Plague Ship

trict, for there were representatives from more than just Paft's own clan. All the Salariki were young and the parties babbled together in excitement. It

walked along a trail cloaked in knee-high, yellow-red fern growth. Most of the Salariki carried unlit torches, some having four or five bundled together, as if

shion. Sand of the red grit, lightened by the golden flecks which glittered in the sun, stretched to the edge of the wavelets breaking with onl

re. The Terrans went on to the water's edge. Where it was clear of the purple stuff they could get a murky glimpse of the botto

adolescents not yet entitled to wear the claw knife of manhood, spread out along the shore and set industriously to gathering driftwood, which they brought

bleached pile it had the vividness of flame. For it was a strident scarlet. Weeks turned it over in his hands, running his fingers loving

e spoke the Trade

he answered. "It grows on the islands-" He made a vague gesture t

ten pieces of the tansil wood between them. The finds ranged from a three foot section some four inches in diameter, to some slender twigs no larger than a writing steelo-but all wi

o the sea in a long curve which formed a natural breakwater. This was the point of attack. But

whirled about their heads and then hurled out onto the purple patches. Fire arose from the water and ran with frantic speed across the crests o

ay of the liquid, the cover was gone. Older Salariki warriors were choosing torches from

you u

ill sunlit. He held the torch watching

the sea hurled in over the rock. And after him followed the other natives, each with a lighted torch in hand-th

r way along the same path, wet with spray, wrinkling their n

watch for. Cam had left only the vaguest general descriptions of gorp and beyond the fa

action once more. Lighting more torches at the fire, they ran out along the line of their

nt yet as the torches of the Salariki set blazing up far floating patches of scum. Dane shielded his eyes against the glare an

law knife in one hand and in the other, open and waiting, the net i

ruck first. At a wild shout of defiance Dane half turned to see the Salarik noble cast his net at sea level and then stab vici

an

aw the vee of ripples headed strai

e of water. Instinctively he half crouched in the stance of

. Each man was supposed to face and kill the monster that challenged him-without assistance. And upon his sk

lic water now, but he could not see well because of the dis

fway out of the water, pincher claws as long as his own arms snapping at him. Without being conscious of h

which it had emerged. Instead those claws snapped again, this time scrapping across the to

houting encouragement from his o

eeth. It was almost wholly out of the water, creeping on a crab's many legs, with a clawed upper limb reaching for him, when suddenly it stopped, its huge head turning

in upon itself until it resembled an unwieldy ba

him an essential piece of hunting equipment. Dane nodded vigorously in agreement and the tough strands swung out in a skillful cast which engulfed the motionless

heir posts to help the boys drag the monster ashore where it was pin

d by Groft and the one stunned by Dane were only the van of an army and within moments the hunte

rn by the claws of a gorp, being drawn under the water. It was too late to save the hunter, though Dane, balanced on the very edge of the reef, ai

e, gashed and spurting blood from a wound in his thigh, was hauled to safety. While the gorp, coiling to

. The last of the purple patches had burned away to nothing. Dane crouched by his standard torch, his eyes fastened o

yed rocks that he had no idea of how the engagement was goi

our men beyond him. Yes, the tall Astrogator-apprentice was there, outlined against torch flare. Ali? No-there was the assistant Engineer. Weeks? But Weeks was

ing floundering in the protecting circle of the reef. The younger Salari

od as he swung it in a wide arc to center on the struggle churning the water into foam. A third scream died to a moan and

withdraw-which they did with grisly trophies. Dane counted seven gorp bodies-which did not include the prisoner ashore. And more might have slid into the sea to die. On the other hand two Salar

ing on the sand was not from the Queen. The torn and bloodstained tunic covering his lacerated shoulders had the I-S badge. Ali was already at work

gorp, still curled in a round carapace protected ball, was bound with the net. The secon

must have tailed us here as a spy-" He asked a passing

f we do pack him back to the Queen and he doesn't make it, they might say that we fir

e burden of the stretcher. Luckily the I-S ship was even closer to the sea than the Queen

of that third undoubtedly dedicated to extra cargo space. Beside her their own spacer would seem not only smaller, but battered and worn. But no

he strict parental control of one of the five great galaxy wide organizations and those still too much of an individual to live any life but that of a half-explorer-half-pioneer which was the Free Trader's, had widened alarmingly. Antagonism flared, rivalry was strong. But as yet the great Companies t

p. Rip demanded to see the officer of the watch and then told the story of the wounded man as

o before they slam the hatch so hard

t they?" asked

ow. "To them Free Traders are just rim planet tr

back to the Queen and they filed up her

est, visited the spacer with an invitation to attend Paft's funeral feast, a rite which would be followed by the formal elevation of Groft to his father's position, now that he had revenged that parent

gorously cleared of any vegetation which might give cover to a lurking enemy. In the center of this was a twelve-foot-high stockade of the bright red, burnished wood which had attracted Weeks on the shore. Each paling was the trunk of a tree and it had been sharpened at the top to a wicked point. On the field side was a wide ditch, crossed at the gate by a bridge, the planking of which might be removed at will. And as Dane passed over he looked down into the moat that was dry. The Salariki did not depend upon w