Page 17 - Astounding Pulp V2

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NEUTRAL VESSEL 17
16 ASTOUN' D !N"G SCIENCE-FICTION Carlin dashed in, panting. ''Lost mouth as if to shut off words she
him," he reported ruefully. "He gave shouldn't be saying.
,:,, ~ -... ,,~( :>·· Brand was nonpluse<l. \,Vas this girl
me the slip."
Brand rose from the prostrate out- willfully hiding anything? "Miss
. ~ Zona," he said soberly, "this ship is in
lander corpse. He hadn't found a sin-
gle identifying mark. "Whatever it's grave danger of some sort. I don't
all about, it's serious," he said grimly. know even yet how serious it may be in
ex tent. If you can help us to identify
"And we have to get to the bottom of it.
Carlin, you'll return to the · bridge.
/,/,~~ the miscreants. at the bottom of it, you
will be rendering a great service. It may
. ) /~ Brinl<erhof, you get busy and find a way
of cutting these stern jets out of_ com- b~ the means o( saving other 11ve:s."
"Oh, I will! I will. I'll do any-
mission. I'm going to the infirmary and
thing."
fJuestion that girl." "Do you know the names of the ones
''The girl ?" asked the mate, blankly.
"Yes, the girl." Brand grinned, your father suspected ?"
There hadn't been a "mister" or a "sir" The girl looked fearfully around the
tossed around lately. It reminded infirmary waidng room. "I think so.
If I can see the passenger list- "
Brand of the old full-crew days.
He found Zona Phillips recovered, Brand knew then that she was in ut-
most terror. "Now, you can just stop
though pale and obviously much shaken.
Her father's body was lying in the mor- worrying/ he told her. "Come along
with me, young lady, · and I'JI see that
}\ tuary, pendjng instructions for disposai. nothing happens to you. Vl e've a du-
So was that of his murderer.
plicate list in the bridge office. · You
Brand patted her shoulder sympa-
t ) ~ · .. thetically. "Sorry to bother you in the won't even need to cross a passenger
·. . ·, circumstances, l\Iiss Zona," he said. deck."
Zona Phi)lips brightened perceptibly,
Ji '·But 1·~1 afraid I'll have to ask you a
;?, though there still remajned a look about
few questions." ·her eyes that might have been furtive.
]( I "If I can be of any help," she said Brand laid it to her fears. O r tried to. -
1 rerrin lot\sly, "I'll be glad to."
!~ I He still wondered vaguely.
::::· "You·know, of course, why your· dad
was- put ·out of the way?" THEY found the bridge in some·what
The girl nodded mutely, her big eyes of a tu011o·i1, the usual discipline having
filling anew with the tears she was strug-
. reJa.,--;:ed. The operators were fidgety at
gling to bold back. the control board. And Carlin was in
"He thought certain parties at your
a huddle with the second and third offi-
table were spies. Did you ?" cers. They pulled apart when they saw
"
"You're under arreSt , snapped the captain-and in the same Zona Phillips became articulate. "I'm the captain coming. All eyes were on
instant
the Martian went for his gun, and his head vanished. sure of it," she said. Zona Phillips. Caressingly, almost,
"Can you identify them?" Brand those eyes. For some reason, Brand
"_I'll get him,"· grunted Carlin and taken by surprise and by a superior asked gently. bristled inside.
sprinted down the corridor. . force. Altogether, there were nine dead. ''I . . . I could. But-" The blue "Anything new ?" he asked Carlin.
Poking the snout of his flame thrower One was not in ship's uni(orm. B rand eyes widened farther and a look of fear "Only that the radio room has been
around the door jamb ahead of himself tu~·ned the fellow over and thollght he glazed over the sorrow. wrecked and the radio transmitter ru-
Bran~ followed it cautiously into th~ might be a Martian drylander. You ''I'll protect you," the captain assured ined. And Brinkerhof reports every
~~dune shop, Brinkerhot at his heels. could never be sure. though, with more cutting torch in his stores either smashed
ie place was a shambles. Not a man than five generations of inten\1arriage her hastily. or missing entirely." -
c,f the shop force was alive. T hey hung between various races of the three plan- "It isn't that. I'm not really afraid You could have heard a pin drop on
~lraped over lathe, drill press and mill- ets. Brinkerhof groaned as if in pain. for myself. It's something else I the bridge after that. Brand's eyes
mg machine, heads battered in or jugu- "Lord, captain, what's it alt about?" can't-" Her hand went swiftly to her
lars slashed. Obviously they had been he asked helplessly.

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