This World Is Taboo

overdrive. They'd come from Weald in the cargo holds of the liners now transformed into fighting ships. The scouts swept low, transmitting fine-screen images back

and industrial centers were wholly open to inspection from the sky. It looked as if the scouts hunted most busily for the fleet of for

e was no sign of military preparedness against their coming. The huge ships of the main fleet waited while the scouts reported monotonously that they saw no sign of the stolen fleet. But t

sion-bombs certain to be involved in any actual conflict, there was something like an embarrassed pause. The Wealdian ships were ready to bomb. Th

or thousands, or even tens of thousands of miles away. It could cover the world of Dara with mushroom clouds springing up and spreading to make a continuous pall of atomic-fusion products. And

n destructiveness. It found no capacit

It was a fleet of thirty-seven giant ships. They carried such-and-such bombs in such-and-such quantities. Unless its orders were countermanded, it would deliver those bombs on We

war. Neither planet could trust the other, even for minutes. If they did not destroy each other simultaneously, as now was possible, each would expect the o

bombardment if Weald would accept payment of the grain ships and their cargos. It would pay in ingots

erhaps in some sense through its fault. It would pay. But if it were bombed, Weald

d then betray Dara. But it was Calhoun's idea. It seemed plausible to the admirals of Weal

There was almost revolution to insist upon resistance, however hopeless and however fatal. But not all of Dara

d staff. A monster ship of Weald came heavily down, riding the landing-grid's force-fields. It touched gently. Its occupants were apprehensive, but hungry for the loot t

gested, which had been painstakingly tested, and which were perfect protection against contag

turn to their ships they would simply stand in the airlocks while corrosive gases swirled around them, killing any possible organism of disease. Then, for extra assurance, when

, if necessary. Gems could be sterilized. It was a most satisfactory discovery, to realize that blueskins could be

of Dara weren't blueskins any longe

rs away. For the first time in history the operators of a landing-grid wore make-up to look like they did have blue pigment in their ski

cious metals, brought in readiness to be surrendered and carried away. Some men set to work t

lenly away from them. They entered shops and took what t

ed themselves to be robbed. They kept out of the way. It had been observed that the population was streaming out of the city, fleeing because th

e ships in space for those upon the ground. The first-landed ships had had their choice of loot. There were squabblings about priorities, now that the navy of Weald plainly had a lic

back with loot found their ships already lifted off to make room for others. They were pushed into re-embarking-parties of other s

until all its crew returned. There were too many other ships' companies clamoring for their turn to l

ul government of Dara broadcast a new message to the invaders. It requested that the looting stop.

the Darian fleet away from Weald, had been sent off long since. No other ship could get away now! The Darian

ndid control where a landing force occupied the grid and all the ground immediately about it. The space admiral had headquarters in the landing-gr

yells. There were screamings. Intelligible communications ceased. Ships plunged crazily this wa

st of the fleet went through a period of hysterical madness. In some ships it lasted for minutes onl

urgatroyd riding on his shoulder. A bew

ame is Calhoun and I'm Med Service, and I think I met the

protested the officer.

t. I want to explain it to the admiral. He needs to know

around the airlocks of ships on the grid tarmac, waiting their turns to stand in corrosive gases for the decontamination of their suits, when they wou

, very ominous. There was strident argument. Pre

alhoun pleasantly. "The situation has

o layers of plastic, which covered h

ck!" he

ng or other has made the blue patches on the skins of Darians fade out. The

ral. "And what has that got

they've been mixing with your men, wearing sag-suits exactly like the one you're wearing now. They've been going aboard your ships in the confusion of

red. Then his f

ly, "if you believe its crews have been exposed to carriers

through stiff l

leased panic gas. They only needed tiny, pocket-sized containers of the gas for the job. They had them. They

hanged. Darians have barricaded themselves in the control rooms of most if not all your ships. You haven't go

better have your fleet medical officers come and learn some of the facts of

n air from tanks. It would last so long only. If they were taken on board the still obedient ships overhead, Darians would unquestionably be mixed with them. There w

al thickly. "I do not know what you devils

e principles of planetary health practises to be explained, and a certain amount of prejudice that has to be thrown

elt that it was time to take part in t

do want to get the job done

t and the health officials of Dara. He had to make explanations, and correct misapprehensions, and delicately suggest such biological exper

rather condescendingly demonstrated that the former blue pigmentation was a viral product quite unc

onderful, even if she had to give him the material for his work. He agreed wi

join Dara in isolation from neighboring worlds. A messenger ship had to recall the twenty-seven ships once floating in orbit about Weald. Most of them would be used for some time, to bring

n then there were matters to be attended to. All the food-supplies that had been removed co

when he was almost ready to lea

meet Korvan," she

e will be a most prominent citizen, i

iled ver

don't adm

un. "After all, he is desirable to you

l. "Just as I didn't try to

ould have faced the fact that a man did not feel impelled to make passes at her. It

him," he said. "I hop

doubt he'll ever look at another woman. He looks f

done. The Med Service in this sector has been badly handled. There are a number of discoveries that need to be made. I do

opped hints about the way the blueskin marki

dded. He f

er, Maril, we'd be a team! Too bad! These ar

her hand

and he'll be a great man." Then she added defensively, "But I don't think he'l

, "the most remarkable i

t she wiped her eyes when

t of those he was to visit. After this one more he'd return to sector headquar

coming, M

and a faint, faint, almost unbearable series of background s

ive and Calhoun guided it to a round and sunlit wo

wenty reporting arrival and asking coordinates for landing. Purpose of l

any, many thousands of miles. Then the speaker sa

bright eyes. Perhaps he hoped to be allowed to have a

ion about your identity or purpose in landing will be severely punished. We

id Calhoun. "Give m

ly pained. The Med Ship drove on, in solar sy

un si

Murgatroyd! Her

DES THE

zation that every one of the hundreds of inhabited planets respected. So when thei

net Weald, he was vaguely aware of the risks. But the crisis came home

Red alert! Death to blueskins!" Suc

he cosmic jitters that only the most

cience adventures back in the early twenties before there ever was such a thing as an all-fantasy magazine. His short stories, novelettes, and serial novels have appeared in most of the major American magazines,

novels: CITY ON THE MOON (D-277), THE PIRATES OF ZAN and T

checklist of re

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