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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..756687b --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #61781 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61781) diff --git a/old/61781-8.txt b/old/61781-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b4a67ef..0000000 --- a/old/61781-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1266 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Star Pirate, by Frederick A. Kummer - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: Star Pirate - -Author: Frederick A. Kummer - -Release Date: April 8, 2020 [EBook #61781] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAR PIRATE *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - STAR PIRATE - - By FREDERICK ARNOLD KUMMER, JR. - - It meant death if Vance McClean ever returned - to Ceres. Still, a cool million in palladium - was tempting bait to that exiled star-pirate. - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Planet Stories Summer 1940. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -It was cold that night, I remember. Cold and clear as ice. And although -Ceres has no moon ... it's hardly more than a satellite itself, ... the -starlight penetrated its thin, dustless atmosphere with surprising -brilliance, throwing weird shadows across the icy plain. - -Gazing through the window of the little administration building, I -could see the head of the mine shaft perhaps a mile away, and the -huts of the miners, all dark, for now that the rich vein of palladium -was exhausted, my uncle had dismissed our workmen. The scene was a -familiar one to me. I had lived on the asteroid for fifteen years and -my recollections of earth, which I had left at the age of five, were -hazy, a series of dream-like impressions of big buildings, green grass, -and warm yellow sunlight. - -I felt very lonely that evening with the workmen gone and my Uncle John -at Verlis arranging for our passage to earth. Cerean Mining, Inc., -had paid well these fifteen years before the vein ran out; in the -huge wall-safe behind me were stacks of the gray ingots, Uncle John's -profits over that period of time. Nearly a million dollars' worth in -earth currency. He planned to take the precious metal back to earth -with him, where its sale would bring higher prices than on Ceres, then -retire on his hard-earned proceeds. He was paying my fare back to -earth, gratis, and had arranged to get me a job there, which was more -than many uncles would have done for a needy and lonely nephew. - -I was thinking about earth, as I sat there at the office desk, my back -to the big wall safe, a heavy flame gun lying on the blotter before -me. I was supposed to guard the palladium until Uncle John returned, -though this was a mere formality. Ceres was too small for anyone to get -very far, and all the passenger liners leaving Verlis were thoroughly -checked. And even supposing some thief were to overcome me, force the -huge, triply-reinforced safe, he would find it hard, even in Ceres' -light gravity, to carry off a million dollars' worth of palladium. -So I wasn't greatly worried about playing guard; my thoughts were -busy trying to visualize earth, planning what I would do there when I -arrived. - -About eleven o'clock, earth-time, however, I awoke with a start from -my day-dreaming. A light ... a lurid flickering light ... was dancing -through the big glassex window. I leaped to my feet, gripping the flame -gun, and peered out. A sleek, silvery little space-ship was settling -down on the plain outside! - -As I watched the ship ride in to land on its columns of fire, a vague -uneasiness filled me. Vessels weren't accustomed to put in at the -Cerean Mining field; especially swift little craft that were neither -slovenly freighters nor stately liners. Gun in hand, I stepped to the -door of the administration building. - - * * * * * - -The ship had landed as lightly as a snowflake on the barren plain, -switched off her rockets. The air-lock clanged open and two bulky -figures in asbestoid jumpers swung down; so hot was the rock from -the rocket exhausts that their lead-soled gravity shoes left silvery -patches as they strode toward the administration building. One of the -men, to judge from his build, was a Jovian, huge, squat, mighty-thewed; -the other, a slender earthman, his face hidden by the hood that -protected him from the cold. I waited until they were within twenty -feet of me, then raised the flame-gun. - -"Stop where you are!" I said curtly. "This is private property ... the -property of the Cerean Mining Company. What do you want?" - -The earthman paused, studying me as I stood there in the light that -streamed from the doorway. - -"So big," I heard him mutter as though to himself. "Who'd have thought -it! Eleven years! It's passed quickly ... for some." - -This didn't make much sense, but it wasn't the meaning of his words -that struck me. It was his voice. There was something about the voice -that sounded a familiar chord in the back of my mind. For a moment I -tried to puzzle out the disturbing memories but without much success. -Then, shaking off the strange uneasiness, I raised the gun once more. - -"Stay where you are! Another step and I'll shoot!" - -The earthman continued to move toward me, the big Jovian in his wake. - -"If you must shoot, Steve," he said quietly, "I suppose there's no help -for it. You'd regret it, though, I think." - -Again the puzzling familiarity of that voice! Where had I heard those -calm, bitterly mocking tones before? And how did he know my name? Was -this some trick to force an entrance into the administration building -where Uncle John's fortune in palladium lay? - -"You asked for it!" I cried, drawing a bead on him. - -The stranger must have realized that I meant business. He was only -ten feet from me, now, and could have guessed from my expression that -I was about to shoot. With a swift movement he threw back the hood -that concealed his face. My arm sagged down and I heard myself give -a quick involuntary gasp. No mistaking those clean, sharp features, -those frosty, sardonic eyes, that lined, thin mouth, lips twisted in an -ironic smile! The man who stood there in the light that jetted from the -doorway was my father! - - * * * * * - -It had been eleven years since I'd seen him, but he hadn't changed -much, except that his black hair was gray at the temples. Apart from -that, he didn't show his forty-five years in the least. Staring at -him, my memory flashed back to that night eleven years before in this -same administration building. There had been three owners of Cerean -Mining in those days. My father; his brother-in-law, Uncle John; and -big, red-haired Carl Conroy. They had formed the partnership on earth -shortly after my mother's death, come here to Ceres looking for rare -palladium. They'd just scraped along for five years, then struck the -rich vein of ore. And about two months after the big strike, there came -that terrible night. - -I was only nine at the time, and had been sent off to bed. I was -awakened by the hiss of a flame-gun, a short gasping cry. I remember -lying there long minutes, terrorized, then creeping to the head of the -stairs, peering down. On the floor of the big room, near the safe, -was Carl Conroy, a terrible blackened form, with my father bending -over him. I can remember Conroy's twisted figure, the stench of burned -flesh, my father's hoarse breathing. Then suddenly the door opened -and my Uncle John entered, his face gray, a gun in his hand. Uncle -John spoke slowly. He said that he'd noticed some of the palladium was -missing every morning, and he'd asked Conroy to watch the safe. Now -he knew who the thief was. My father seemed sort of stunned, choked. -And I'd clung there unnoticed, hoping to wake up and find it all a -dream. But it hadn't been a dream. Keeping his prisoner covered, Uncle -John had backed toward the micro-wave communications set to call the -authorities at Verlis. For a long moment my father stared at him, then -leaped for the door. I screamed. - -Uncle John could have shot him in that instant, but he didn't. He just -stood there, flame-gun in hand, as my father disappeared into the -darkness; then