STARSHIP OF FOOLS - (C) 1986 Jerry Kindall and Rex Crossley

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

"Don't look back; something might be gaining on you."
                                                       - Satchell Paige

     It was a real relief to get out of my suit.  Melvin had set the
environment controls on my suit for Class A Valrasian Marsh Monster
instead of Class A Humanoid.  I guess I should be thankful he got the
Class A right; I could have been breathing methane instead of oxygen. 
That explained why my visor had fogged up and why my suit was so hot.
     "So what happened?" asked Rhye, when we had returned to the bridge.
     "Well," said Melvin, "the Oracle gave us the coordinates of
Jordann's Home Planet.  He says we can defeat him."  Melvin gave the
coordinates to Zordoff, who entered them into the navigation console.
     "That's it?" asked Snort incredulously.  "We came all this way just
for that?"
     In perfect synchronization, Donald, Zot, and I shook our heads. 
"No," said Donald.  "He gave me some of the most wonderful pain I have
ever felt."
     "I was filled with awe over being in the presence of one so wise,"
said Zot.  "I was stultified with respect."
     "All he gave me was a golf ball," I whined.  I took it out of my
pocket and held it out for them to see.
     Zordoff and Rhye goggled at me.  Chester trundled up to squint at
the golf ball; it seemed oddly familiar.  Finally he gave up, shrugging.
     "Uh..." started Rhye.
     "Uh..?" I replied.
     "Uh..." she cut in, "do you have any idea what that is?"
     "Uh... no."
     "That," she said, her voice quivering with excitement, "is the Orb
of Oorlon!"
     "Oh, really?  I thought it was a golf ball."
     Rhye looked at me sideways.  "But you're from Earth.  You're not a
magician, are you?"
     "No," I stammered.  "I'm, well, I, uh..."
     "What was it the Oracle said, Matt?" Melvin asked.
     "I think he said 'Chosen One,'" put in Zot.
     "Yeah, that's it," Melvin replied, snapping his fingers.
     Zordoff and Rhye goggled at me.
     "Uhhhh..." I enunciated.
     Rhye explained.  "The ancient prophecies of Oorlon foretell that
one day, the Oracle's tests will uncover a special magician known as the
Chosen One.  The Chosen One is a natural magician.  With the Orb, he
will be all-powerful."  She looked at me with new respect.
     "So what are you saying?" I asked in amazement.
     "If you're the Chosen One -- and if the Oracle said you are, then
you are -- you're the most powerful magician ever to live."
     I couldn't comprehend this.  Me?  A magician, even more powerful
than Zordoff?  It sounded impossible.  The more I thought about it, the
more confused I became.  The room seemed to spin around me.
     In desperation, I threw the Orb as hard as I could, but it merely
boomeranged back and floated silently behind me. I wondered if my
destiny was to be followed by a magic golf ball for the rest of my life.
     "Are you all right?" I heard Melvin's concerned voice say.
     "No," I croaked, and hurried off the bridge, wishing the Orb would
simply disappear.  It did not.  It followed me into the elevator.

                                 * * *

     The main thrusters thumped to life, and we were on our way to
Jordann's Home Planet.  I slid down to the floor and buried my face in
my hands, trying to sort things out.  If I really was the Chosen One,
then whoever had chosen me had really screwed up.
     It seemed to me that I had left Earth to avoid problems like this. 
No, I realized, I would gladly return to all the problems I'd had on
Earth to get rid of the problem I had now.  Most people would be happy
to be the most powerful magician in the universe, but not me.  I saw
immediately that this meant that everyone would expect me to be able to
solve all their problems.  And I had no idea how to even start doing
that.  Even if I had, it wasn't how I had intended to spend my life.
     I reached out and snatched the Orb out of the air where it had been
floating, unaffected by the laws of physics, and stuffed it into my
pants pocket.  I hoped it would be happy there.
     Then I stood up, annoyed with myself for being so stupid and
selfish.  If I was really the Chosen One, my magic would be a great
asset in the battle against Jordann.  I ought to start learning how to
use my powers, if only to save my own skin, instead of pouting in the
elevator.
     I stepped out of the elevator back onto the bridge, the Orb
vibrating in my pocket.  Everyone was busy doing something: Snort was
playing his bagpipes, Donald was teasing Chester, Melvin and Rhye were
dancing to the tune Snort was playing, and Zot and Zordoff were playing
Pac-Man.  They all gave me a friendly wave, which I started to return.
     At that moment I was knocked to the floor along with everyone else.
 Someone had loosed a barrage of laser fire at us.

