*

Wayne led the way across the sand in silence. The four men made their
way toward the slope on the western side of the valley. Overhead, the
bright globe of Fomalhaut shed its orange light over the rugged
landscape.

When they reached the beginning of the slope, Wayne stopped and looked
upwards. "Doesn't look easy," he grunted. "Damned rough hill, matter of
fact. MacPherson, do you think you could make it to the top?"

Corporal MacPherson was a small, wiry man who had the reputation of
being a first-rank mountaineer. He had been a member of the eighteenth
Mount Everest Party, and had been the second of that party to reach the
summit of the towering peak.

"Sure I can, sir," he said confidently. "Shall I take the rope?"

"Go ahead. You and Manetti get the rope to the top, and Sergeant Boggs
and I will follow up."

"Righto, sir."

Corporal MacPherson reached his gloved hands forward and contracted his
fingers. The tiny microswitches in his gloves actuated the relays, and
his hands clung to the rock. Then he put his boots against the wall and
began to move up the steep escarpment.

Private Manetti followed after him. The two men were lashed together by
the light plastisteel cable. The sergeant held the end of the cable in
his hands, waiting for the coil to be paid out.

Wayne watched the two men climb, while a chill wind whipped down out of
the mountains and raised the sand in the valley. It was less than eighty
feet to the precipice edge above, but it was almost perpendicular, and
as they climbed, the buffeting winds began to press against their bodies
with ever-increasing force.

They reached the top and secured the rope, and then they peered over the
edge and signalled that Wayne and the sergeant should start up.

"We're coming," Wayne shouted, and returned the signal. It was at that
instant that he felt something slam against the sole of his heavy
metamagnetic boot. It was as though something had kicked him savagely on
the sole of his right foot.

He winced sharply at the impact. Then, somewhat puzzled he looked down
at the boot. He felt something move under the sand. He tried to step
back, and almost tripped. It was as though his right foot were stuck
firmly to the sand!

He pushed himself back, and with a tremendous heave managed to pull
himself free. He braced his body against the cliff, lifted his foot, and
looked at it.

Hanging from his boot sole was one of the ugliest monstrosities he had