he climbed the stairs to where I crouched, crying, and -put an arm about my shoulders. "We'll try to forget this, Stephen," -he said to me. "There's a space-ship leaving Verlis in the morning. -Maybe he can make a fresh start somewhere else in the solar system. -We'll bury Conroy out here, report that he died an accidental death. -That's the least I can do to keep you from being known as the son of a -murderer." And I cried myself to sleep on Uncle John's shoulder. - -All that eleven years ago. We'd never mentioned my father again. When -people asked me, I said that he was dead. I hoped he was. The thought -of having a father who was a murderer, a thief, a fugitive in the solar -system, wasn't pleasant. Better to think he'd died bravely, decently, -on some far-flung world. And now, after eleven years...! - -"You remember me, then ... son?" My father laughed ironically; he -strode by me into the room, followed by the big Jovian. The latter, I -noticed, carried several large cylinders on his back. - -I stood there undecided, confused, fumbling with the flame-gun. My -father perched himself on the edge of the table, lit a slender, -aromatic Martian cigarette, an _eyla_, the same kind he'd smoked in -the past. Its fragrant, sharp aroma awoke memories of my childhood. -Suddenly he spoke. - -"Where's John?" - -"He's gone to Verlis, to arrange for our passage to earth. The vein's -worked out." - -"So that's why the miners' shacks are dark." He nodded. "I arrived just -in time, then. And from the close watch you were keeping, I'd say the -palladium was still here." For a long moment he eyed me, studying my -face. "Healthy, and as sanctimonious as John, from the looks of you. -Taon" ... he turned to the big silent Jovian ... "his gun!" - -Before I realized what had happened, the Jovian had snatched the -flame-gun from my grasp. - -"I apologize, Steve," my father said blandly, "for using force. But in -my past eleven years knocking about the solar system, I've noticed that -people are unaccustomed to yield to reason. It's for your own good, as -well. Some years ago on Jupiter I saved Taon's life. If you were to -commit an indiscretion, such as killing me, he would tear you to bits. -A faithful fellow, Taon. And since I am about to force this safe, I -felt that you might do something rash with that gun...." - - * * * * * - -I stood there, speechless, as the huge Taon swung a double-cylindered -oxy-hydrogen burner from his shoulders. He tinkered for a moment with -first the hydrogen flash, then the oxygen one; a moment later a jet of -cruel white flame bit into the big wall-safe. - -"Good Lord!" I whispered. "I've known all along that you were a thief, -a murderer, but with all the solar system to prey upon, why must you -come back here! To rob your own brother-in-law, after he let you escape -that night! And to make sure your son is known as the son of a common -thief! I'd rather have the cheapest space-rat as a father than you!" - -For just a moment there was a cloud in my father's eyes, but the ironic -bitter smile clung to his lips. - -"Very melodramatic," he applauded. "You inherit that, I think, from -the other side of the family. John has the same flair for theatrics. -I regret now that the business of obtaining a space-ship, of finding -certain ... necessary persons ... took so long. Had I come sooner, I -might have aided in your education." He turned to the big Jovian. "How -goes it?" - -"Safe good steel," Taon grunted. "One ... two ... hour job." - -"No hurry." My father puffed lazily at his _eyla_, flicked a bit -of ash from his coat sleeve. His gestures, his well chosen words, -his carefully modulated voice, all indicated that he was playing -the role of debonair, cosmopolitan man of the worlds. The perfect -gentleman--even when engaged in cracking a safe! I hated him for -it! This space-rover, thief, murderer ... my father! Better to see -him imprisoned at Verlis, than to have him at large, adding to the -shame of our name. With one leap, I crossed the room, snapped on the -micro-wave communications set. - -"Cerean Mining, calling Verlis!" I snapped. "Come...." - -My father hardly seemed to move, but a pencil of blue flame from his -gun leaped across the room, blasting the radio to bits. - -"All right, Taon." He motioned back the Jovian, who, like a great -faithful mastiff had sprung to his side. "No need to worry." Wiping off -the gun, he turned to me. "As for you, Steve, you show more spirit than -I had suspected. Although misdirected, since there was never a chance -of contacting Verlis. However, I am going to pay you the compliment of -putting you under lock and key while we complete our business here. In -the next room, Taon, you will find, to the right of the heating unit, a -closet, used, as I remember, for over-suits. Lock the boy in it." - -The big man nodded, his slitted, ice-green eyes expressionless. In his -grip I was helpless; no earthman can match a Jovian in strength. I shot -one furious glance at my father; who was perched upon the edge of the -table, swinging one foot, humming placidly. For just an instant as he -felt my gaze upon him, he paused in his humming, a peculiar expression -upon his face. Then Taon carried me into the next room, pushed me into -the closet, slid the loose, rattling bolt. I was a prisoner--a prisoner -of my own father! - - * * * * * - -For my first few minutes in the closet, my mind was a skein of tangled -thoughts. The past that I had believed securely buried, returned to -haunt me! Another day and the palladium would have been aboard a space -liner at Verlis, Uncle John and I would have left Ceres for earth. All -my day-dreaming of a new life on Terra was ruined. If my father should -get away with the fortune in palladium, it would be broadcast over the -entire solar system. Uncle John had never reported the murder of Carl -Conroy, in hopes of saving my name. But this would be bound to come -out, and my chances of finding a job, a decent place in society, would -be wrecked when the solar system learned that I was the son of the -notorious Vance McClean. And Uncle John, who had been like a father -to me since that night of Conroy's murder, would be rendered penniless -after fifteen years' work! Unless I could escape, summon help.... - -The closet was roomy and had a light. Not one of the new astra-lux -arcs, but an old-fashioned electric bulb hanging from the ceiling. We -don't have all the modern gadgets on Ceres. - -I snapped on the light, and glanced about seeking some means of -escape. On a row of nails hung several over-suits; asbestoid garments, -electrically heated, for use in the biting cold of the Cerean plains. -Nothing there. I then turned my attention to the door. It was of very -thin, very strong plastic. Taon had not locked it, only slid home the -iron bolt that fitted loosely in the brass staples. No chance, however, -of working it free from this side; and while I might conceivably force -the door open by battering against it, the noise would be sure to bring -Taon and my father from the next room to recapture me. If any escape -were made, it must be done quietly. Outside I could hear the roar of -the oxy-hydrogen torch, cutting into the big wall-safe where my uncle's -fortune in palladium was stored. - -Then suddenly the idea struck me. A wild idea, true, but one which, if -it succeeded, would enable me to draw the bolt quietly. I turned to the -rear of the closet, and began working back and forth one of the nails -upon which over-suits were hung. After some difficulty, it came loose. -My next task was more difficult ... stripping the wire from one of the -electrically heated suits. The point of the nail aided me in ripping -open the tough asbestoid. At length I obtained fully ten feet of wire -and commenced wrapping it about the nail. This done, I tore loose the -bulb and socket from the light, and, working in the dark, in danger of -a severe shock, managed to connect the live wires to my wire-wrapped -nail, forming a crude, but, I hoped, powerful magnet. But was it -powerful enough to be effective through the thin, tough plastic door? - -I paused, listening. The sound of the torch would cover the noise of -drawing the bolt. And if I could escape unobserved, climb through one -of the