Star Hunter

ell-room. And he'd better be on the move before Darfu comes to enforce a rising order with a powerful ki

or corruption here. He sat up stiffly, looked down at his own body in dull wonder. The only covering on his bare, brown self was a wide, scaled be

arms and his legs, he tried to think back. Sluggi

torage compartments of a spacer belonging to a man named Wass. It had been Wass' pilot in

nd he was a prisoner with a very uncertain future, de

in the lamplight to greet the rescued. "I see you have been h

matter!" the Hunter h

en what

o report that. Get my civs off plan

orlds were certified as

w or why. But that fact has to b

iet, almost gentle. "Such a report wou

e began and then

n anything to the Patrol. Nor do you either, my young friend, not wh

a." Hume's control had returned; both voice and manner were under t

ss when personal supervision is ever in mind. And it is well that I did arrive here, is it not, Hunter? Or would you have preferred remaining on that island? Whether

ged him. "A report of an alien attack w

ivs can activate and transmit from the spacer is remote, and Rovald

es

o contradict? He had realized the folly of hi

. "You are Rynch Brodie, castaway from the Largo Drift, are you not? I trust that Out

eap into the dangerous truth he was

g indeed. If you are not

't have told Wass who he was, explain that

d had moved again to Hume, "perhaps you have

ng," he burst ou

emotion made Rynch

"Yes, Wass, your techs are not as good as they pretend to b

e other three men moved towards them. "You will escort this young man to the spacer, see him

folly of talking too freely. Why had he been so utterly stupid? Veeps of Wass' calibre did not swim through the murky channels of the Starfall, bu

l door opened and Vye crouched, his hand cupping the only possible weapon, the ration container. Hume edged through, sh

hy couldn't you have kept that swinging jaw of yours closed last night? No

as startled

ose civs-" His head snapped back, cheek to panel, he was listening again. After a long moment his whisper came once more. "I don't have time to repeat this. In about five minutes Peake'll b

no

how they worked on the island. When you get on the ramp beyond the atom lamp, throw this. It should hit the

es

e. With a camp force barrier on, any fugitiv

counted a slow five before he followed. The cabin across the corri

in regular pattern of sound. He earned another ration container and c

rusting arm, thumped between Peake's shoulders, sending him staggering into the prison compartment. Before

orn of necessity. Then he was in the air lock, getting his bearings. The flitter st

eating hand across his thigh. There had to b

to dazzle the men, he hurled it with all the force he could muster

e cabin compartment, scrambled into the cramped space behind the pilot's seat, leaving that free for Hume

abbed at the open cockpit, and slid in behind the controls. Hume pulled the levers with flying fingers. They

ter them-too slowly, too low. He heard Hume grunt,

hour at t

safar

es

was boring forwards on a projectil

" Vye suddenly

free from their fixed orbits? Flecks of light, mo

ve those wandering lights. But ahead on this new level mo

e," Hume muttered, mo

e propulsion unit faltered, broke into protesting coughs. Hume worked over the contro

g-deadi

ide circle, the purr smoothed out on

run t

nown alien power. As they had been herded along the river, so now they were being

me again he climbed higher-always to meet climbing, twisting, spurting lines of light

or that of the safari, Vye had no idea, and

signal-the automatic reply of the safari camp. His fingertip beat out in return the danger war

barrier up and the civs inside-anything else would be malicious neglect and a murder charge when the Guild check tape goes in. This call i

o the mountain

the country?" Vye persisted. Hume's

range twice.

as to be som

up during our survey." Hume's

you've dealt with ali

any planet with unknown intelligent life forms. Why should we court trouble-couldn't run a safar

thing landed her

corded. No such record appeared on the Guild screens. One small spacer-such as Wass'-could slip through by knowing procedure-just as he did. Bu

t answered on th

n-off," he

ome cliff face anyway. Which was only sma

as the automatic control triggered by the warn-off came into command. Hume's hands were still on the board, b

assengers, had ruled that move best. The directive would glide the flitter to the best available

it," Hume

o now?" Vye w

ai

! For

anet-time watch in th

es here at the same time it does in the plains.

, was an ordeal Vye found increasingly harder to bear. Maybe Hume guessed his discomfort, maybe he was following routine