Excerpt from
Enchantress from the Stars

A young adult science fiction novel

by Sylvia Engdahl

I looked up at the tall conifers silhouetted against the soft glow of an Andrecian sunset. Behind me, the sound of the river seemed to grow louder. There’s just such a river near Grandfather’s summer place on my home world; I used to hear it from my bedroom whenever I woke at night. How many rivers, I thought, on how many planets … in the whole universe? How many of them will I see? Beside how many of them will I stand when something like this happens?

But you don’t want anyone, least of all your father, to think that you aren’t mature enough to face reality. I turned to him and said steadily, “What happens now?”

Father looked at me thoughtfully. “Elana,” he began, “you know that for you to be here, unsworn, is illegal.”

“Yes. I—I’m sorry.”

“Really?” He met my eyes, and I saw suddenly that he was not angry with me at all. There was something there that, if it had not been for Ilura, would have been a smile. “You haven’t lost your enthusiasm or your nerve, have you?” he asked quietly.

“No!” Realizing what he was leading up to, I added, “You’re not going to recall the ship, are you?”

“No, I’m not. I don’t dare to recall it right now, and even if I did—well, I’ve had an idea, Elana.” He paused and then said slowly, “You’re not really ready. You won’t understand everything that happens. But I need someone to fill Ilura’s place, and it’s too much of a risk to wait for another agent to be brought in at this point.”

“Ilura’s place? Me?” I hadn’t dared to hope he’d let me play any real part.

“Yes, if you want it.”

“Of course I do!” I said, my excitement returning. After all, I’d known all along that an agent’s job is at times perilous, and I wasn’t about to let that stop me.

Evrek had joined us just in time to hear this. Glaring at Father, he protested, “Elana can’t pose as a native, as Ilura was to have done!”

“No. None of us can, so we’ve got to revamp the plan. But I’ve something in mind for which Elana’s well suited.”

Turning to me, Evrek said quietly, “Elana, you don’t have to agree. You don’t know what you’re letting yourself in for." . . . .

Just then Father broke in hurriedly. “Someone’s coming. Get inside!”

We retreated into the hut and, staying clear of its uncovered opening, peered out through a chink between the rough stones. More Imperials? To my astonishment, I began to feel a sort of sick, icy fear that was not at all familiar to me.

“Andrecians,” Evrek said. “Peasants—woodsmen, maybe—on foot, and unarmed. They look harmless.”

“They’re coming over here!” I whispered. “They’ll find us!”

Father was silent for a few moments, then made a fast decision. He smiled at me and said softly, “Yes. We’re going to let them.”

“Contact? Now?” Evrek demanded, sounding somewhat horrified. “No investigation? No preparation—”

“This isn’t a textbook case! There’s no time to explain now, but I think we’ve got to take a real plunge. Maybe no one else will be by here for days, and I’d rather do it this way than seek them out.”

You don’t question your Senior Agent’s strategy. Besides, not having made a contact before, Evrek was eager. “Can I go out with you?” he asked.

“No. I’m not going out; there’s a better way.” Father met my eyes with a measuring look. “Elana, are you really serious about wanting to be in on this? Can you follow directions?”

“Yes,” I agreed, though I felt less confident all of a sudden.

“Then step outside and let those men see you.”

“Alone? And undisguised?” I protested incredulously. Evrek was aghast, as I was, but a look from Father silenced him.

“It’s all right,” Father told me. “They won’t recognize you for what you are, as Imperials would. You won’t be revealing anything you shouldn’t.”

Evrek had hold of my arm, and he didn’t release it. “You’re surely not going to let Elana make contact all by herself!”

“We’ll be communicating, and I’ll guide her. But she must be the one to talk to them.”

“Talk to them?” I wavered. “How can I? I don’t know their language!”

“Use ours. The actual words you speak won’t matter; only the thought behind them.”

“But Younglings can’t use telepathy!”

“Not between themselves. With us, most of them can.” Abruptly, he slipped to the soundless level of communication. Don’t be frightened. That’s very important, because if you are they’ll know it.

But what shall I say to them?

I’ll tell you, when the time comes.

I felt he could at least give me a little more information than that. Then I sensed an exchange between Father and Evrek and knew that they were communicating privately. At that moment, Evrek gave me an encouraging grin and dropped my arm.

So that’s how it is, I thought. They’re testing me.

Well, I had gotten myself into this, I thought grimly, and I was not going to back out now. The Andrecians were within a few paces of the hut. I could see them clearly; there were four of them, all fairly young men, wearing belted smocks and hose of a coarse brown fabric. They did not look hostile. One of them, in fact, was whistling a bright, lilting tune. Mustering all my determination, I stepped into the open doorway.