windows.... Holding my magnet against the door jamb, I moved it -slowly to one side. A faint squeak seemed to indicate that the bolt -had moved. I repeated the operation again, and again, drawing the bolt -a fraction of an inch each time. The little magnet, separated from -the piece of iron by a quarter inch of steel-tough plastic, still had -sufficient force to grip the bolt, draw it slightly. At last, after a -score or more attempts, the bolt slid clear of the brass staples. A -touch of my shoulder sent the door ajar. I was free! - -Very cautiously I peered through the crack. The room before me was -dark, but beyond the doorway at its far end I could see Uncle John's -office, brilliantly lighted by the whitish flame of the oxy-hydrogen -torch. My father was still seated upon the edge of the table, swinging -one foot; his face was intent, far-away. He seemed to be peering into -the dim mists of the past as he sat there, and I noticed that his -suave, bitter mask had vanished. Taon was working on the safe. His -brutish, colossal shadow was visible on the wall like that of some -great grim satyr. - -With infinite care I pushed open the closet door, stepped out, then -slid the bolt again to make it appear that I was still a prisoner. On -tiptoe I approached a window, raised it. Still no sound other than the -hiss of the torch. I swung down to the ground, closed the window behind -me, and ran toward the sleek silvery little space-ship. - - * * * * * - -The ice-covered plain was bitter cold; I had neglected to put on one -of the asbestoid over-suits. The deserted huts, the head of the mine -shaft loomed like a row of dark specters in the wan starlight. And -since the cold light of the stars was cast from different angles, -double, triple and even quadruple shadows fell across the barren -wastes. Bleak, desolate, to an earthman, but I was used to the cold -Cerean scene. Great jagged pinnacles of rock stabbing like crooked -daggers at the frosty sky; rounded meteor holes dug into the ground; -occasional patches of pale ice-moss, dangling like white beards from -the grotesque rocks; and beyond, the glistening plain, dropping away to -a ridiculously close horizon. I gasped in the cold air as I ran, felt -it bite my lungs. Without gravity shoes, I covered the distance to the -ship in a dozen great bounding leaps. No signs of life were visible -aboard her and I felt that from the size of the little vessel it was -unlikely she carried more of a crew than my father and Taon. If there -were others aboard, I would have to take my chances. - -I glanced up at the ship. Her burnished hull shone in the thin light; -the heavy outer door of the circular air-lock remained open as my -father had left it. I reached up, grasped the metal stanchion, drew -myself into the air-lock. A moment later I had pushed open the inner -door, entered the vessel. - -The little ship was dimly lit, shadowy, inside. Glancing about, I found -myself in a narrow companionway, one end of which led to the living -quarters of the craft, the other, stretching in the direction of the -control room. I turned in this latter direction, running softly to -prevent my shoes from clanging on the metal floor-plates; for while the -ship was silent as a tomb, I could take no chances on anyone else being -aboard, surprising me. - -The door to the control room, at the end of the passage, was open. For -a moment, as I raced along the corridor, I had entertained thoughts of -making off with the ship, leaving my father and Taon marooned on Ceres, -where they would soon be tracked down. Sight of the control panel, with -its complicated array of dials, gauges, and switches, soon dispelled -this illusion. I had never flown a space-ship before, and any attempt -on my part to do so now must surely result in disaster. But with the -big ultra-wave communications set that stood to one side of the control -panel it would be a simple matter to call Verlis, as I had previously -attempted, and notify Uncle John. - -Hastily I spun the dial to the wave length of the station at Verlis, -called their letters. The voice of the operator there answered me. - -"CQR, Verlis, Ceres," he snapped. "Go ahead!" - -"Stephen McClean, of Cerean Mining," I whispered, bending low over -the mike. "My uncle, John Gibson, is in Verlis. He'll be either at -the hotel or the space-port, making arrangements for the transport of -his palladium to earth. Send someone to find him at once! It's vital! -Tell him" ... I hesitated a moment, wondering whether to mention the -robbery and bring in the I.P. patrolmen. But it might be possible to -stop my father's evil work without disgracing our name ... "tell him," -I went on, "that Vance McClean is here, that he'd better round up a few -men and return as quickly as possible! Got it? As quickly as possible! -It's urgent!" - -"Right." The Verlis operator replied. "Checking back!" He repeated my -message to me. - -"Okay," I exclaimed. "Hurry!" - -"Anything wrong?" the operator asked. - -"Only a ... family affair," I said, and snapped off the set. - -The message sent, my nerves lost some of their tension. Uncle John had -gone to Verlis in his big rocket-sled. With its exhausts opened full, -the sled could race over the icy plain well in excess of a hundred -miles an hour. And since Verlis was only a short distance away he could -reach the mine, with luck, in thirty minutes. - -I glanced through the big observation port of the control room. The -window of the administration building was still lit by the white-hot -glare of the oxy-hydrogen torch. An hour was necessary to cut through -the steel doors of the safe, Taon had said. But the hour must be -nearly up. I had to make sure that they didn't get away before Uncle -John arrived. But how? At that moment my glance fell on the intricate -control panel. If that were smashed.... - -My eyes swept the crowded control room, fell upon a heavy metal stool, -drawn up at the navigator's table. I seized it, swung it high above my -head. Thrown into the panel, it was sure to wreck the array of delicate -instruments. And with them smashed, the ship would be grounded here -indefinitely. My muscles tensed as I prepared to heave the stool into -the fragile mass of wire and glass tubing. Another moment and.... - -"Don't throw that chair!" A clear, firm feminine voice came from the -doorway behind me. "Set it gently on the floor! Any tricks and I'll -shoot!" - - * * * * * - -For just a moment I hesitated, the stool held high over my head. A -woman ... here! Then I felt the muzzle of a gun dig into my back, and I -knew that whoever the woman was, she meant business. I set the stool -carefully on the floor, turned, hands raised, to face my captor. - -The owner of the clear voice was young, slender, her well-modeled -figure sheathed in a shining green cellatos dress. Her hair was the -coppery red of a Martian desert, and her eyes were cloudy blue, the -color of distant hills. The hand that held the gun was steady, her -expression was determined. - -"I thought I heard voices," the girl said. "Who were you talking to?" - -"Only the radio." I nodded toward the set, grinning. "I called Verlis -to tell them the Cerean Mining's safe is being cleaned out by my -charming father." - -"Your father!" The girl's figure stiffened. "Then you're Steve McClean! -And you've notified your uncle to come here? Oh, you fool! You fool!" -Tears of anger filled her eyes, adding rather than detracting from her -beauty. - -I stared at the girl, puzzled. What was she doing on this ship? And -how did she know about me, about Uncle John? There was, of course, one -simple explanation of her presence, but somehow I didn't like to think -of it. - -"Now that you've found out who I am," I said, "maybe you'll tell me -your name? And your status aboard this ship?" - -She didn't answer. Her lips moved, but she seemed to be talking to -herself. - -"Five minutes since he called Verlis; not over half an hour's run in a -rocket sled." Then, squaring her shoulders. "Keep your arms raised! And -head for the air-lock! We're going to the administration building to -warn Captain McClean!" - -I had no choice with the flame-gun tightly gripped in the girl's hand. -Arms raised, I stumbled from the control room, along the companionway, -through