MEDIC HOVAN REPORTS
Fortunately the path out of the town was a one and in a very space they were from view. Dane paused as if the was too much for an man. The Medic put out a hand, only to it when he saw the which had appeared in Dane's grip.
"What—?" His mouth shut, his tightened.
"You will ahead of me," Dane's low voice was steady. "Beyond that to the left you'll a place where it is possible to climb to sea level. Do it!"
"I I shouldn't ask why?"
"Not now. We haven't much time. Get moving!"
The Medic his and without orders. It was only when they were by the and he saw the that his and he said:
"The Big Burn!"
"Yes, and I'm desperate—"
"You must be—or mad—" The Medic at Dane for a long moment and then his head. "What is it? A ship?"
Dane his lip. The other was too astute. But he did not ask why or how he had been able to so shrewdly. Instead he to the Ali had the seat in the flitter. "Get into that and be quick about it!"
The Medic his hand across his jaw. "I think that you might just be to use that thing you're about so if I don't," he in a tone.
"I won't kill. But a burn—"
"Can be painful. Yes, I know that, man. And," he shrugged, put his and started the suit. "I wouldn't put it past you to me out and me if I did say no. All right—"
Suited, he took his place on the seat as Dane directed, and then the Trader the additional of the Medic's metal arms to his he into his own covering. Now they only by through the plates of their helmets.
Dane the and they out of the and just as a party of two men and a boy came along the top of the cliff—Jorge and the too late. The up into the and Dane how long it would be this was reported to the nearest Plant Police base. But would any Police have the to him into the Big Burn? He that the would them back.
There was no to be done. The flitter's "memory" should deposit them at the Queen. Dane at what his was now thinking. The Medic had his with such that the very of their to Dane. Was the other a trailer? Had into the Big Burn from the villages been more than reported officially?
He up the power of the to the top and saw with some that the ground them was now the waste the area. The metal that his seat had not moved, but now the as if the Medic were upon the ground them.
The of the and Dane that would them still air borne. But so he had not been aware of any pursuit. Again he he had the use of a com—only here the would with that roar.
Patches of the now and something in the lines of the Medic's that these were new to him. Afternoon as the united, spread into the of the as the was once more an almost light. When closed in they were not in darkness—for trees, vines, brush, had a pale, of their own, their with halos. Sometimes pockets of these a of light which pulsed, sending at the which across it.
The hour was close on midnight Dane the other light, the pink-red of which through the blue-white with a natural and promise, though it had been meant for an different purpose. The Queen had with her lights on and no one had to them off. Now they as a to the to its berth.
Dane the on the ground as close to the spot from which he had taken off as he remember. Now—if those on the would only move fast enough—!
But he need not have worried, his had been anticipated. Above, the of the as the opened. Lines to their magnetic on the flitter. Then once more they were air borne, up to be into the of the ship. As the port of the closed Dane over and the which his companion. The Medic up, a little as might any man who space the time.
The now opened and Dane his into the small which must them as a space. Free at last of the suits, they through one more to the main of the Queen where Rip and Ali waiting, their as they saw the Medic.
It was the who spoke first. "This is a ship—"
Rip his head. "It is not, sir. And you're the one who is going to help us prove that."
The man against the wall, his expressionless. "You take a way of trying to help."
"It was the only way left us. I'll be frank," Rip continued, "we're Patrol Posted."
The Medic's from one to the next. "You don't look like criminals," was his comment. "This your full crew?"
"All the are your concern. That is—if you will take the job—" Rip's a little.
"You haven't left me much choice, have you? If there is on board, I'm under the Oath—whether you are Patrol Posted or not. What's the trouble?"
They got him to Tau's laboratory and told him their story. From a his to an and he to see, the and then the now in a freeze. Sometime in the middle of this, Dane, overcome by which was from tension, his and the from which he Sinbad, only to have the cat once more when he had down.
And when he awoke, in and spirit, it was in a new Queen, a ship in which and now ruled.
"Hovan's already got it!" Rip told him exultantly. "It's that from the little devils' right enough! A narcotic—produces some of the of sleep. In fact—it may have a medical use. He's about it—"
"All right," Dane which under other circumstances, promising as it did a for trade, would have him, to ask a question which at the moment more to the point. "Can he our men on their feet?"
A little of Rip's faded. "Not right away. He's them all shots. But he thinks they'll have to sleep it off."
"And we have no idea how long that is going to take," Ali contributed.
Time—for the time in days Dane was by that—time! Because of his a he had in the past of worry now came to mind—their with the priests. Even if they were able to clear themselves of the charge, if the of the were to health, he was sure that they not to return to Sargol with the promised cargo, the pay for which was already on the Queen. They would have their and there be no of to their on that world—if they were not for into the bargain. I-S would be able to move in and clean up and they prove that the Company was their misfortunes—though the men of the Queen would always be that that was the truth.
"We're going to contract—" he said and that the other two, some of their out of them.
"How about that?" Rip asked Ali.
The acting-engineer nodded. "We have fuel to from here and maybe set at Terraport—if we take it and cut vectors. We can't from there without refueling—and of the Patrol are going to on their hands while we do that—with us Posted! No, put out of your any plan for to Sargol the time limit. Thorson's right—that way we're out!"
Rip in his seat. "So the Eysies can take over after all?"
"As I see it," Dane cut in, "let's just take one thing at a time. We may have to argue a out the Board. But we have to off the Posted with the Patrol. Have you any idea about how we are going to that?"
"Hovan's on our side. In if we let him have the to play with he'll us all the way. He can us a clean bill of health the Medic Control Center."
