Page 134 - Astounding Pulp V2

134 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION 135
GRAY LENSMAN
it worried you-so I went to the library unsteady, her heart in every word.
and looked it up. I memorized most '·You have to do your Job. and I honnr
of it."
you for that, too; even i ( it does take
''\l\Tell. to get the true pi'cture of me you from me. It will be easier for you,
you'll have to m ultiply that by a thou- thoug h, I think, and I k now that it will
sand. A lso, don't forget that loose heads be easier for me, to have us both know
might be rolling onto your breakfast t he truth. Whenever you are ready,
table almost any m orning instead of only K im, I'll be here-or somewhere-wait-
o nce."
ing. Clea r ether, Gray L ensman !" and.
" So what ?" she cow1tered evenly. risiog to her feet, she turned back to-
"Do you think that I could sit for Kip- ward the hospital.
ling's portraiL of M rs. O ' N eil ? N o-
"Clear ether, Chris !" Unconscio usly
body ever caJled ,my mold delicate, and he used the pet name bv which he had
he would have said of me :
thought of her so much. -He stared after
her for a minute, hungrily. Then,
"\1/ith hair like a conAag ration
A11d a heart of solid brass! squaring bis shoulders, he strode away.

"Captain O'N eil's bride, as well as A ND UPON [ar J arnevo1i Eichrnil, the
being innocent and ignoran t, strikes me F irst of Boskone, was con(erring with
as having been a good deal of a sissy, J alte via communicator. Long s ince, the
something of a -w-eeping willow, and no Kalonian had delivered through devious
little of a shrinking violet. Tell me, channe ls the message of Boskone to an
Kim. do you think that she would have imaginary director of Lensmen; long
made good as a sector chief nurse?" since he had transmitted this cryp tically I
"No. but that's neither here-" direful reply:
"It is. too." she interrupted. '' You've " L ensman 2\t!organ lives, and so does
got to consider what I did, and that it's ?tar A S tar."
no job for a g irl with a weak stomach. J alte had not been able to report to
Beside . the Boh's head took the fabled his chief any news concerning the fate
l\Irs. O ' \Teil by surprise. She didn't of that which the speedster bore. s ince
know that her husband used to be in the spies no longer ex isted within the res-
wholesale m ayhem -and-kiUing business. ervations of the Pa_trol. ' He had lea rned
I do. of no discovery that any Lensman had
·'
''A net last ly, you big lug, do you think made. He could not venture auy hy- r
that I'd be making such barefaced passes pothesis ~s to how this S tar A S ta r h~d
at you-playing the brazen hussy this heard of Jarnevon or had learned of its
way-unless I was very, very certain of location in space. He was sure of only
the t ruth ?" one thing, and that was a g rimly dis-
" Huh ?" he demanded, blushing furi- turbing fact indeed. The P atrol was re-
o~isl y. " I thought that you were run- arming throug hout the Galaxy. upon a
ru ng a blazer on me be[orc-you really scale the retofore unknown. E ichmil's
do know. then, that- " !-le would not thought was cold:
say it. even then. "That means hut one thing. A Lens-
"Of course I know !" She nodded ; 111a11 invaded you and learned of us here
then, as th{! m an spread his hands help- - in no other way could kno wled{;c of
lessly. she abandoned her attempts to J arnevon have com e to them."
keep the conversation upon• a lig ht level. '·\¥hy me?" J alte demanded. " If g rim Worsel's
5
" { know, my dear ; the re is nothing there exists a mind of power sufficient They wheeled Kim out of the spee d t er,
the hospital ship.
•
we can do aboul it yet.'' Her voice was to ureak my screens and t ract>lessly to vas~ strength gentle to help him mto