the air-lock. The girl walked behind me like a shadow, her face -pale, deadly earnest. - -Leaving the ship we set out across the bitter icy plain toward the -administration building. The blue-white light no longer streamed from -the window. Which meant only one thing. The great wall-safe had been -forced! A million in palladium, Uncle John's life savings, were at my -father's disposal! Unless that rocket-sled broke all records returning -from Verlis.... - -"Hurry up!" the girl behind me said through chattering teeth. "I'm -freezing!" - -I quickened my pace, bounding across the all but gravity-less plain. -Snow creaked under our feet, our breaths were white clouds, our shadows -sprawled like grotesque monsters on the pale ice. At length we reached -the low crystalloid building; the girl's gun digging into my back, I -opened the door, entered. - - * * * * * - -The room was a scene of desolation. To one side of the safe stood the -twin-cylindered blow torch, shut off, now that its work of destruction -was done. The huge door of the safe, its lock melted away, the edges -of the hole glowing cherry-red, gaped wide, revealing stacks of small, -steel-white ingots. Palladium ... a million dollars' worth! Taon, the -big silent Jovian, was busy taking the bars of precious metal from the -safe, grunting with satisfaction as he stacked the ingots on the floor. -My father, as we entered, had just taken a small, leather-bound book -from the safe, was leafing through it with a queer expression on his -face. On seeing us, he whirled about, gasping, - -"Clare! And you, Stephen!" He turned, frowning, to the big Jovian. -"This is your fault, Taon! You have done poorly! I ordered him locked -up." - -"Don't blame Taon," I grinned. "It wasn't his fault!" - -Without a word my father strode into the next room, unbolted the -closet. At sight of my home-made magnet, still dangling from its wires, -he nodded blandly. - -"Very good, Stephen," he said, re-entering the room. "You show signs of -real ingenuity. I'm afraid I underestimated you." He glanced at me with -an air of satisfaction. - -"More than you think!" the girl Clare exclaimed. "We've got to hurry! -He radioed John Gibson at Verlis to return at once! He put the call -through before I knew he was on the ship!" - -For a long minute my father remained silent, puffing at his eternal -Martian _eyla_ studying the greenish clouds of smoke as though the -future lay revealed in their swirling tendrils. The girl bit her lip -impatiently, glanced nervously toward the door. Taon stood motionless, -his broad, ugly face stolid, awaiting orders. - -"I must confess," my father said at length, "that matters haven't -turned out just as I had expected. I had intended to take the -palladium ... and my loving son, here ... aboard the ship, make a quick -getaway. Now, thanks to that message to Verlis, I am known to be the -person responsible for the ... ah ... robbery, and will be pursued by -the I.P. men. Moreover, there is another matter" ... his glance fell -upon the leather-bound book he had taken from the safe ... "that has -caused me unexpectedly to change my plans. I think it is wiser all -around for us to remain here." - -"But you can't!" the girl cried. "It's madness! He can have you -arrested for murder! My father's...." - -I never heard the rest of what she was going to say. The staccato roar -of rockets, the grinding of steel brakes biting into ice, drowned -out her words. A rocket-sled was screaming to a stop before the -building, the flare of its exhausts flickering through the window like -terrestrial lightning. - -Taon stiffened, his hairy hand seeking the butt of his flame-gun. The -girl went whiter still. And I drew a quick sigh of relief for the first -time in the past two hours. Only my father betrayed no emotion; he sat -there like an image carved from ice, that bitter, mocking smile on his -lips. - -With a bang the door of the building slammed open. Uncle John, tall, -gaunt, bushy-browed, strode into the room, frowning. - -"Good evening, John," my father said pleasantly. "We've been missing -you. You're all that's needed to complete this family reunion." - -"Vance! Then it was true, Stephen's message! You've nerve, coming -here!" Uncle John shook his head. "Thief! Murderer! Liar! I suppose I -was a fool to let you escape that night. I only did so for the honor -of the family and the name of Stephen, here. And so you return to -commit another robbery, to make sure your son is known as the son of a -space-rat!" - -"You touch me deeply, John!" my father observed dryly. "As -sanctimonious as ever! Pure, honest John Gibson! Ceres' outstanding -citizen!" He surged to his feet, leaned across the desk; for the -second time that night his cold, mocking mask dropped, revealing the -man beneath. Eyes like glowing coals, face etched in savage lines, he -stared at my uncle. "I've thought of you a great deal these eleven -years! In the radium fields of that hell-planet Mercury, hunting gold -in the stinking Venusian jungles, prospecting the dusty, choking -deserts of Mars! And there was one thing that kept me going! The -thought of this minute! A year ago I'd scraped together enough to -buy the little space-yacht outside. Then I had to go to Terra, find -Clare...." He motioned toward the girl. - -Uncle John swung about, noticing the girl for the first time as she -stepped from the shadows. His face took on a drawn, tight look. - -"Who is this girl?" he croaked. - -"Allow me." My father waved an airy hand. "Miss Clare Conroy, daughter -of the late Carl Conroy." - -"Daughter of...! But I didn't know he had a daughter! Why is she here?" -Uncle John whirled about. "What deviltry is this? You, the murderer of -her father, kidnaping the daughter...." - -"Not kidnaping, Mr. Gibson," Clare said quietly. "I came of my own free -will." - - * * * * * - -I gasped. This girl, Conroy's daughter! And she'd come with the man -who had killed her father, to the scene of the crime, was aiding him -in stealing the palladium. I felt as though I were living some mad -nightmare. - -My father, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying himself hugely. He -stumped out his _eyla_, smiled ironically across the desk. - -"You see," he said, "Clare has faith in me. She believes that after her -father's death, and my own foolish flight, the partnership agreements -were destroyed, leaving you, John, sole possessor of Cerean Mining. -You didn't know Conroy had a daughter on earth. I was a fugitive who'd -never dare go to court over my share, and Stephen knew nothing of the -arrangement, and wouldn't have contested if he had. Thus Cerean Mining -was yours." - -"You're accusing me of robbery?" Uncle John roared, the veins of his -temple standing out. "You ... a murderer, a thief! Good Lord! You -accuse me when I arrive to find you committing burglary!" He pointed -to the blasted safe door. - -"I'll admit," my father said, smiling, "that my original intention was -to take two-thirds of the palladium, force Stephen aboard, and leave. -With a murder charge hanging over me, I couldn't afford to take the -matter of the metal to court. But now something has occurred that in my -wildest dreams I hadn't hoped for. At no time did I take into account -that vain, boastful streak in your character, John. You had committed -an act which you thought supremely skilful, supremely clever, yet -you had to play the pious, honest business man. You longed to boast -of it, to tell someone, but to do so would have meant your neck. And -so, bursting to recount your cleverness in gaining control of Cerean -Mining, you yielded to sheer folly. You kept a diary!" My father waved -toward the leather-bound book he had found in the safe. - -For just an instant Uncle John remained motionless, shadows flickering -over his gaunt face. Then he leaped, clutching for the book. - -Quick as he had been, Taon was quicker. The big Jovian seemed to slide -across the room as though on wires. His huge hand caught Uncle John, -held him back as one would hold a child. - -My father, who had not even blinked, flipped through the pages of the -little black book. - -"It _was_ clever, John," he said serenely. "Very subtle. You heard me -coming, that night, rayed Conroy, ran outside. I