. I'll bet the SecGen loves it."
"They'll find something else to worship. Svetz-" Ra Chen's words stuck in his throat.
"Sir?"
"Waldemar the Tenth is dead."
"Long live the Secretary-General." Then his fatigue-blurred mind caught up. "Wait, now. The natives were ready to cut my heart out for that snake, and now we don't need it?"
Ra Chen sighed. Svetz babbled, "Or do we? Who's the next Secretary-General? Does he like animals?"
"That's being settled, I don't doubt. Take Wrona home. Get some sleep. Everything goes to hell when power changes hands."
PART ONE
"If only we had a time machine!'
Chapter 2
Willy Gorky's coming was announced. The Institute for Temporal Research had two hours to prepare.
The atmosphere as Svetz arrived was low-intensity frantic. Hum of techspeak, hum of power, three techs swearing quietly over yellow lights on a display. Some looked up from the Guide Pit as he and Wrona passed. Nobody particularly wanted to talk to Hanville Svetz, but Wrona was still a curiosity.
The Director saw Svetz in a corner quietly eating a bowl of dole yeast. He said, "Get the dog out."
Svetz nodded and stood. He rubbed Wrona between her ears. "Home," he told her, and turned back toward the door. She laughed with her tongue lolling.
"Home, my ass," Ra Chen bellowed. "I need you here!"
"Make a decision, Boss."
Ra Chen took two seconds to think. Wilt and Hillary both got along with Wrona, but Svetz could see both techs on duty in the Pit. They couldn't take her. The Zoo dogs fought with her.
"The dog stays. Good idea anyway. We'll have something to show Gorky."
"Yes sir. Why are we showing off for Willy Gorky?"
Ra Chen looked toward the Guide Pit. It looked impressive, and busy. He said, "Waldemar the Tenth liked extinct animals. Waldemar the Eleventh likes planets and stars, they say, and he's not a mental deficient."
Svetz flinched. Nobody would have dared to use that term when Waldemar the Tenth was Secretary-General!
A whisper of wind from outside: limousines setting down in the drive.
"The Institute for Temporal Research has been transferred from Bureau of History to Bureau of the Sky Domains-that's the new title for Space Bureau. Willy Gorky's the Director. He's our new boss. Are you ready for that?"
Svetz smiled sourly. 'Time will tell."
Four Space Bureau guards flitted through the Center examining everything. One of them appeared ready to shoot Wrona. As Svetz stepped in front of her he found Ra Chen and Zeera at his elbows.
The guard listened to Svetz's assurances, but he was looking at Wrona. Wrona looked back. On command she sat, then lay down, snout on paws.