IN CUSTODY
"To those of you who do not travel the star our case may puzzling—" the were easily. Dane as he spoke, on making those others out there know what it meant to be outlawed.
"We are Patrol Posted, as a ship," he frankly. "But this is our true story—"
Swiftly, with a of language he had not he command, Dane into the of Sargol, of the they had away from that world. And at the proper moment he a hand into the and out the thing which with its talons, it above the dark table so that those the of color which it such a menace. Dane the of the Queen's ill-fated voyage—of their upon the E-Stat.
"Ask the truth of Inter-Solar," he of the audience those walls. "We were no pirates. They will in their records the we left." Then Dane the when, by the Hoobat, they had and the menace, and their landing in the of the Big Burn. He that with his own for medical aid, the of Hovan. At that point he to the Medic.
"This is Medic Hovan. He has to appear in our and to to the truth—that the Solar Queen has not been by some unknown plague, but with a we now have under control—" For a second or two he if Hovan was going to make it. The man looked and sick, as if the they had him to had left him too to himself together.
But out of some of the Medic the energy he needed. And his was all they had it would be. Though now and then he into terms. But, Dane thought, their use only the authority of his of what he had on the and what he had done to the power of the poison. When he had done Dane added a last words.
"We have the law," he forthrightly, "but we were in self-defense. All we ask now is the of an investigation, a to ourselves—such as any of you take for on Terra—before the of this planet—" But he was not to without interruption.
From the play-back over their another voice blared, across his last words:
"Surrender! This is the Patrol. Surrender or take the consequences!" And that which their open with the world was cut off. The Com-tech away from the board, a on his face.
"They've the and cut you off. You're done!"
Dane into the where the now almost thing sat together. He had done his best—they had all done their best. He nothing but a fatigue, an weariness, not so much of body, but of nerve and too.
Rip the with a question at the tech. "Can you below?"
"Going to give up?" The brightened. "Yes, there's an inter-com I can cut in."
Rip up. He the about his and it on the table—disarming himself. Without Ali and Dane his example. They had played their hand—to the would nothing. The acting Captain of the Queen gave a last order:
"Tell them we are unarmed—to surrender." He paused in of Hovan. "You'd here. If there's any trouble—no for you to be in the middle."
Hovan as the three left the room. Dane, the he had with the riser, a comment:
"We may be here—"
Ali shrugged. "Then we can just wait and let them us." He yawned, his dark set in smudges. "I don't if they'll just let us sleep the clock around afterwards. D'you think," he Rip, "that we've done ourselves any good?"
Rip neither confirmed. "We took our only chance. Now it's up to them—" He pointed to the and the world which it.
Ali wryly. "I note you left the what-you-call-it with Hovan."
"He wanted one to with," Dane replied. "I he'd it."
"And now here comes what we've earned—" Rip cut in as the of the came to their ears.
"Should we take to cover?" Ali's his demand. "The of law and order may with blazing."
But Rip did not move. He the door and, by something in that of his, the other two in on either so that they the as a group. Whatever came now, the Queen's men would meet it together.
In a way Ali was right. The four men who all had their or stun-rifles at ready, and the of those were at the of the Free Traders. As Dane's empty hands, out, up on a line with his shoulders, he the opposition. Two were in the and black of the Patrol, two the green of the Terrapolice. But they all looked like men with it was not to play games.
And it was clear they were prepared to take no with the outlaws. In of the of the Queen's men, their hands were locked them with about their wrists. When a quick search that the three were unarmed, they were onto the by two of their captors, while the other pair behind, to any they had done to the Tower installations.
The police did not speak for a among themselves and a order to march, delivered to the prisoners. Very they were in the entrance the of the and doors through which a had been burned. Ali viewed the with his detachment.
"Nice job," he Dane's enterprise. "They'll have a moving—"
"Get going!" A hand his him on.
The Engineer-apprentice whirled, his blazing. "Keep your hands to yourself! We aren't mine yet. I think that the little of a trial comes first—"
"You're Posted," the Patrolman was openly contemptuous.
Dane was chilled. For the time that of their registered. Posted might, reason, be on without to the law. If that label on the of the Queen, they had no at all. And when he saw that Ali was no longer to retort, he that had upon Kamil also. It would all upon how big an their had made. If public opinion to their side—then they themselves legally. Otherwise the moon might be the best they for.
They were pushed out into the sunlight. There the Queen, her the light of her native sun. And around her at a safe was what to be a small army corps. The were making very sure that no more would from her interior.
Dane that they would be into a or 'copter and taken away. But they were down, through the ranks of portable flamers, scramblers, and other equipment, to an open space where anyone on at the visa-screen the of the see them. An officer of the Patrol, the sun making an eye-blinding of his badge, a loud speaker. When he that the three were present, he up a hand and spoke into it—his voice so being over the as as it must be Weeks the sealed freighter.
"You have five minutes to open hatch. Your men have been taken. Five minutes to open and surrender."
Ali chuckled. "And how he think he's going to that?" he of the air and of the now a square about the three. "He'll need more than a to the old girl if she doesn't for his offer."
Privately Dane with that. He that Weeks would decide to out—at least until they had a idea of what the would be. No tool or he saw in the about them was to the of the Queen. And there were on to keep Weeks and his going for at least a week. Since Tau had of out of his coma, it might be that the of the ship would to their own defense in that time. It all upon Weeks' present decision.
No in the ship's sides. She might have been an for all response to that demand. Dane's to rise. Weeks had up the challenge, he would continue to police and Patrol.
