PLAGUE!
Jellico and Steen Wilcox over the notes Tau had he was stricken. But the Medic had nothing to that Sinbad was the of any disease. Meanwhile the Captain gave orders for the cat to be confined. A difficult task—since Sinbad close to the door of the and was to out when food was taken in for him. Once he got a good way the Dane was able to and return him to keeping.
Dane, Ali and Weeks took on the full of the four men, the regular of the ship to the senior officers, while Rip was in of the garden.
Mura, the to be taken ill, no change. He was semi-conscious, he food if it were put in his mouth, he to nothing around him. And Kosti, Tau, and Van Rycke the same pattern. They still of those on their for of a new outbreak, but when no one else the next two days, they a of hope.
Hope which was out when Ali the news that Stotz not be and must have taken a sleep period. One more patient was added to the list—and nothing learned about how he was infected. Except that they Sinbad, since the cat had been in the time Stotz had the disease.
Weeks, Ali and Dane, though they were in with the men, and though Dane had Sinbad, to be immune. A fact, Dane more than once, which must have significance—if someone with Tau's medical knowledge had been able to study it. By all they should be the most susceptible—but the opposite true. And Wilcox noted that among the data they had recorded.
It a of each other, waiting for another collapse. And they were not when Tang Ya into the mess, his and with pain. Rip and Dane got him to his he out. But all they learn from him the he was that his was and he couldn't it. Over his they at one another bleakly.
"Six down," Ali observed, "and six to go. How do you feel?"
"Tired, that's all. What I don't is that once they go into this they just stay. They don't any worse, they have no in temperature—it's as if they are in a of cold sleep!"
"How is Tang?" Rip asked from the corridor.
"Usual pattern," Ali answered, "He's sleeping. Got a pain, Fella?"
Rip his head. "Right as a Com-unit. I don't it. Why it Tang who didn't much—and yet you keep on—?"
Dane grimaced. "If we had an answer to that, maybe we'd know what the whole thing—"
Ali's narrowed. He was at the Com-tech as if he did not see that at all. "I wonder if we've been salted—" he said slowly.
"We've been what?" Dane demanded.
"Look here, we three—with Weeks—drank that of the Salariki, didn't we? And we—"
"Were as as Venusian afterwards," Rip.
Light dawned. "Do you mean—" Dane.
"So that's it!" Rip.
"It might just be," Ali said. "Do you how the on Camblyne their Terran through the year? They them salt mixed with grass. The result was that the didn't take the when they them out to in the season. All right, maybe we had our 'salt' in that drink. The fansel-salt makes the when it's their throats, but after they they're to the fever. And nobody on Camblyne now."
"It logical," Rip. "But how are we going to prove it?"
Ali's was black once more. "Probably by elimination," he said morosely. "If we keep our and all the go down—that's our proof."
"But we ought to be able to do something—" Shannon.
"Just how?" Ali's arched. "Do you have a of that Salariki on you can out? We don't know what was in it. Nor are we sure that this whole idea has any value."
All of them had had and medicine as part of their training, but the more laboratory was their knowledge and skill. Had Tau still been on his he have that lead and order out of the which was in upon the Solar Queen. But, though they reported their to the Captain, Jellico was powerless to do anything about it. If the four who had that cup were to the which now the ship, there was no possible way for them to why or how.
Ship's time came to have little meaning. And they were not when Steen Wilcox from his seat the computer—to be away with what had a familiar procedure. Only Jellico the from the four, taking his turn at for the men. There was no in their condition. They neither as the hours and then the days by. But each of those of time in them nearer to danger. Sooner or later they must make the out of Hyper into space, and the jump out of was something not a took lightly. Rip's while they watched. Jellico was still functioning. But if the Captain the whole for the snap-out would directly on Shannon. An error would them to almost wandering—perhaps for ever.
Dane and Ali Rip of all but that which him in Wilcox's chair the computers. He over and over the data of the the Astrogator had set. And Captain Jellico, his in dark pits, and rechecked.
