"It's my own ship-or, anyhow, my father's. And I'll thank you to call me Captain Burke, not 'Stinky.' "
"Okay, Captain Stinky."
"But how did he get here?" Matt wanted to know, still trying to catch up.
"He's just explained that," said Tex. "He's the guy that yelled for help. But what beats me is that it should happen to be us-it's like dealing out a bridge hand and getting thirteen spades."
"Oh, I don't know," objected Oscar. "It's a coincidence, but not a very startling one. He's a spaceman, he hollers for help, and naturally the Patrol responds. It happened to be us. It's about as likely, or as unlikely, as running across your piano teacher on the downtown streets of your home town."
"I don't have a piano teacher," objected Tex.
"Skip it. Neither do I. Now I think-"
"Wait a minute," broke in Burke, "do I gather that you were sent here, in answer to my message?"
"Certainly."
"Well, thank heaven for that-even if you guys were stupid enough to stumble right into it. Now tell me-how many are there in the expedition and how are they equipped? This is going to be a tough nut to crack."
"Huh? What are you talking about, Stinky? This is the expedition, right in front of you."
"What? This is no time to joke. I sent for a regiment of marines, equipped for amphibious operations."
"Maybe you did, but this is what you got-total. Lieutenant Thurlow is in command, but he got a crack on the skull so I'm temporarily filling in for him. You can talk to me-what's the situation?"
Burke seemed dazed by the knowledge. He stared without speaking. Oscar went on, "Snap out of it, Stinky. Give us the data, so we can work out an operation plan."
"Huh? Oh, it's no use. It's utterly hopeless." "What's so hopeless? The natives seem friendly, on the whole. Tell us what the difficulty was, so we can work it out with them."
"Friendly!" Burke gave a bitter laugh. "They killed all J of my men. They're going to kill me. And they'll kill you." |
XV PIE WITH A FORK
"OKAY," agreed Oscar. "Now that that's settled, I still want to know the score. Suppose you pull yourself together, -Burke, and tell us what happened?"
The merchant rocketship Gary, built by "Reactors Ltd." and transferred to the family corporation "System Enterprises," was a winged rocket especially fitted for point-to-point operations on Venus. The elder Mr. Burke had placed his son in command, backing him up with an experienced crew; the purpose of the trip was to investigate a tip concerning ores of the trans-uranic elements.
The tip had been good; the ores were present in abundance. Young Burke had then undertaken to negotiate exploitation rights with the local Venerian authorities in order to hold the valuable claim against other exploiters who were sure to follow.
He had not been able to interest the local "mother of many" in his wishes; the swamp he wanted, she gave Burke to understand, was tabu. However, he was able to intrigue her into visiting the Gary. Once aboard the ship he again! tried to get her to change her mind. When she turned him' down again he had refused to allow her to leave the rocket ship.
"You mean you kidnapped her," said Matt.
"Nothing of the sort. She came aboard of her own free will. I just didn't get up and open the door for her and went on arguing."
"Oh, yeah?" commented Oscar. "How long did this go on?"
"Not very long."
"Exactly how long? You might as well tell me; I'll find out from the natives."
"Oh, well! Overnight-what's so criminal about that?"
"I don't know just how criminal it is here. On Mars, as I learned in school and as I'm sure you did too, the punishment would be to stake you out on the desert, unprotected, for exactly the same length of time."
"Hell's hells-I didn't hurt her. I'm not that silly. I wanted her co-operation."
"So you twisted her arm to get it. You held her prisoner, in effect kidnapped her by enticement and held her for ransom. Okay-you kept her overnight. What happened when you let her go?"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you. I never got a chance to turn her loose. I was going to, of course, but-"
"Sez you!"
"Don't get sarcastic. The next morning they attacked the ship. There must have been thousands of the beasts."
"So you turned her loose?"
"I was afraid to. I figured as long as we held her nothing much could happen to us. But I was wrong-they poured something on the door that ate it right away and they were in the ship before we could stop them. They killed my crew, just overran them-but we must have gotten at least twice as many of them, the brutes!"
"How come you're still breathing?"
"I locked myself in the com room and sent out the call for help that got you here. They didn't find me there until they went through the ship, compartment by compartment. I must have passed out from the fumes when they melted their way in-anyhow I woke up while they were bringing me here."
"I see." Oscar sat a while and thought, his knees pulled up under his chin. "This is your first time on Venus, Stinky?"
"Well, yes."
"I thought so. It's apparent that you didn't know just how stubborn and difficult the Little People can be if you start pushing them around."
Burke looked wry. "I know now. That's why I distinctly called for a regiment of marines. I can't imagine what the Department was thinking about, to send three cadets and a watch officer. Of all the brass-hatted stupidity! My old man will raise plenty of Cain about it when I get back."
Tex gave a snort of disgust. "Did you think the Patrol was invented to keep a jughead like you from having to pay for his fun?"
"Why, you-"
"Quiet, Burke. And never mind the side remarks, Tex. This is an investigation, not a debate. You know the Patrol never sends marines until they've tried negotiation, Burke."
"Sure, that's why I specified marines. I wanted them to cut the red tape and get some action."
"You were kidding yourself. And there's no point in talking about what you'll do when you get back. We don't know yet that we can get back."
"That's true." Burke chewed his lip and thought about it. "Look here, Jensen, you and I were never very chummy in school, but that's unimportant now; we're in the same boat and we've got to stick together. I've got a proposition. You know these frogs better than I do-"
"People, not 'frogs.'"
"Okay, you know the natives. If you can manage to square this and get me out of here, I can cut you in on-"
"Careful there, Burke!"
"Don't get on your high horse. Just hear me out, will you? Just listen. Do I have free speech or don't I?"
"Let him talk, Oz," advised Tex. "I like to watch his tonsils." :
Oscar held his tongue, Burke went on, "I wasn't going to suggest anything that would smirch your alabaster character. After all, you're here to get me out of this; it's my business if I want to offer a reward. Now this swamp we staked out is loaded with the stuff-trans-uranics, all the way from element 97 through 104. I don't have to tell you what that means-101 and 103 for jet-lining alloys; 100 for cancer therapy-not to mention the catalyzing uses. Why, there's millions in catalysts alone. I'm no hog; I'll cut you all in ... say for ten per cent apiece."
"Is that all you have to say?"
"Not quite. If you can work it so that they'll let us go and leave us alone while we jury-rig some repairs on the Gary so that we can get away with a load this trip, I'll make it twenty per cent. You'll like the Gary; she's the sweetest job in the System. But if that won't work and you can get me back in your ship it's still worth ten per cent."
"Are you through?"
"Yes."
"I can answer for all of us. If I didn't consider the source, I'd be insulted."
"Fifteen per cent. There's no need to get shirty; after all, it's absolutely free just for doing what you were ordered down here to do anyhow."