"You will march ahead of me," Dane's low voice was steady. "Beyond that rock spur to the left you'll find a place where it is possible to climb down to sea level. Do it!"
"I suppose I shouldn't ask why?"
"Not now. We haven't much time. Get moving!"
The Medic mastered his surprise and without further protest obeyed orders. It was only when they were standing3 by the flitter and he saw the suits that his eyes widened and he said:
"The Big Burn!"
"Yes, and I'm desperate—"
"You must be—or mad—" The Medic stared at Dane for a long moment and then shook his head. "What is it? A plague ship?"
Dane bit his lip. The other was too astute4. But he did not ask why or how he had been able to guess so shrewdly. Instead he gestured to the suit Ali had lashed5 beneath the seat in the flitter. "Get into that and be quick about it!"
The Medic rubbed his hand across his jaw. "I think that you might just be desperate enough to use that thing you're brandishing6 about so melodramatically if I don't," he remarked in a calmly conversational7 tone.
"I won't kill. But a blaster burn—"
"Can be pretty painful. Yes, I know that, young man. And," suddenly he shrugged8, put down his kit9 and started donning the suit. "I wouldn't put it past you to knock me out and load me aboard if I did say no. All right—"
Suited, he took his place on the seat as Dane directed, and then the Trader followed the additional precaution of lashing10 the Medic's metal encased arms to his body before he climbed into his own protective covering. Now they could only communicate by sight through the vision plates of their helmets.
Dane triggered the controls and they arose out of the sand and rock hollow just as a party of two men and a boy came hurrying along the top of the cliff—Jorge and the rescuers arriving too late. The flitter spiraled up into the sunlight and Dane wondered how long it would be before this outrage11 was reported to the nearest Plant Police base. But would any Police cruiser have the hardihood to follow him into the Big Burn? He hoped that the radiation would hold them back.
There was no navigation to be done. The flitter's "memory" should deposit them at the Queen. Dane wondered at what his silent companion was now thinking. The Medic had accepted his kidnapping with such docility12 that the very ease of their departure began to bother Dane. Was the other expecting a trailer? Had exploration into the Big Burn from the seaside villages been more extensive than reported officially?
He stepped up the power of the flitter to the top notch13 and saw with some relief that the ground beneath them was now the rocky waste bordering the devastated14 area. The metal encased figure that shared his seat had not moved, but now the bubble head turned as if the Medic were intent upon the ground flowing beneath them.
The flicker15 of the counter began and Dane realized that nightfall would find them still air borne. But so far he had not been aware of any pursuit. Again he wished he had the use of a com—only here the radiation would blanket sound with that continuous roar.
Patches of the radiation vegetation showed now and something in the lines of the Medic's tense figure suggested that these were new to him. Afternoon waned16 as the patches united, spread into the beginning of the jungle as the counter was once more an almost steady light. When evening closed in they were not caught in darkness—for below trees, looping vines, brush, had a pale, evil glow of their own, proclaiming their toxicity17 with bluish halos. Sometimes pockets of these made a core of light which pulsed, sending warning fingers at the flitter which sped across it.
The hour was close on midnight before Dane sighted the other light, the pink-red of which winked18 through the ghastly blue-white with a natural and comforting promise, even though it had been meant for an entirely19 different purpose. The Queen had earthed with her distress20 lights on and no one had remembered to snap them off. Now they acted as a beacon21 to draw the flitter to its berth22.
Dane brought the stripped flyer down on the fused ground as close to the spot from which he had taken off as he could remember. Now—if those on the spacer would only move fast enough—!
But he need not have worried, his arrival had been anticipated. Above, the rounded side of the spacer bulged23 as the hatch opened. Lines swung down to fasten their magnetic clamps on the flitter. Then once more they were air borne, swinging up to be warped24 into the side of the ship. As the outer port of the flitter berth closed Dane reached over and pulled loose the lashing which immobilized his companion. The Medic stood up, a little awkwardly as might any man who wore space armor the first time.
The inner hatch now opened and Dane waved his captive into the small section which must serve them as a decontamination space. Free at last of the suits, they went through one more improvised25 hatch to the main corridor of the Queen where Rip and Ali stood waiting, their weary faces lighting26 as they saw the Medic.
Rip shook his head. "It is not, sir. And you're the one who is going to help us prove that."
