Plague Ship

act nothing from Sargol except a small twig of the red wood which lay on the steward's worktable where he had been fashioning something to incorporate in one of his miniature fairy landscapes, to

ndship cup and had no ill effects-so it couldn't be the wood. Dane put the twig back on the work table and snapped the protecting cove

on hands and knees about the deck and climbing to inspect perfectly bare wall

there-and the storeroom," he told the places off

ey and the mess cabin-but to interfere with the hydro would endanger their air suppl

to plant something!

nted there could not be routed out unless they made a la

e lips drew tight. "But

except for the young Salarik. Could that cub have brought something? But he and Mura had been with the youngster every minute that he had been in

strip the hydro in space," he p

swer. "Then we'

at warn-off.

an Emergen

r word, he went out of the cabin and at a pounding pace up the ladder, bound for the Captain's cab

There were E-Stats among the asteroids-points prospectors or small traders in sudden difficulties might cont

atrol

eader on the Captain's desk. In the cage over his head the blue Hoobat squatted watching him intently-for

t-" Another punch and click. "Patrol E-Stat A-55-" punch-click. "Inter-Solar-" this time Rip's hand did not hit

this with our

They did not dare set the Queen down at any Patrol Station. But a Company one which would be mann

. If the Eysies were responsible for the present plight of the Queen he would we

with his figures. Carefully he punched the combination on the plotter and

e result flashed on. "We can make

rters. "Nothing," he gave his report of what he had found t

trouble lay in the hydro and that they should clean out that

w what they do to pirates?" in

p in emergency," he recited automatically, "may claim supplies fro

E-Stat. The Companies

oesn't say so-there is nothing about any differe

ly the Patrol had such stations. Companies put them in

any warn-off on this, but I just want you to be prepared to find a cruiser riding our fins and giving us

is. We can set down in about five hours' ship time. H

u oxgy for quarters for about two hours. Depends upon h

ed over his shoulder: "You'll have to an

bringing us in. They won't be expecting tro

And they get off one little squeak to the Patrol. Well, a short life but an interesting one. And we'll make all the Video channe

re we-" Dane protested

Dane's surprise, did not immed

a hydro in a few minutes, not when we have to keep oxgy on for the others. If we were able to turn that off and work in suits it'd be a quicker job-we could dump be

ate of the situation. "If we set down and pile out wearing suits

of desperation. It would depend upon who manned the E-Stat and how fas

to plan. "Do that first and then we don't have

ng somebody in this spacer watches Video serials-Ali, you can brief us on all the latest tricks of space

n on a single key set a distance apart from the other co

ld be flaming a banner of trouble. Next to the wan dead lights, set only when a ship had no hope of ever reaching port

em at the hatch. Then Weeks and Dane took up the task of tending

th its normal aspect of rage, the Hoobat stayed quiescent on the floor of its cage, its top claws hooked about two of the wires, its protruding eyes staring

th and claw the one time Dane had tried to take him back to Van Rycke's office and his own hammock there. Afterwards the Cargo-ap

was something else again. In his cadet years he had aided in such a program at least twice as a matter of learning the basic training of the Service. But then they had h

-as well as side products such as fresh fruit and vegetables, were banked there. The sweet odor of their verdant life was strong. But how could a

tinged with shades first bestowed by other suns on other worlds-looking for one which was alien enough to be noticeable. Only Mura, wh

s contracting its fronds into balls. He should not stay-disturbing the peace of the hydro. But it made little difference now-within a matter of hours all this luxuriance would be thrust out to die and t

a wind had swept across the green room within. The imagination which was a Trader's asset (when it was kept within bounds) suggested that

he sort of test even a seasoned pilot would tense over. Yet Rip was sitting now in the Captain's place, his broad hands spread out on the edge of the control board waiting. And below in the engine room Ali was in Stotz's place ready to fire and cut rockets at order

were off automatic, from here on in it was all Kip's work. Dane strapped down at the silent

-I-S E-Stat callin

went to the answer key before he remembered and

less voice of the translat

precision of a musician creating some symphonic masterpiece. And the Queen

of a reasonable size, but in their eyes it was a blea

e drone height

. And Dane saw that, though Jellico was the master, Ri

ized that the ship with the distress signals blazing on her nose was not going to reply. Dane found

tail rockets down to the scorched rock of the E-Stat field. Perhaps it wasn't as smooth a landing as Jellico could have made. But

's voice floa

s. This was Rip's plan they were to carry through. Then something moved hi

rother! Four po

self. "Ought to have a recording of that fo

ad we didn't have someone out

e reached Ali on the ship's inter-com, for his deflating reply came back, to

," Rip said

ree-quarters of it being in the hollowed out sections below the surface of the miniature world which supported it, as Dane

cious men. Ali had ready the artificial oxgy tanks-they must move fas

three joined him by the hatch to don the suits which would ena

oisoned hydr

l give you the lie. They won't acce

tupid as all that? "If you'd take a look i

" Ali sounded gen

l over a good section. It's wi

estimonial for the official jabber and collect when we hit Terra. All right-Weeks," he spoke to the little man, "you listen in on the com-it'

lock door at their backs and operated the outer opening. Then they were looking out across

fort kit," Rip's voice sounded in Dane's

remnant of her crew could not withstand? Dane, wanting very much in his heart to be elsewhere, clim