The dark side of the sun - By Terry Pratchett Page 0,29

AND YOUR CURRENT QUEST. THE FAILED ASSASSINATIONS, FIRST.’

Dom told his story. Occasionally the light patterns would change. At last the robot laid down the cigar and the Bank spoke.

‘THERE IS, YOU REALIZE, ONE COMFORTING ASPECT. THESE ATTEMPTS FAILED. THAT SUGGESTS A FALLIBLE AGENT.’

Dom sat back. ‘Yes, but the failures weren’t – I mean, they were not natural. Something happened. I feel like a tstame puppet, as if I was being moved about by a couple of players just so that I could fulfil some prediction.’

‘BUT YOU READILY SET OUT TO FIND JOKERS WORLD, WITHOUT FORETHOUGHT.’

He tried to think of an intelligent answer. None was forthcoming. Why had he been so ready? He was scared, yes, and wanted to run away. There was most of the galaxy to see. It was an adventure. But he had to admit there was more to it.

‘It seemed the right thing at the time. I can’t explain why,’ he said, simply.

‘YOU ACCEPTED FATE. A PHNOBE WOULD SAY “BATER”. A PHILOSOPHIC DROSK WOULD SAY YOU HEARD TODAY’S ECHO OF TOMORROW’S SCREAM. YOU ACTED OUT OF UNCONSCIOUS FOREKNOWLEDGE.’

Dom’s shirt moved and Ig poked his head out and blinked at the lights.

‘AS FAR AS WIDDERSHINS IS CONCERNED, I FIND NO REASON WHY YOU SHOULD BE KILLED. AS FAR AS SENIOR PLANETARY MANAGEMENT IS CONCERNED, THERE ARE FAR WORSE IN THE GALAXY.

‘I HAVE BEEN RUNNING A PROBABILITY PROGRAM ON YOU FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. IT APPEARS THAT YOU WILL DISCOVER JOKERS WORLD. NOW THERE IS A GENERAL BELIEF THAT THE JOKER INSTITUTE SEEKS OUT AND KILLS ALL THOSE IT PREDICTS MAY DISCOVER JOKERS WORLD. BUT THAT IS MERE CONJECTURE.’

Behind Dom Hrsh-Hgn hissed softly.

‘YOU DON’T SEEM SURPRISED.’

He felt the phnobe’s soup-plate eyes on him as he said carefully: ‘I know I will discover Jokers World. I knew when I heard my father say so. I … felt things lock into place. I will discover Jokers World. That’s why I set out. It’s the most important thing that I must do. No one can stop me.’

He was surprised to hear his voice. But he felt the certainty nestling securely in his mind now.

And the certainty faded, like a dream. It left him mouthing, blushing. He felt Hrsh-Hgn’s hand on his shoulder. Ig looked up at him, with his head on one side.

For a few seconds the robot voice-box merely emitted a faint static hiss. Then the Bank spoke kindly in a softer voice.

‘DON’T BET YOUR LIFE ON CERTAINTIES, DOM. BEWARE OF HUBRIS.’

Hrsh-Hgn leaned forward. In a voice slightly louder than necessary he said: ‘Reason suggests that if Jokers World exisstss in the life-bubble it would have been found. I know one myth which ssayss they live on the core of Procyon, where even Creapii may not go. What do you say to thiss?’

‘AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WAS INTERESTED IN YOUR THEORY AS PUT FORWARD IN YOUR RECENT CUBE.’

‘Your theory, Hrsh?’ said Dom. ‘You didn’t tell me!’

‘We were interrupted by that tower, remember?’

‘IT WAS A NEAT EXTRAPOLATION ON THE PHRASE “THE DARK SIDE OF THE SUN”. IT WOULD INVOLVE FINDING A BINARY STAR, OF THE EPSILON AURIGAE TYPE,’ the Bank explained.

Three minutes later Dom said: ‘I understand the idea. And the Creapii use sun rafts on some stars.’

‘IT IS CERTAINLY THE ONLY CASE WHERE A SUN HAS A DARK SIDE. THERE ARE, HOWEVER, MANY BINARIES OF THAT TYPE, AND A SYSTEMIC SEARCH WOULD BE TIME-CONSUMING.’

‘I gather you don’t agree with my ssuggesstion?’ said Hrsh-Hgn thoughtfully.

‘I PRAISE IT AS IMAGINATIVE THINKING OF THE HIGHEST ORDER,’ intoned the Bank carefully.

‘Iss it true that the Jokerss helped you evolve, as the legend sayss?’

‘I DO NOT ANSWER PERSONAL QUESTIONS. THERE IS ONE FACTOR YOU MIGHT CONSIDER. WHY NOT RUN AN EXTENDED SET OF EQUATIONS ON DOM AND DISCOVER EXACTLY WHEN AND WHERE HE MAKES HIS DISCOVERY? I HAVE JUST RUN AN ANALYSIS TAKING AS ITS PARAMETER THE EXISTENCE OF JOKERS WORLD AND ITS IMMINENT DISCOVERY. I FIND I ARRIVE AT THE MANTRUM:

ncreg8

(bRf) (nultad) E YY –’ (=) 56::: nultad

tt:

al

‘THIS IS ONLY A FIRST-APPROXIMATION DISTILLATE.’

Hrsh-Hgn pulled a notecube out of his small carry-all, and gazed at it carefully.

‘What value do you give the datum?’ he asked.

‘Ae(d) IN THE USUAL SUB-LUNAR MATRIX.’

‘Then that ressultss in an almosst perfect collapsed field within the next twenty-seven days.’

‘EXCELLENT. I DID NOT KNOW HIGHER PROBABILITY WAS A PHNOBIC SPECIALITY.’

‘It iss, you understand, in accordance with our universse-view.’

Dom had wandered over to the potted palm and was fingering a leaf idly. It moved under his touch, betraying itself as a vegetative shape-changer