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see the others having thoughts similar to my own. We'd been prepared for
almost anything, but we'd grown up in a slick, automated world. Even those in
the lowest classes were used to glancing at their watch for time, date, and
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Lilith: A Snake in the Grass whatever; to lights turning on when you entered
rooms; to having food ready to be ordered when you were hungry with a command
and a touch of a wall plate.
A primitive place was one where the weather wasn't always controlled and
buildings might be made of stone or wood, things like that-and a place with
grass and trees. But this-not only did I now look like some prehistoric man,
but I was living the part.
We all sat down in front of one of the huts and the woman introduced herself
to us. "I am Patra," she told us, trilling the r sound slightly. "Like you, I
was a convicted felon sentenced here about five years ago. I won't reveal what
my offenses were, nor my old name-such things are not asked on the Warden
worlds, although the information is sometimes freely given.
It remains your choice to tell as much or as little about your past as you
wish, and to whomever you wish. It is also your choice to use your old name or
to choose any new one you like, as I did."
There were murmurs and nods at that, and I liked the idea myself. Barring a
chance meeting with someone who had known the old Cal Tremon, I'd be spared
the embarrassing questions and consequent chances of being tripped up
somewhere.
"You will stay here a few days," Patra continued. "For one thing, you are now
on a new and very hostile world. I realize that many of you have been on new
and hostile worlds before, but never one quite like this one. In the past,
you've had maps, charts, reference computers, all sorts of mechanical aids-
not to mention effective weapons. There is none of that here, so you will have
to get your information from me. Furthermore, as you are no doubt aware, the
Warden organism invades our bodies and lives within us, and during the first
few days, that process can have some unpleasant side effects. I don't want to
alarm you-mostly some dizziness, disorientation,
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Lilith: A Snake in the Grass stomach upset, things like that. You won't be
really sick, just a little uncomfortable from time to time. The discomfort
passes quickly, and you'll never even think about it again. And it has some
advantages."
"Yeah, keeps us planeted on this rock," somebody muttered.
Patra just smiled. "Not exactly, although it keeps us in this solar system.
It's a fact of life, so accept that fact. Don't even think about escape,
beating this system. Not only can't it be done-and some of the best minds in
the galaxy have tried--but the death it brings is the worst, most horrible
sort imaginable."
She paused to let that sink in, knowing it probably wouldn't, then continued.
"The advantage of the organism is that you'll never have to worry about even
the slightest ailment again. No toothaches, no colds, no infection, nothing.
Even pretty large wounds, if not fatal or of an extremely critical nature,
will heal quickly, and tissue regeneration is possible. There has never been a
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need for any doctor on Lilith, nor will there be. In other words, the Warden
organism pays for what it takes."
She went on for a while, detailing some of the basics of the planet that I had
already gotten from the briefing; then it was time for food. That took the
most getting used to. The cuisine of Lilith seemed to consist of cooked
insects of all sorts and lots of weeds, sometimes mixed with a grain of some
sort that was a very unappetizing purple in color.
There were a few of my group who just couldn't manage the food for a while,
but of course everybody would come around eventually. For a few it might be
really tough going, or prove to be a very effective form of dieting.
Getting used to insect stews and chewy purple bread was going to be tough, I
told myself, but I would have to learn to eat it and like it or else. Over the
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Lilith: A Snake in the Grass next few days I did manage to adjust to eating
the food and to crapping in the bushes, using leaves instead of automatic
wipers, and all the rest. As I
said earlier, we were chosen for our ability to adapt to just about anything-
and this was the "just about" the training manuals had implied.
Patra was also right about the side effects of the organism's invasion. I
experienced strong dizziness, some odd aches and pains, and a feeling of
itching all over inside-damned unpleasant, but I could live with it. We all
had the runs, too, but I suspect that was mostly due to the food, not to the
organism.
So far, though, Patra's orientation lectures had mostly covered things I
already knew about, and though they went into greater detail than any I'd had
before and were therefore welcome, she hadn't covered the facts I
needed so far. On the fourth very long day-it was hell sleeping in that
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