NORTHWORLD

that you deal with this event. You have been chosen from among— " "From among
many," said violet light. "From among all the planets of the Consensus, from all the
peoples...." "Records have been searched," said the cold blue voice. "The Lomeri
settled the world in past ages— " "The lizardfolk settled Northworld in past ages,"
said pink, "but no Lomeri was there when the exploration unit arrived. There
has been—" "There has been a crime. Commissioner Hansen,," purred a. pastel so
faint that it might have been either brown or mauve. "When Rolls' exploration
unit landed, they found a waterworld with necklaces of islands—'' ''Island
necklaces and no other land." the yellow light said. ''But North reported a world
with 46% of the surface area, land." ''And now the world is gone and North is gone,
and they have taken with them the colony,'' said pink. ''There has been a crime,
and you must solve it—'' "Cure the crime,'' insisted the red voice. ''Deal with the
criminals with the full rigor of the Consensus, for the will of the Consensus is the
law of the universe— " "For all the universe except Northworld,'' resumed blue.
"That world does not recognize the Consensus, nor do the Lomeri— " "The Lomeri
who were lizards and who have been dust,'' rasped the orange voice. ''for a.
thousand millennia before there were men. And before the Lomeri there were
other settlements, we are sure of it— " "The Consensus is sure,'' whispered violet,
"tough that past is a far past even for the Consensus." ''Far even for us....'' the
voices of color murmured in unison. Hansen felt take chamber shiver like a sigh.
His feet were becoming cold, and it was not merely his imagination that the
membrane around him sagged. It was voiding take carbon dioxide Hansen exhaled
without a corresponding influx of oxygen. ''This aren't my job,'' Hansen said. 'I
don't—'' He paused. He was at the center of a glowing ambiance tat continued
to expand indefinitely, like the ball of plasma generated by a nuclear weapon
between take stars. ''Send fleet, s-sirs,'' key continued, afraid to choose a term for the
entities which spoke kern witch Kim. ''I'm a moan, a cop. I dolt find planets. You