The man leaned back against the wall, his face expressionless. "You take a rather tough way of trying to get help."
"It was the only way left us. I'll be frank," Rip continued, "we're Patrol Posted."
The Medic's shrewd eyes went from one drawn28 young face to the next. "You don't look like desperate criminals," was his comment. "This your full crew?"
"All the rest are your concern. That is—if you will take the job—" Rip's shoulders slumped29 a little.
"You haven't left me much choice, have you? If there is illness on board, I'm under the Oath—whether you are Patrol Posted or not. What's the trouble?"
They got him down to Tau's laboratory and told him their story. From a slight incredulity his expression changed to an alert interest and he demanded to see, first the patients and then the pests now immured30 in a deep freeze. Sometime in the middle of this, Dane, overcome by fatigue31 which was partly relief from tension, sought his cabin and the bunk32 from which he wearily disposed Sinbad, only to have the purring cat crawl back once more when he had lain down.
And when he awoke, renewed in body and spirit, it was in a new Queen, a ship in which hope and confidence now ruled.
"Hovan's already got it!" Rip told him exultantly33. "It's that poison from the little devils' claws right enough! A narcotic—produces some of the affects of deep sleep. In fact—it may have a medical use. He's excited about it—"
"All right," Dane waved aside information which under other circumstances, promising34 as it did a chance for future trade, would have engrossed35 him, to ask a question which at the moment seemed far more to the point. "Can he get our men back on their feet?"
A little of Rip's exuberance36 faded. "Not right away. He's given them all shots. But he thinks they'll have to sleep it off."
"And we have no idea how long that is going to take," Ali contributed.
Time—for the first time in days Dane was struck by that—time! Because of his training a fact he had forgotten in the past weeks of worry now came to mind—their contract with the storm priests. Even if they were able to clear themselves of the plague charge, even if the rest of the crew were speedily restored to health, he was sure that they could not hope to return to Sargol with the promised cargo37, the pay for which was already on board the Queen. They would have broken their pledge and there could be no hope of holding to their trading rights on that world—if they were not blacklisted for breaking contract into the bargain. I-S would be able to move in and clean up and probably they could never prove that the Company was behind their misfortunes—though the men of the Queen would always be convinced that that fact was the truth.
"We're going to break contract—" he said aloud and that shook the other two, knocked some of their assurance out of them.
"How about that?" Rip asked Ali.
The acting-engineer nodded. "We have fuel enough to lift from here and maybe set down at Terraport—if we take it careful and cut vectors. We can't lift from there without refueling—and of course the Patrol are going to sit on their hands while we do that—with us Posted! No, put out of your heads any plan for getting back to Sargol within the time limit. Thorson's right—that way we're flamed out!"
Rip slumped in his seat. "So the Eysies can take over after all?"
"As I see it," Dane cut in, "let's just take one thing at a time. We may have to argue a broken contract out before the Board. But first we have to get off the Posted hook with the Patrol. Have you any idea about how we are going to handle that?"
"Hovan's on our side. In fact if we let him have the bugs38 to play with he'll back us all the way. He can swear us a clean bill of health before the Medic Control Center."
"How much will that count after we've broken all their regs?" Ali wanted to know. "If we surrender now we're not going to have much chance, no matter what Hovan does or does not swear to. Hovan's a frontier Medic—I won't say that he's not a member in good standing of their association—but he doesn't have top star rating. And with the Eysies and the Patrol on our necks, we'll need more than one medic's word—"
But Rip looked from the pessimistic Kamil to Dane. Now he asked a question which was more than half statement.
"You've thought of something?"
"I've remembered something," the Cargo-apprentice corrected. "Recall the trick Van pulled on Limbo39 when the Patrol was trying to ease us out of our rights there after they took over the outlaw40 hold?"
Ali was impatient. "He threatened to talk to the Video people and broadcast—tell everyone about the ships wrecked41 by the Forerunner42 installation and left lying about full of treasure. But what has that to do with us now—? We bargained away our rights on Limbo for the rest of Cam's monopoly on Sargol—not that it's done us much good—"
"The Video," Dane fastened on the important point, "Van threatened publicity43 which would embarrass the Patrol and he was legally within his rights. We're outside the law now—but publicity might help again. How many earth-side people know of the unwritten law about open war on plague ships? How many who aren't spacemen know that we could be legally pushed into the sun and fried without any chance to prove we're innocent of carrying a new disease? If we could talk loud and clear to the people at large maybe we'd have a chance for a real hearing—"
"Why not?"