entered, knelt at his -side. It was then, dying, that he told me of his daughter on earth. A -moment later you entered, caught me supposedly red-handed. Stephen, -on the stairs above, saw me kneeling beside Conroy, saw you enter. -Even so, I might have had a chance in court if I hadn't lost my head, -run away. Naturally you hushed the matter up, 'for the honor of the -family.' You didn't want an I.P. patrol investigating the crime. The -mine was in your control and you won Stephen over by not prosecuting -me. It might have been wiser if you had. However, I also believe in -the honor of the family. Clare and I have no wish to see you in the -lethal-ray chamber. We'll take a third of the palladium apiece," he -motioned toward the heap of gray ingots, "and leave you a third. Which -you don't deserve." - -Eyes hollow pits, my uncle stared at the precious metal. The million he -had counted on, reduced by two thirds! His bony fingers clutched his -belt tightly. - -"And if I refuse?" he said slowly. - -"You'll be turned over to the authorities at Verlis for the murder of -my father!" Clare's voice was like a silken lash. - -Then suddenly Uncle John threw back his head, laughing. - -"You fools!" he said. "D'you think I'd come back here alone after my -beloved nephew so kindly warned me? There's plenty of room in my sled!" -He raised his voice, shouting, "Scott! Carr! Help! Quick!" - -At once the front door of the administration building burst open and -half a dozen space-rats, denizens of the slums of Verlis, swarmed into -the room, flame guns in hand. Vaguely I heard Clare scream and I dove -to snatch up the gun she let drop. As I whirled to face the intruders, -a bolt of blue flame leaped out, knocking the gun from my hand. Taon -crouched to spring, his huge muscles standing out in ridges, but my -father's quiet voice halted him. - -"No good, Taon," he said quietly. "They'd only blast you to bits. I -must, I think, be getting old. I should have realized he'd have men -with him. Well, John," he turned to my uncle, "you win this round. Just -what do you propose to do?" - -"Your ship is outside," Uncle John said with an unctuous smile. "And -these men of mine can handle her. I'm taking this palladium back to -earth with me!" - -"And us?" my father asked quietly. - -"So far as Ceres knows, you will have left aboard the yacht with me. So -far as Terra will know, you four contracted space-fever and were buried -in the void. All heirs, claimants, to the palladium gone, leaving me -sole owner. As for this diary" ... he tossed the book onto the floor, -blasted it to ashes with a beam from his flame-gun. "And now," he went -on calmly, "my men will take the four of you outside, dispose of you. -Buried under a few feet of ice, your bodies will certainly never be -found." - - * * * * * - -Clare's hand fluttered to her throat. I stood there stupidly, gaping. -My whole life seemed to be whirling like a pin-wheel. This cold killer, -my Uncle John! My Uncle John whom I had trusted, who had been a father -to me these eleven years! I felt that I should say something, do -something heroic, but I could only stare. The six space-rats, their -guns ready.... Clare's pallid face ... Taon, standing there like a -colossal robot. All at once my father's voice broke the brittle silence. - -"Come, come, John!" he said dryly. "You're being melodramatic now. Such -slaughter is useless." - -I watched him as he spoke. He was standing near the safe, hands behind -his back, outwardly very calm, but I could see his eyes darting about -the room in search of some means of escape. Uncle John must have -noticed his eyes, too, for he waved the men forward. - -"No chance for any of your tricks, Vance," he said harshly. "You four -stand in my way and you're going to be removed! Take them out!" - -Still stunned, I stumbled from the room between two of the space-rats. -One of them, a half-breed with Venusian blood predominant, walked -behind Clare, gun in hand. Despite her pallor she kept her chin high. -Taon was stolid, emotionless as always, while my father was jaunty, -careless, as though merely going for a stroll. As we passed through -the door, I glanced back. Uncle John was busy picking up the ingots of -palladium; he seemed to have forgotten us already. His eyes were bright -with avarice, triumph, and he seemed to caress each bar of the precious -stuff as he touched it. The sight filled me with sudden rage. - -"You're mad!" I cried. "Mad! You can't hope to get away with this!" - -He glanced up impatiently. "Hurry up with it!" he snapped, and slammed -the door behind us. - -Like four automatons, we crossed the icy plain. Near a jagged pinnacle -of rock, on the edge of the landing field, the half-breed paused. - -"As good a place as any," he grunted. "Line them up over there!" - -They placed us with our backs to the rock, retreated several paces, -flame-guns ready. I shot a furious look at my father. Was he going -to see us all butchered by the energy blasts without so much as a -struggle? Better to go down fighting than this. And Clare ... so young, -lovely.... I was just flexing my muscles for a desperate leap when my -father spoke. - -"Gentlemen," he said, "it would be to your credit to permit at least -one of us to die happy. Now it so happens that I am addicted to the use -of the Martian _eyla_. It is, I find, far superior to terrestial tobacco, -having a cheering effect not unlike benzedrine. If you would permit me -to enjoy one last smoke of it, I would find my transition to another -and, I hope, better world infinitely more pleasant." - -The half-breed glanced questioningly at his companions, then at the -little administration building across the plain. - -"Come," my father said pleasantly. "Surely you won't refuse a man's -last wish. It takes only eight minutes to smoke an _eyla_ tube. And at -the first sign of any trickery, you can shoot." - -The half-breed shrugged. "Okay," he grunted. - -With elaborate care my father drew one of the slim, greenish tubes from -his pocket, lit it. - -Quickly the minutes slipped by. The half-breed stamped his feet against -the cold, glanced at the _eyla_. Only a tiny stump remained in my -father's fingers. - -"All right," the Venusian growled. "Let's get this over with!" - -"As you wish," my father said cheerfully. He took a last puff of the -tube, tossed it onto the ice, ground it out with his foot. One long -glance he shot toward the lights of the administration building, -shining through the gloom, then straightened up. "And now--" he -murmured. - -Six flame-guns swung up to face us. Taon, betraying his first signs of -emotion, gazed anxiously at my father. The latter's face was tense, -anxious. In another moment.... - - * * * * * - -And then it happened. A blasting, thundering roar echoed across the -plain! Dazed, I saw the windows of the administration building give -forth a blinding flash, lighting up the ice like a magnesium flare! -A sound of shattering glass, of splintering plastic reached us. The -administration building was being wrecked systematically by a mystic, -unknown force! - -With the explosion, the space-rats whirled toward it, instinctively. -At the same instant my father plunged forward, Taon at his heels. The -huge Jovian seized two of the men, crashed their heads together with -a sickening crack. Limp, they fell to the ground, and Taon passed on. -While the giant was thus disposing of two of our adversaries, my father -had leaped upon another, borne him to the ground in a wild tangle of -arms and legs. - -All this in a split second, before I could collect my wits. The three -remaining space-rats leaped back, gripping their guns. A flash of blue -flame leaped out, scorching Taon's shoulder, but before the man could -fire again the Jovian's huge fist had stretched him upon the ice. -Moving forward, I saw the Venusian half-breed aim at my father who -was still struggling with his first opponent. With all the force at -my command I hurtled forward, deflecting his arm so that the dazzling -blue bolt of flame tore up the ice, harmlessly. As I struggled with the -man I saw Taon pick up his third opponent, hurl the inert form at the -remaining space-rat, sending him to the ground. Then my father arose -from the unconscious figure of his