Page 151 - Astounding Pulp V2

150 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION
GRi\ Y LENS'MAN 151
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hut you a~d ~fac suffer so ! You're so - dammitall, he didn't have any busi- I "Never mind; you'll learn soon
yo~ng, so intense, so insistent upon car- ness on this floor! W hy hadn't he nol Lwo yards from the entranced cou- enough," from Lacy, and :
rymg the entire Cosmos upon your called l:er up or sent her a thought o, ple, slood the two old Lensmen ! "Kinnison. you are very urgent!)' in-
The culprits sprang apart, flushing
shoulders- I couldn't help it. You won't somethmg? Why didn't he think at her ' i;uiltily. but Haynes went on imperturba- vited to attend a meeting of the GaJ.i.etic
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hav~ to do much of a flit." Hi:! glanced now ? bly. quite as though nothing out of the Council tomorrow afternoon," from
at his_ hronometer. "You'll find all your ordinary had been either said or clone : Haynes.
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unfimshed business in Room 7295 B TH E noon opened. revealing the mildly '·vVe ga,·e you fifteen minutes, then "Huh? What's up now?'' K innison
Hospital." , ase p rotested. His arm tightened about the
annoyed sector chief. At what she saw, came up to be sure to catch you before
''H uh ~ You know, then?" shouted her hands flew to her throat and her you fiited off to the celebration or some g irl's supple waist and she snuggled
th<;, oveq oyecl young giant. eyes widened in starkly unbelieving rap- where. \ \'e have matters to diseuss- closer, a trace of foreboding beginning
Who doesn't ?"
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. . . . · was the acl1111ra.l's ture. i111ponant matters, but pleasant." to dim the eagerness in her eyes.
<]mzz1cal re10111der "Tl " Promotion. ,.,.,_, e ,vant to make you
· 1ere may be a "Ki111!" she shrieked in ecstasy. "QX. Come in, all of you." As she
f ew members of some b I d something-galactic co-ordinator, di-
. ac <war race "Chris_e_my Chris !" K innison wl1ic;- spoke. the nurse stood aside in invita-
somewhere who do not k11 ow a a out pered unsteadily, and for minutes those tion. '·You know, don't you, that it's rector. something like that- the job
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you a:1<l your red-headed sector riot, but two uniformed minions of the Galactic exceedingly much contraregs for nurses hasn't been named yet. In plain lan-
I don t happen to know-·• H e was ad- to enten ain visitors of the opposite se_x guage, th~ big shot of the Second Gal-
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l < ressmg empty air. P atrol stood motionless upon the room ·s in their rooms ? F ifty demerits. Most axy, formerly known as Lundmark's
threshold, strong young armc; straining,
Kinnison shot out of ti I ·1d· girls never get a chance at even one Nebula.''
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Pxerhng 11s Gray Lens man s aut 1on ty nurse's crisp and spotless white cr11shed Gray Lensmen, and here I've got three !" But, Klono's brazen claws ! Chief. I
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I ,e did a thmg which he l1a I I ' unregarded against Lensman's pliant S he giggled infectiously. ''\\'ouldn't it can't swing it-I haven't got jets
I d J • c a ways gray.
onge loy1shly to do but which he h d be one for the book for me to get a hun- enough!"
''Oh . . . I've missed you so terri-
never !Jefore really considered doina bly, my darling !" Clarrissa crooned. dred and fifty black spots for this? And "You always yelp about a deficiet'lcy
He wlustled, shrill and pie .· 1 and to have Surgeon General Lacy, Port of jets whenever a new job is mentioned.
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wave d a ,ensed arm eve11 .. 1 ·1 l ' Her voice, always sweetly rich, was pure Admiral Haynes, and U nattached Lens- but we notice that you usually deliver
v,' 1.1 e 1e was
music.