"How much will that count after we've all their regs?" Ali wanted to know. "If we now we're not going to have much chance, no what Hovan or not to. Hovan's a Medic—I won't say that he's not a in good of their association—but he doesn't have top star rating. And with the Eysies and the Patrol on our necks, we'll need more than one medic's word—"
But Rip looked from the Kamil to Dane. Now he asked a question which was more than statement.
"You've of something?"
"I've something," the Cargo-apprentice corrected. "Recall the Van on Limbo when the Patrol was trying to us out of our there after they took over the hold?"
Ali was impatient. "He to talk to the Video people and broadcast—tell about the ships by the Forerunner and left about full of treasure. But what has that to do with us now—? We away our on Limbo for the of Cam's on Sargol—not that it's done us much good—"
"The Video," Dane on the point, "Van which would the Patrol and he was legally his rights. We're the law now—but might help again. How many earth-side people know of the law about open on ships? How many who aren't know that we be legally pushed into the sun and without any to prove we're of a new disease? If we talk loud and clear to the people at large maybe we'd have a for a hearing—"
"Right from the Terraport station, I suppose?" Ali taunted.
"Why not?"
There was in the as the other two upon that and he it again:
"We set here when it had been done before."
With one Rip some pattern only to himself on the top of the table. Ali at the opposite as if it were a bank of he must master.
"It just might be to work—" Kamil softly. "Or maybe we've been too long and the Whisperers have been into our ears. What about it, Rip, you set us close to Center Block there?"
"We can try anything once. But we might crash the old girl her in. There's that the Companies' Launching and the Center—. It's clear there and we give an E which would make them of it. But I won't try it as a last resort."
Dane noticed that after that Rip for Jellico's record and out the one which with Terraport and the landing for that of the star ships. To land there would them publicity—and to the Video and tell their would them not only world wide, but wide hearing. News from Terraport was on every every hour of the day and night and not a single miss their appeal.
But there was Hovan to be consulted. Would he be to them with his professional knowledge and assurance? Or would their high-handed method of his services against them now? They to let Rip ask such questions of the Medic.
"So you're going to set us in the center of the big jump-off?" was his comment, as the acting-Captain of the Queen their case. "Then you want me to fire my to you are harmless. You don't ask for very much, do you, son?"
Rip spread his hands. "I can how it looks to you, sir. We you and you here by force. We can't make you for us if you decide not to—"
"Can't you?" The Medic an at him. "What about this boy of yours with his little blaster? He me right up to the telecast, couldn't he? There's a of in one of those little arms. On the other hand, I've a son who's set on taking out on one of these to go star hunting. If I you over to the Patrol he might make some to me in private. You may be Posted, but you don't look like very to me. It that you've been a and it as best you know. And I'm to along the of the way on your blast. Let me see how many pieces you land us in at Terraport and I'll give you my final answer. If luck we may have a more of your present by that time, also—"
They had had no that the Queen had been located, that any the Medic had them into the Big Burn. And they only that they would continue to as they upped-ship once more and into a regular traffic for at the port. It would be a thing and Ali and Rip hours the of that flight, while Dane and the Weeks with Hovan in an to the sleeping crew.
After three visits to the and the that the Hoobat had no more of the pests, Dane the angry and returned it to its in Jellico's cabin, that the ship was clean for Sinbad now the and into every of space Dane opened for him.
And on the of the day they had planned for take-off, Hovan at last had a response to his treatment. Craig Tau roused, around, and asked a question. The he once more into semi-coma did not the other Medic. Progress had been and he was now sure that he the proper treatment.
They at zero hour and out of the green they had not to explore, into the of the sky, upon Rip's knowledge to put them safely again.
Dane once more out the take-off at the com-unit, waiting for the blast of to so that he catch any broadcast.
"—turned last night. The high level of makes it almost that the not have into the portion. Search is now north. Authorities are to that this last may be a to the 'Solar Queen,' a ship, off and Patrol Posted after her an E-Stat to the Inter-Solar Corporation. Anyone having any this ship—or any spacer—report at once to the nearest Terrapolice or Patrol station. Do not take chances—report any at once to the nearest Terrapolice or Patrol station!"
"That's it strongly," Dane as he the message. "Good as orders for us to be at sight—"
"Well, if we set in the right spot," Rip replied, "they can't us out without the larger part of Terraport with us. And I don't think they are going to do that in a hurry."
Dane Shannon was in that belief. It would be more than landing at the E-Stat or in the Big Burn—to it just right and put them on the Terraport where they not be out without too much, where their very position would give them a point, was going to be a top star job. If Rip only it off!
He not the of that flight, he did not all Rip was doing. But he did know to in his place, ask no questions, and results with a mouth and a heart. There came a moment when Rip up at him, one hand over the board. The pilot's voice came tersely, thin and queer:
"Pray it out, Dane—here we go!"
Dane the of a beam, so he had to move his earphones. They must be almost on top of the tower to it like that! Rip was on a set where the Queen would neatly. He his own on the E-E-Red to give the last and most powerful warning. That, to be used only when a ship landing was out of control, should clear the ground below. They only pray it would the port they were still from seeing.
"Make it a fin-point, Rip," he couldn't that one of advice. And was he had it when he saw a for a moment at Rip's full lips.
"Good for a check-ride?"
They were her as they would on a world. Below the port must be wild. Dane off the seconds. Two—three—four—five—just a more and they would be too low to intercept—without and groundhuggers. When the last minute which they were still passed, he gave a of relief. That was one more point on their side. In the was a of questions, a of orders at him. Let them rave, they'd know soon what it was all about.