antagonist, dug a flame-gun into the -half-breed's ribs. At once his struggles ceased; he raised his hands -submissively over his head. - -"Thanks, Stephen," my father drawled. "I shouldn't be here if you -hadn't deflected his aim. How badly are you hurt, Taon?" - -"Little burn," the Jovian rumbled. "No hurt much." He grinned as Clare -ran toward us. "No die now, missy." - -"Chin up," my father said, patting her shoulder. "It's all right now, -child. Let's go back to the house." - -As soon as our prisoners were disarmed and bound, we returned to the -administration building. It was wrecked by the explosion. Doors and -windows blown out, walls blackened. Inside, it was even worse. Chairs, -desks, splintered, the floor littered with débris--and Uncle John, a -charred and terrible figure, sprawled before the safe, one hand still -clutching an ingot of palladium. - -"What ... what was it?" I whispered. "What caused the explosion?" - -"Hydrogen," my father said gravely. "As I stood there with my hands -behind my back, I opened the hydrogen valve of that oxy-hydrogen blow -torch. We'd used a good bit of it to blast open the safe, but there was -still plenty, under that pressure, to fill the room, unite with the -oxygen already present. A gas explosion, and a powerful one." - -"But," I demanded, "what caused the gases to unite? What ignited them?" - -"And you've been working at these mines all these years?" he cried. -"Don't you know that certain metals like platinum, or palladium, act as -a catalyst? The gases are absorbed on their surface, unite. And when -hydrogen and oxygen unite...." He stooped, picked up one of the gray -ingots. "Here's what ignited that mixture! I knew I had only to stall -until enough hydrogen had entered the room to create an explosion." -He shrugged. "I suppose the play's ended. Now that John's gone, the -metal will only be divided two ways. Half to Clare, as her father's -only heir, and half to me. I'll turn my share over to you, Stephen, as -recompense for any unpleasantness I may have caused you in the past. -Your late uncle's rocket-sled is still outside. I'll have Taon load -half the palladium aboard it and you can go to Verlis, set up as a -wealthy young gentleman of leisure." He smiled, sardonically. - -I stared at him. From that smiling mask his eyes were fastened upon me. - -"And you, sir?" I asked. - -"Me?" he seemed surprised. "I'll be taking Clare and her little fortune -back to Terra. After that" ... he shrugged again. "It'd be of no -interest to you, I'm sure. Taon, take half of these ingots and put them -aboard the rocket-sled outside." - -"No!" I heard myself saying in a queer choked voice. "No! I ... I'm -coming with you and Clare. If you'll have me ... Dad." - -For the third time that night my father's bitter mocking mask fell from -him ... and this time for good. - -"Steve!" he murmured, putting an arm about my shoulders. "Steve!" - -Taon, busy picking up the gray ingots, paused, his gaze shifting from -Clare to Dad to myself. - -"Good!" he grinned. "Dam' good! All one family soon now! Very dam' -good!" - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Star Pirate, by Frederick A. 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Kummer - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: Star Pirate - -Author: Frederick A. Kummer - -Release Date: April 8, 2020 [EBook #61781] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAR PIRATE *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/cover.jpg" width="353" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>STAR PIRATE</h1> - -<h2>By FREDERICK ARNOLD KUMMER, JR.</h2> - -<p>It meant death if Vance McClean ever returned<br /> -to Ceres. Still, a cool million in palladium<br /> -was tempting bait to that exiled star-pirate.</p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Planet Stories Summer 1940.<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>It was cold that night, I remember. Cold and clear as ice. And although -Ceres has no moon ... it's hardly more than a satellite itself, ... the -starlight penetrated its thin, dustless atmosphere with surprising -brilliance, throwing weird shadows across the icy plain.</p> - -<p>Gazing through the window of the little administration building, I -could see the head of the mine shaft perhaps a mile away, and the -huts of the miners, all dark, for now that the rich vein of palladium -was exhausted, my uncle had dismissed our workmen. The scene was a -familiar one to me. I had lived on the asteroid for fifteen years and -my recollections of earth, which I had left at the age of five, were -hazy, a series of dream-like impressions of big buildings, green grass, -and warm yellow sunlight.</p> - -<p>I felt very lonely that evening with the workmen gone and my Uncle John -at Verlis arranging for our passage to earth. Cerean Mining, Inc., -had paid well these fifteen years before the vein ran out; in the -huge wall-safe behind me were stacks of the gray ingots, Uncle John's -profits over that period of time. Nearly a million dollars' worth in -earth currency. He planned to take the precious metal back to earth -with him, where its sale would bring higher prices than on Ceres, then -retire on his hard-earned proceeds. He was paying my fare back to -earth, gratis, and had arranged to get me a job there, which was more -than many uncles would have done for a needy and lonely nephew.</p> - -<p>I was thinking about earth, as I sat there at the office desk, my back -to the big wall safe, a heavy flame gun lying on the blotter before -me. I was supposed to guard the palladium until Uncle John returned, -though this was a mere formality. Ceres was too small for anyone to get -very far, and all the passenger liners leaving Verlis were thoroughly -checked. And even supposing some thief were to overcome me, force the -huge, triply-reinforced safe, he would find it hard, even in Ceres' -light gravity, to carry off a million dollars' worth of palladium. -So I wasn't greatly worried about playing guard; my thoughts were -busy trying to visualize earth, planning what I would do there when I -arrived.</p> - -<p>About eleven o'clock, earth-time, however, I awoke with a start from -my day-dreaming. A light ... a lurid flickering light ... was dancing -through the big glassex window. I leaped to my feet, gripping the flame -gun, and peered out. A sleek, silvery little space-ship was settling -down on the plain outside!</p> - -<p>As I watched the ship ride in to land on its columns of fire, a vague -uneasiness filled me. Vessels weren't accustomed to put in at the -Cerean Mining field; especially swift little craft that were neither -slovenly freighters nor stately liners. Gun in hand, I stepped to the -door of the administration building.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The ship had landed as lightly as a snowflake on the barren plain, -switched off her rockets. The air-lock clanged open and two bulky -figures in asbestoid jumpers swung down; so hot was the rock from -the rocket exhausts that their lead-soled gravity shoes left silvery -patches as they strode toward the administration building. One of the -men, to judge from his build, was a Jovian, huge, squat, mighty-thewed; -the other, a slender earthman, his face hidden by the hood that -protected him from the cold. I waited until they were within twenty -feet of me, then raised the flame-gun.</p> - -<p>"Stop where you are!" I said curtly. "This is private property ... the -property of the Cerean Mining Company. What do you want?"</p> - -<p>The earthman paused, studying me as I stood there in the light that -streamed from the doorway.</p> - -<p>"So big," I heard him mutter as though to himself. "Who'd have thought -it! Eleven years! It's passed quickly ... for some."</p> - -<p>This didn't make much sense, but it wasn't the meaning of his words -that struck me. It was his voice. There was something about the voice -that sounded a familiar chord in the back of my mind. For a moment I -tried to puzzle out the disturbing memories but without much success. -Then, shaking off the strange uneasiness, I raised the gun once more.</p> - -<p>"Stay where you are! Another step and I'll shoot!"</p> - -<p>The earthman continued to move toward me, the big Jovian in his wake.