< irectmg a Lensed thought at the driv r man Kimball Kinnison all heaved into the goods. Think it over for a minute.
of the fast ground car al e "You don't Ja10,Y the half of it, Chris. the clink to boot ? Boy, oh, boy, ain't \Vho else cauld we wish such a job as
. f ways 111 readi This isn't real, I don't think. It can't
ne~.s 111 ront of GHQ. - we got fun ?" that onto?"
be-nothing can feel this good!" ·
Bai;e H ospital f JI "Lacy's too old and I'm too moral to " \Vorse!," Kinnison declared without
11 I" 1 - u emergency "You did come back to me- you really hesitation. " He's- "
J last. l 1e ordered, and the J ehu obeyed did!" she lilted. "I did11't dare to hope be affected by the wiles even of the likes
T 1at c1auffeur J 1 • o( you, my · clear," Haynes explained "Balloon juice !" snorted the older
ovec emergency stuff
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an, t ,e , w, w1 e racer took off that you could come so soon." equably. as he seated himself upon the man.
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1 a deafen.
wit i "I had to." Kinnison drew a deep davenport-the most comfortable thing " Well, then • . • ah . • . er-" He
haust d mg roar of unmuffled ex- breath. "I simply couldn't stand it any
. . an a scream of tortured burn in the room. stopped. Clan:issa opened her mouth :
mg rubber ' - longer. It'll be tough sometimes, but ''Old ? Moral ? Tommyrot !" Lacy then shut it, ridiculously, without hav-
you were rig ht- ha!( a loaf is better
''Thanks' Ja k glared an ''I'll-see-you-later" look at the ing uttered a word.
At ti 1 , ·. c - you needn't wait." than no bread." "Go ahead, MacDougall-you ·are an
ie 1osp1tal's cl J(. • ad111iral, then turned to the nurse.
derecl t ·b ' oor mn1son ren- ''Of course it is !'' S he released her- "Don ·t worry about that, MacDougall. interested party, you know."
along n ute_ to fast service and strode self- partially- after the first transports " No." She shook her spectacular
a corridor A No penalties accrue-regulations apply
whiskt-d h · · 11 express elevator of their first embrace and eyed him 011ly- to nurses actually in the service-" head, "I'm not saying a word or think-
floo~ and ~~~ _11pl _to the seventy-second shrew<lly. "Tell me, K im, did Lacy •· .'\ nd what-" she started to blaze, ing a thought to sway his decision one
plet<'iy Tl . i c 11s haste departed com- have a hand in this surprise?" r J,ut checked herself and her tone changed way or the other. Besides, he'd have to
. . 11s was Nurses' Q . I
reahz(•d sudden uarte1 s, 1c ''U h-huh/' he denied. "J haven't seen instantly. "Go on-yott interest me flit around as much then as now.'·'
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hu,;iness there tf. He had no more him for ages-but jet ba~k ! H aynes slrangely. sir. I'm just going to love "Some travel involved, of course"
He fo~~cJ J' ,an- yes, he did, too. told me-say, what'll you bet that those this !" H er eyes sparkled, her voice was H aynes admitted. "All over that G;l-
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,00 111 7295
it,; d0or B I _anc I apped upon two old hard heads haven't been g iving vihranl with unconcealed eagerness. axy, some in this one, and back and
r<·snltan; u <Illy, he mtended, hut the us the works ?"
· .. C s_r,unc was surprisingly small '.'\Vho are old hardhearls ?" H aynes "Told you she was quick on the up- forth between the two. H owever, t he
ome 111 I" c II · tat e !" Lacy gloated. " Didn't fox her Da.mitless-or something newer. bigger,
'fl · a er 1 a dear contralto - 111 pt::rson- demanded. So deeply im-
H:n, after a moment " C . ,,, . for a second !" and faster- will be his private yacht,
,;Jiar ,1 .• I • ome lll . n1ore mersed had T<innison beeJJ in his rap-
1 j ' mt t 1 ll I .(nsurn n <licl 110t could turous delirium that <'ven !~is ~ensc of "llut say- lislen- whal's this alt and I do not see w hy it is either n&es-
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1,ot ,,lw)' th ~ ,.. 11111111r,ns. Sh,: might he perception \\as in abC'yanre; a111I 1hC'fc, about, anyway?'' Kinnison demanded. sary or desirable that his flits be solo.''