There was silence in the cabin as the other two chewed upon that and he broke it again:
"We set down here when it had never been done before."
With one brown forefinger45 Rip traced some pattern known only to himself on the top of the table. Ali stared at the opposite wall as if it were a bank of machinery46 he must master.
"It just might be whirly enough to work—" Kamil commented softly. "Or maybe we've been spaced too long and the Whisperers have been chattering47 into our ears. What about it, Rip, could you set us down close enough to Center Block there?"
"We can try anything once. But we might crash the old girl bringing her in. There's that apron48 between the Companies' Launching cradles and the Center—. It's clear there and we could give an E signal coming down which would make them stay rid of it. But I won't try it except as a last resort."
Dane noticed that after that discouraging statement Rip made straight for Jellico's record tapes and routed out the one which dealt with Terraport and the landing instructions for that metropolis49 of the star ships. To land unbidden there would certainly bring them publicity—and to get the Video broadcast and tell their story would grant them not only world wide, but system wide hearing. News from Terraport was broadcast on every channel every hour of the day and night and not a single viewer could miss their appeal.
But first there was Hovan to be consulted. Would he be willing to back them with his professional knowledge and assurance? Or would their high-handed method of recruiting his services operate against them now? They decided50 to let Rip ask such questions of the Medic.
"So you're going to set us down in the center of the big jump-off?" was his first comment, as the acting-Captain of the Queen stated their case. "Then you want me to fire my rockets to certify51 you are harmless. You don't ask for very much, do you, son?"
Rip spread his hands. "I can understand how it looks to you, sir. We grabbed you and brought you here by force. We can't make you testify for us if you decide not to—"
"Can't you?" The Medic cocked an eyebrow52 at him. "What about this bully53 boy of yours with his little blaster? He could herd54 me right up to the telecast, couldn't he? There's a lot of persuasion55 in one of those nasty little arms. On the other hand, I've a son who's set on taking out on one of these tin pots to go star hunting. If I handed you over to the Patrol he might make some remarks to me in private. You may be Posted, but you don't look like very hardened criminals to me. It seems that you've been handed a bad situation and handled it as best you know. And I'm willing to ride along the rest of the way on your tail blast. Let me see how many pieces you land us in at Terraport and I'll give you my final answer. If luck holds we may have a couple more of your crew present by that time, also—"
They had had no indication that the Queen had been located, that any posse hunting the kidnapped Medic had followed them into the Big Burn. And they could only hope that they would continue to remain unsighted as they upped-ship once more and cruised into a regular traffic lane for earthing at the port. It would be a chancy thing and Ali and Rip spent hours checking the mechanics of that flight, while Dane and the recovering Weeks worked with Hovan in an effort to restore the sleeping crew.
After three visits to the hold and the discovery that the Hoobat had uncovered no more of the pests, Dane caged the angry blue horror and returned it to its usual stand in Jellico's cabin, certain that the ship was clean for Sinbad now confidently prowled the corridors and went into every cabin of storage space Dane opened for him.
And on the morning of the day they had planned for take-off, Hovan at last had a definite response to his treatment. Craig Tau roused, stared dazedly56 around, and asked a vague question. The fact he immediately relapsed once more into semi-coma did not discourage the other Medic. Progress had been made and he was now sure that he knew the proper treatment.
They strapped57 down at zero hour and blasted out of the weird58 green wilderness59 they had not dared to explore, lifting into the arch of the sky, depending upon Rip's knowledge to put them safely down again.
Dane once more rode out the take-off at the com-unit, waiting for the blast of radiation born static to fade so that he could catch any broadcast.
"—turned back last night. The high level of radiation makes it almost certain that the outlaws60 could not have headed into the dangerous central portion. Search is now spreading north. Authorities are inclined to believe that this last outrage may be a clew to the vanished 'Solar Queen,' a plague ship, warned off and Patrol Posted after her crew plundered61 an E-Stat belonging to the Inter-Solar Corporation. Anyone having any information concerning this ship—or any strange spacer—report at once to the nearest Terrapolice or Patrol station. Do not take chances—report any contact at once to the nearest Terrapolice or Patrol station!"