</p> - -<p>"If you must shoot, Steve," he said quietly, "I suppose there's no help -for it. You'd regret it, though, I think."</p> - -<p>Again the puzzling familiarity of that voice! Where had I heard those -calm, bitterly mocking tones before? And how did he know my name? Was -this some trick to force an entrance into the administration building -where Uncle John's fortune in palladium lay?</p> - -<p>"You asked for it!" I cried, drawing a bead on him.</p> - -<p>The stranger must have realized that I meant business. He was only -ten feet from me, now, and could have guessed from my expression that -I was about to shoot. With a swift movement he threw back the hood -that concealed his face. My arm sagged down and I heard myself give -a quick involuntary gasp. No mistaking those clean, sharp features, -those frosty, sardonic eyes, that lined, thin mouth, lips twisted in an -ironic smile! The man who stood there in the light that jetted from the -doorway was my father!</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It had been eleven years since I'd seen him, but he hadn't changed -much, except that his black hair was gray at the temples. Apart from -that, he didn't show his forty-five years in the least. Staring at -him, my memory flashed back to that night eleven years before in this -same administration building. There had been three owners of Cerean -Mining in those days. My father; his brother-in-law, Uncle John; and -big, red-haired Carl Conroy. They had formed the partnership on earth -shortly after my mother's death, come here to Ceres looking for rare -palladium. They'd just scraped along for five years, then struck the -rich vein of ore. And about two months after the big strike, there came -that terrible night.</p> - -<p>I was only nine at the time, and had been sent off to bed. I was -awakened by the hiss of a flame-gun, a short gasping cry. I remember -lying there long minutes, terrorized, then creeping to the head of the -stairs, peering down. On the floor of the big room, near the safe, -was Carl Conroy, a terrible blackened form, with my father bending -over him. I can remember Conroy's twisted figure, the stench of burned -flesh, my father's hoarse breathing. Then suddenly the door opened -and my Uncle John entered, his face gray, a gun in his hand. Uncle -John spoke slowly. He said that he'd noticed some of the palladium was -missing every morning, and he'd asked Conroy to watch the safe. Now -he knew who the thief was. My father seemed sort of stunned, choked. -And I'd clung there unnoticed, hoping to wake up and find it all a -dream. But it hadn't been a dream. Keeping his prisoner covered, Uncle -John had backed toward the micro-wave communications set to call the -authorities at Verlis. For a long moment my father stared at him, then -leaped for the door. I screamed.</p> - -<p>Uncle John could have shot him in that instant, but he didn't. He just -stood there, flame-gun in hand, as my father disappeared into the -darkness; then he climbed the stairs to where I crouched, crying, and -put an arm about my shoulders. "We'll try to forget this, Stephen," -he said to me. "There's a space-ship leaving Verlis in the morning. -Maybe he can make a fresh start somewhere else in the solar system. -We'll bury Conroy out here, report that he died an accidental death. -That's the least I can do to keep you from being known as the son of a -murderer." And I cried myself to sleep on Uncle John's shoulder.</p> - -<p>All that eleven years ago. We'd never mentioned my father again. When -people asked me, I said that he was dead. I hoped he was. The thought -of having a father who was a murderer, a thief, a fugitive in the solar -system, wasn't pleasant. Better to think he'd died bravely, decently, -on some far-flung world. And now, after eleven years...!</p> - -<p>"You remember me, then ... son?" My father laughed ironically; he -strode by me into the room, followed by the big Jovian. The latter, I -noticed, carried several large cylinders on his back.</p> - -<p>I stood there undecided, confused, fumbling with the flame-gun. My -father perched himself on the edge of the table, lit a slender, -aromatic Martian cigarette, an <i>eyla</i>, the same kind he'd smoked in -the past. Its fragrant, sharp aroma awoke memories of my childhood. -Suddenly he spoke.</p> - -<p>"Where's John?"</p> - -<p>"He's gone to Verlis, to arrange for our passage to earth. The vein's -worked out."</p> - -<p>"So that's why the miners' shacks are dark." He nodded. "I arrived just -in time, then. And from the close watch you were keeping, I'd say the -palladium was still here." For a long moment he eyed me, studying my -face. "Healthy, and as sanctimonious as John, from the looks of you. -Taon" ... he turned to the big silent Jovian ... "his gun!"</p> - -<p>Before I realized what had happened, the Jovian had snatched the -flame-gun from my grasp.</p> - -<p>"I apologize, Steve," my father said blandly, "for using force. But in -my past eleven years knocking about the solar system, I've noticed that -people are unaccustomed to yield to reason. It's for your own good, as -well. Some years ago on Jupiter I saved Taon's life. If you were to -commit an indiscretion, such as killing me, he would tear you to bits. -A faithful fellow, Taon. And since I am about to force this safe, I -felt that you might do something rash with that gun...."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>I stood there, speechless, as the huge Taon swung a double-cylindered -oxy-hydrogen burner from his shoulders. He tinkered for a moment with -first the hydrogen flash, then the oxygen one; a moment later a jet of -cruel white flame bit into the big wall-safe.</p> - -<p>"Good Lord!" I whispered. "I've known all along that you were a thief, -a murderer, but with all the solar system to prey upon, why must you -come back here! To rob your own brother-in-law, after he let you escape -that night! And to make sure your son is known as the son of a common -thief! I'd rather have the cheapest space-rat as a father than you!"</p> - -<p>For just a moment there was a cloud in my father's eyes, but the ironic -bitter smile clung to his lips.</p> - -<p>"Very melodramatic," he applauded. "You inherit that, I think, from -the other side of the family. John has the same flair for theatrics. -I regret now that the business of obtaining a space-ship, of finding -certain ... necessary persons ... took so long. Had I come sooner, I -might have aided in your education." He turned to the big Jovian. "How -goes it?"</p> - -<p>"Safe good steel," Taon grunted. "One ... two ... hour job."</p> - -<p>"No hurry." My father puffed lazily at his <i>eyla</i>, flicked a bit -of ash from his coat sleeve. His gestures, his well chosen words, -his carefully modulated voice, all indicated that he was playing -the role of debonair, cosmopolitan man of the worlds. The perfect -gentleman—even when engaged in cracking a safe! I hated him for -it! This space-rover, thief, murderer ... my father! Better to see -him imprisoned at Verlis, than to have him at large, adding to the -shame of our name. With one leap, I crossed the room, snapped on the -micro-wave communications set.</p> - -<p>"Cerean Mining, calling Verlis!" I snapped. "Come...."</p> - -<p>My father hardly seemed to move, but a pencil of blue flame from his -gun leaped across the room, blasting the radio to bits.</p> - -<p>"All right, Taon." He motioned back the Jovian, who, like a great -faithful mastiff had sprung to his side. "No need to worry." Wiping off -the gun, he turned to me. "As for you, Steve, you show more spirit than -I had suspected. Although misdirected, since there was never a chance -of contacting Verlis. However, I am going to pay you the compliment of -putting you under lock and key while we complete our business here. In -the next room, Taon, you will find, to the right of the heating unit, a -closet, used, as I remember, for over-suits. Lock the boy in it."</p> - -<p>The big man nodded, his slitted, ice-green eyes expressionless. In his -grip I was helpless; no earthman can match a Jovian in strength. I shot -one furious glance at my father; who was perched upon the edge of the -table, swinging one foot, humming placidly. For just an instant as he -felt my gaze upon him, he paused in his humming, a peculiar expression -upon his face. Then Taon carried me into the next room, pushed me into -the closet, slid the loose, rattling bolt. I was a prisoner—a prisoner -of my own father!