When the moment came Ali the engine room with Weeks at his to the the acting-Engineer not reach. And Dane, having the all safely in crash webbing, came up to the cabin, out the transfer in Tang Ya's place.
Rip's voice into a croak, calling out the data. Dane, though he had had theory, was Shannon had the set of co-ordinates. But Jellico replied, hands playing across the pilot's board.
"Stand-by for snap-out—" the to the where Ali now Stotz's post.
"Engines ready!" The voice came back, by its from the Queen's interior.
"Ought-five-nine—" That was Jellico.
Dane himself unable to watch. He his and himself against the of snap-out. It came and he through space. Then he was in the Com-tech's seat looking at Rip.
Runnels of Shannon's face. There was a his his blades, a which it would take of Dane's hands to cover.
For a moment he did not his to look at the plate which would tell him or not they had it. But when he did familiar the patterns they knew. They were out—and they couldn't be too off the Wilcox had plotted. There was still the to make—but snap-out was them. Rip gave a and his in his hands.
With a of Dane his safety and over to him. When he at Shannon's the Astrogator-apprentice's rolled limply. Was Rip with the too? But the other and opened his eyes.
"Does your ache?" Dane him.
"Head? No—" Rip's came drowsily. "Jus' sleepy—so sleepy—"
He did not to be in pain. But Dane's hands were as he the other out of his seat and carried-half him to his cabin, praying as he that it was only and not the disease. The ship was on now until Jellico as pilot set a course—
Dane got Rip on the and off his tunic. The fine-drawn of the looked against the rest, and he into the like a child as he over and up. But his skin was clear—it was sleep and not the which had him.
Impulse sent Dane to the cabin. He was not an pilot officer, but there might be some he offer the Captain now that Rip was out, for hours.
Jellico the smaller computer, pilot tape into its slot. His was a under a thin of skin, the marking it at jaw, nose and socket.
"Shannon down?" His voice was a of its powerful self, he did not turn his head.
"He's just out, sir," Dane to give reassurance. "The marks aren't on him."
"When he comes around tell him the co-ords are in," Jellico murmured. "See he in ten hours—"
"But, sir—" Dane's failed as he the Captain to his feet, himself up with hands. As Thorson to the other, one of those hands at collar, the sealing—
There was no need for explanation—the red from Jellico's throat. He his feet, out against the of pain by will power. Then Dane had a on him, got him away from the computer, he keep him going until they Jellico's cabin.
Somehow they that journey, being with from the Hoobat. Furiously Dane the cage, setting it to and so the which at him with round, as he got the Captain to bed.
Only four of them on their now, Dane as he left the cabin. If Rip came out of it in time they land—Dane's as he himself up to the that Shannon might be ill, that it might be up to him to the Queen in for a landing. And in where? The Terra was Luna City on the Moon. But let them for a set-down there—let them what had and they might death as a ship.
Wearily he to the to Weeks and Ali there him. They did not look up as he entered.
"Old Man's got it," he reported.
"Rip?" was Ali's question.
"Asleep. He passed out—"
"What!" Weeks around.
"Worn out," Dane amended. "Captain in a pilot tape he gave up."
"So—now we are three," was Ali's comment. "Where do we set down—Luna City?"
"If they let us," Dane at the worst.
"But they've got to let us!" Weeks exclaimed. "We can't just around out here—"
"It's been done," Ali them and that Weeks.
"Did the Old Man set Luna?" After a long pause Ali inquired.
"I didn't check," Dane confessed. "He was out and I had to him to his bunk."
"It might be well to know." The Engineer-apprentice got up, his movements much of the which was his. When he to the others him.
Ali's played across a set of keys and in the small screen on the computer a set of appeared. Dane took up the master book, read the and blinked.
"Not Luna?" Ali asked.
"No. But I don't understand. This must be for in the belt."
Ali's into a of a smile. "Good for the Old Man, he still had his about him, after the him!"