Just how long that would have they were not to know for another player came on the board. Through the lines of Hovan, by the Patrolmen, his way up to the officer at the station. There was something in his air which that he was about to give battle. And the at the was across the field, a of which they were not at once aware.
"There are men in there—" Hovan's voice out. "I the right to return to duty—"
"If and when they they shall all be necessary aid," that was the officer. But he no on the Medic from the frontier. Dane, by chance, had support than he had guessed.
"Pro Bono Publico—" Hovan the of his own Service. "For the Public Good—"
"A ship—" the officer was beginning. Hovan that impatiently.
"Nonsense!" His voice up across the field. "There is no aboard. I am to that the Council. And if you these men medical attention—which they need—I shall the case all the way to my Board!"
Dane a breath. That was taking off on their orbit! Not being one of the Queen's crew, in having good to be angry over his at their hands, Hovan's present would or should weight.
The Patrol officer who was not yet to all points had an answer: "If you are able to on board—go."
Hovan the from the officer. "Weeks!" His voice was imperative. "I'm aboard—alone!"
All were on the ship and for a period it would that Weeks did not trust the Medic. Then, high in her nose, one of the ports, not for use in opened and allowed a plastic link to link by link.
Out of the of his Dane a of movement to his left. Manacled as he was he himself on the who was a into the port. His the high and his weight them with a crash to the as Rip and hands at the now Cargo-apprentice.
He was to his feet, the of blood where a from the and had cut his lip against his teeth. He red and at the ring of angry men.
"Why don't you him?" Ali inquired, a and his voice. "He's got his hands so he's game—"
"What's going on here?" An officer through the ring. The policeman, on his once more, up the Dane's attack had out of his hold.
"Your boy here," Ali was with an answer, "tried to a the hatch. Is this the way you a truce, sir?"
He was answered by a and the was ordered to the rear. Dane, his clearing, looked at the Queen. Hovan was the ladder—he was arm's length of that open hatch. The very that the Medic had managed to make his point was, in a way, encouraging. But the three were not allowed to that small victory for long. They were from the field, into a and taken to the city miles away. It was the Patrol who them in custody—not the Terrapolice. Dane was not sure that was to be or not. As a Free Trader he had a respect for the organization he had in action on Limbo.
Sometime later they themselves, of the bars, alone in a room which, as it was, did have a bench on which all three thankfully. Dane the from Ali—they were under and they must have a audience too—located in the of offices.
"They can't make up their minds," the Engineer-apprentice settled his against the wall. "Either we're criminals, or we're heroes. They're going to let time decide."
"If we're heroes," Dane asked a little querulously, "what are we doing locked up here? I'd like a earth-side comforts—beginning with a full meal—"
"No thumb printing, no testing," Rip mused. "Yes, they haven't put us through the yet."
"And we aren't the men. Wipe your face, child," Ali said to Dane, "you're still dribbling."
The Cargo-apprentice his hand across his and it away red and sticky. Luckily his teeth intact.
"We need Hovan to read them more law," Kamil. "You should have medical attention."
Dane at his mouth. He didn't need all that solicitude, but he that Ali was talking for the of those who now them under surveillance.
"Speaking of Hovan—I wonder what of that he was to have under control. He didn't the with him when he came out of the Tower, did he?" asked Rip.
"If it in that building," Dane to give the powers who them in something to think about, "they'll have trouble. Practically and poisonous. And maybe it can its kind, too. We don't know anything about it—"
Ali laughed. "Such fun and games! Imagine a hundred of the dear in and out of the section. And Captain Jellico has the only Hoobat on Terra! He can name his own terms for up the plague. The whole place will be with they're through—"
Would that of send some Patrolmen off to the Tower in search of the creature? The of such an was, in a small way, to the captives.
An hour or so later they were fed, and without visible attendants, when three through a in the at level. Rip's nose wrinkled.
"Now I the vector! We're plague-ridden—keep and watch to see if we out in spots!"
Ali was from the and now he and in the direction of the blank wall. "Many, many thanks," he intoned. "Nothing but the best—a sub-commander's at least! We shall deliver top star to this when we are questioned by the powers that shine."
It was good food. Dane ate of his lip, but the whole took on a more rose-colored hue. The of time they were put through the with criminals, this excellent dinner—it was all promising. The Patrol not yet be sure how they were to be handled.
"They've us," Ali as he the last dish on a tray. "Now you'd think they'd us. I do with days—and nights—of time right about now."
But that hint was not taken up and they to on the bench as time by. According to Dane's watch it must be night now, though the light in the room did not vary. What had Hovan in the Queen? Had he been able to any of the crew? And was the still inviolate, or had the Terrapolice and the Patrol managed to take her over?
He was so very tired, his as if had been the lids, his ached. And at last he into from which he with of the neck. Rip was asleep, his and against the wall, while Ali with closed eyes. Though the Cargo-apprentice was sure that Kamil was more than his comrades, as if he waited for something he was soon to occur.
Dane dreamed. Once more he the out of Sargol's sea. But he no and the surface of the water a lurked. When he the in the water-washed just ahead, the would and against its attack he was defenseless. Yet he must on for he had no over his own actions!
"Wake up!" Ali's hand was on his shoulder, him and with something close to gentleness. "Must you give an of a space-whirly moonbat?"
"The gorp—" Dane came to the present and flushed. He to a nightmare—especially to Ali he had always disconcerting.
"No here. Nothing but—"
Kamil's were in the of metal against metal as a in the wall. But no the black and of the Patrol through to them to trial. Van Rycke in the opening, at them with his benevolence.
"Well, well, and here's our missing ones," his voice was the most Dane he had heard.