"That's putting it strongly," Dane commented as he relayed the message. "Good as giving orders for us to be flamed down at sight—"
"Well, if we set down in the right spot," Rip replied, "they can't flame us out without blasting the larger part of Terraport field with us. And I don't think they are going to do that in a hurry."
Dane hoped Shannon was correct in that belief. It would be more chancy than landing at the E-Stat or in the Big Burn—to gauge62 it just right and put them down on the Terraport apron where they could not be flamed out without destroying too much, where their very position would give them a bargaining point, was going to be a top star job. If Rip could only pull it off!
He could not evaluate the niceties of that flight, he did not understand all Rip was doing. But he did know enough to remain quietly in his place, ask no questions, and await results with a dry mouth and a wildly beating heart. There came a moment when Rip glanced up at him, one hand poised63 over the control board. The pilot's voice came tersely64, thin and queer:
"Pray it out, Dane—here we go!"
Dane heard the shrill65 of a riding beam, so tearing he had to move his earphones. They must be almost on top of the control tower to get it like that! Rip was planning on a set down where the Queen would block things neatly66. He brought his own fingers down on the E-E-Red button to give the last and most powerful warning. That, to be used only when a ship landing was out of control, should clear the ground below. They could only pray it would vacate the port they were still far from seeing.
"Make it a fin-point, Rip," he couldn't repress that one bit of advice. And was glad he had given it when he saw a ghost grin tug67 for a moment at Rip's full lips.
"Good enough for a check-ride?"
They were riding her flaming jets down as they would on a strange world. Below the port must be wild. Dane counted off the seconds. Two—three—four—five—just a few more and they would be too low to intercept—without endangering innocent coasters and groundhuggers. When the last minute during which they were still vulnerable passed, he gave a sigh of relief. That was one more point on their side. In the earphones was a crackle of frantic68 questions, a gabble of orders screaming at him. Let them rave69, they'd know soon enough what it was all about.
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1
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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2
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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3
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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4
astute
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| adj.机敏的，精明的 | |
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lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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6
brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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7
conversational
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| adj.对话的，会话的 | |
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8
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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9
kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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10
lashing
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| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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11
outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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12
docility
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| n.容易教，易驾驶，驯服 | |
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13
notch
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| n.(V字形)槽口，缺口，等级 | |
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14
devastated
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| v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的 | |
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15
flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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16
waned
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| v.衰落( wane的过去式和过去分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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17
toxicity
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| n.毒性，毒力 | |
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18
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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19
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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20
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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21
beacon
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| n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔 | |
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22
berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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23
bulged
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| 凸出( bulge的过去式和过去分词 )； 充满； 塞满（某物） | |
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24
warped
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| adj.反常的；乖戾的；（变）弯曲的；变形的v.弄弯，变歪( warp的过去式和过去分词 )；使（行为等）不合情理，使乖戾， | |
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25
improvised
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| a.即席而作的,即兴的 | |
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26
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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27
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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28
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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29
slumped
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| 大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下] | |
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30
immured
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| v.禁闭，监禁( immure的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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32
bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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33
exultantly
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| adv.狂欢地，欢欣鼓舞地 | |
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34
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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35
engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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36
exuberance
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| n.丰富；繁荣 | |
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37
cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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38
bugs
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| adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误 | |
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39
limbo
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| n.地狱的边缘；监狱 | |
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40
outlaw
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| n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法 | |
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41
wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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42
forerunner
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| n.前身，先驱（者），预兆，祖先 | |
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43
publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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44
taunted
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| 嘲讽( taunt的过去式和过去分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落 | |
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45
forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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46
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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47
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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48
apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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49
metropolis
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| n.首府；大城市 | |
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50
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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51
certify
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| vt.证明，证实；发证书(或执照)给 | |
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52
eyebrow
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| n.眉毛，眉 | |
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53
bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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54
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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55
persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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56
dazedly
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| 头昏眼花地，眼花缭乱地，茫然地 | |
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57
strapped
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| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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58
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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59
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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60
outlaws
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| 歹徒，亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 )； 逃犯 | |
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61
plundered
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
gauge
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| v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器 | |
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63
poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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64
tersely
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| adv. 简捷地, 简要地 | |
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65
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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66
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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67
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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68
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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69
rave
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| vi.胡言乱语；热衷谈论；n.热情赞扬 | |
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