"But why are we going to the asteroids?" Weeks asked enough. "There're Medics at Luna City—they can help us—"
"They can diseases," Ali pointed out. "But what of the Code?"
Weeks into the Com-tech's place as if some of the had from his thin but legs. "They wouldn't do that—" he protested, but his said that he that they might—they well might.
"Oh, no? Face the facts, man," Ali almost savage. "We come from a planet, we're a ship—"
He did not have to that. They all too well the in which they now stood.
"Nobody's died yet," Weeks to an opening in the being about them.
"And nobody's recovered," Ali that of hope. "We don't know what it is, how it is contracted—anything about it. Let us make a report saying that and you know what will happen—don't you?"
They weren't sure of the details, but they guess.
"So I say," Ali continued, "the Old Man was right when he set us on an course. If we can out until we know what is the we'll have some of talking over the high at Luna when we do planet—"
In the end they not to with the the Captain had set. It would take them into the of civilization, but give them a at their problem they had to report to the authorities. In the meantime they their charges, let Rip sleep, and each other with but intentness, for another to be stricken. However, they remained, although almost with at times, healthy. Time was that their had been correct—they had been somehow against the or which had the ship.
Rip slept for twenty-four hours, ship time, and then came into the hungry, to catch up on food and news. And he to join with the view of the future. Instead he was sure that their own having been proven, they had a talking point to use with the medical officials at Luna and he was to directly for the station. Only the of the other three him, unwillingly, agree to a delay.
And how they should be for Captain Jellico's they learned the next day. Ali was at the com-unit, trying to up Solarian news reports. When the red on the ship it the others to the cabin. The were as Ali on the full strength, to be as he pressed a second button.
"Repeat, repeat, repeat. Free Trader, Solar Queen, Terra Registry 65-724910-Jk, ship—took off from planet. Warn off—warn off—report such ship to Luna Station. Solar Queen from planet—to be off and reported." The same message was three times going off ether.
The four in the looked at each other blankly.
"But," Dane the silence, "how did they know? We haven't reported in—"
"The Eysies!" Ali had the answer ready. "That I-S ship must be having the same of trouble and reported to her Company. They would us in their report and that we were too—or it would be easy to the that we were."
"I wonder," Rip's were as he against the wall. "Look at the facts. The Survey ship which Sargol—they were dirt-side there about three-four months. Yet they gave it a clean bill of health and put it up for auction. Then Cam those rights—he at least two in and out he was on Limbo. No him or Survey—"
"But you've got to admit it us," Weeks protested.
"Yes, and the Eysie ship was able to it—report us we out of Hyper. Sounds almost as if they us to plague, doesn't it?" Shannon wanted to know.
"Planted?" Ali at the banks of controls. "But how—no Eysie came on board—no Salarik either, for the who us what they of catnip."
Rip shrugged. "How would I know how they did—" he was when Dane cut in:
"If they didn't know about our the Queen might in Hyper and come out—there wouldn't be anyone to set the snap-out."
"Right enough. But on the that somebody did keep on his and her home, they were with a cover. If no one a Sargol will be off the as infected, I-S on her a year or so and then she an the Board. The Survey records are out—no recorded. So they send in a Patrol Probe. Everything is all right—so it wasn't the after all—it was that dirty old Free Trader. And she's out of the way. I-S the Koros all square and legal and we're no longer around to worry about! Neat as a Salariki net-cast—and right around our throats, my friends!"
"So what do we do now?" Weeks wanted to know.
"We keep on the Old Man's course, in the until we can do some and see a way out. But if I-S gave us this prize package, some of its is still aboard. And if we can that—why, then we have something to start from."
"Mura first—and then Karl. Nothing in common," the old problem Dane for the hundredth time.
"No. But," Ali from his place at the com-unit. "I'd a search of Frank's and then Karl's quarters. A regular turn out to the of their cabins. Are you with me?"
"Fly boy, we're ahead of you!" Rip contributed, already at the door panel. "Down to the it is."