</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>For my first few minutes in the closet, my mind was a skein of tangled -thoughts. The past that I had believed securely buried, returned to -haunt me! Another day and the palladium would have been aboard a space -liner at Verlis, Uncle John and I would have left Ceres for earth. All -my day-dreaming of a new life on Terra was ruined. If my father should -get away with the fortune in palladium, it would be broadcast over the -entire solar system. Uncle John had never reported the murder of Carl -Conroy, in hopes of saving my name. But this would be bound to come -out, and my chances of finding a job, a decent place in society, would -be wrecked when the solar system learned that I was the son of the -notorious Vance McClean. And Uncle John, who had been like a father -to me since that night of Conroy's murder, would be rendered penniless -after fifteen years' work! Unless I could escape, summon help....</p> - -<p>The closet was roomy and had a light. Not one of the new astra-lux -arcs, but an old-fashioned electric bulb hanging from the ceiling. We -don't have all the modern gadgets on Ceres.</p> - -<p>I snapped on the light, and glanced about seeking some means of -escape. On a row of nails hung several over-suits; asbestoid garments, -electrically heated, for use in the biting cold of the Cerean plains. -Nothing there. I then turned my attention to the door. It was of very -thin, very strong plastic. Taon had not locked it, only slid home the -iron bolt that fitted loosely in the brass staples. No chance, however, -of working it free from this side; and while I might conceivably force -the door open by battering against it, the noise would be sure to bring -Taon and my father from the next room to recapture me. If any escape -were made, it must be done quietly. Outside I could hear the roar of -the oxy-hydrogen torch, cutting into the big wall-safe where my uncle's -fortune in palladium was stored.</p> - -<p>Then suddenly the idea struck me. A wild idea, true, but one which, if -it succeeded, would enable me to draw the bolt quietly. I turned to the -rear of the closet, and began working back and forth one of the nails -upon which over-suits were hung. After some difficulty, it came loose. -My next task was more difficult ... stripping the wire from one of the -electrically heated suits. The point of the nail aided me in ripping -open the tough asbestoid. At length I obtained fully ten feet of wire -and commenced wrapping it about the nail. This done, I tore loose the -bulb and socket from the light, and, working in the dark, in danger of -a severe shock, managed to connect the live wires to my wire-wrapped -nail, forming a crude, but, I hoped, powerful magnet. But was it -powerful enough to be effective through the thin, tough plastic door?</p> - -<p>I paused, listening. The sound of the torch would cover the noise of -drawing the bolt. And if I could escape unobserved, climb through one -of the windows.... Holding my magnet against the door jamb, I moved it -slowly to one side. A faint squeak seemed to indicate that the bolt -had moved. I repeated the operation again, and again, drawing the bolt -a fraction of an inch each time. The little magnet, separated from -the piece of iron by a quarter inch of steel-tough plastic, still had -sufficient force to grip the bolt, draw it slightly. At last, after a -score or more attempts, the bolt slid clear of the brass staples. A -touch of my shoulder sent the door ajar. I was free!</p> - -<p>Very cautiously I peered through the crack. The room before me was -dark, but beyond the doorway at its far end I could see Uncle John's -office, brilliantly lighted by the whitish flame of the oxy-hydrogen -torch. My father was still seated upon the edge of the table, swinging -one foot; his face was intent, far-away. He seemed to be peering into -the dim mists of the past as he sat there, and I noticed that his -suave, bitter mask had vanished. Taon was working on the safe. His -brutish, colossal shadow was visible on the wall like that of some -great grim satyr.</p> - -<p>With infinite care I pushed open the closet door, stepped out, then -slid the bolt again to make it appear that I was still a prisoner. On -tiptoe I approached a window, raised it. Still no sound other than the -hiss of the torch. I swung down to the ground, closed the window behind -me, and ran toward the sleek silvery little space-ship.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The ice-covered plain was bitter cold; I had neglected to put on one -of the asbestoid over-suits. The deserted huts, the head of the mine -shaft loomed like a row of dark specters in the wan starlight. And -since the cold light of the stars was cast from different angles, -double, triple and even quadruple shadows fell across the barren -wastes. Bleak, desolate, to an earthman, but I was used to the cold -Cerean scene. Great jagged pinnacles of rock stabbing like crooked -daggers at the frosty sky; rounded meteor holes dug into the ground; -occasional patches of pale ice-moss, dangling like white beards from -the grotesque rocks; and beyond, the glistening plain, dropping away to -a ridiculously close horizon. I gasped in the cold air as I ran, felt -it bite my lungs. Without gravity shoes, I covered the distance to the -ship in a dozen great bounding leaps. No signs of life were visible -aboard her and I felt that from the size of the little vessel it was -unlikely she carried more of a crew than my father and Taon. If there -were others aboard, I would have to take my chances.</p> - -<p>I glanced up at the ship. Her burnished hull shone in the thin light; -the heavy outer door of the circular air-lock remained open as my -father had left it. I reached up, grasped the metal stanchion, drew -myself into the air-lock. A moment later I had pushed open the inner -door, entered the vessel.</p> - -<p>The little ship was dimly lit, shadowy, inside. Glancing about, I found -myself in a narrow companionway, one end of which led to the living -quarters of the craft, the other, stretching in the direction of the -control room. I turned in this latter direction, running softly to -prevent my shoes from clanging on the metal floor-plates; for while the -ship was silent as a tomb, I could take no chances on anyone else being -aboard, surprising me.</p> - -<p>The door to the control room, at the end of the passage, was open. For -a moment, as I raced along the corridor, I had entertained thoughts of -making off with the ship, leaving my father and Taon marooned on Ceres, -where they would soon be tracked down. Sight of the control panel, with -its complicated array of dials, gauges, and switches, soon dispelled -this illusion. I had never flown a space-ship before, and any attempt -on my part to do so now must surely result in disaster. But with the -big ultra-wave communications set that stood to one side of the control -panel it would be a simple matter to call Verlis, as I had previously -attempted, and notify Uncle John.</p> - -<p>Hastily I spun the dial to the wave length of the station at Verlis, -called their letters. The voice of the operator there answered me.</p> - -<p>"CQR, Verlis, Ceres," he snapped. "Go ahead!"</p> - -<p>"Stephen McClean, of Cerean Mining," I whispered, bending low over -the mike. "My uncle, John Gibson, is in Verlis. He'll be either at -the hotel or the space-port, making arrangements for the transport of -his palladium to earth. Send someone to find him at once! It's vital! -Tell him" ... I hesitated a moment, wondering whether to mention the -robbery and bring in the I.P. patrolmen. But it might be possible to -stop my father's evil work without disgracing our name ... "tell him," -I went on, "that Vance McClean is here, that he'd better round up a few -men and return as quickly as possible! Got it? As quickly as possible! -It's urgent!"</p> - -<p>"Right." The Verlis operator replied. "Checking back!" He repeated my -message to me.</p> - -<p>"Okay," I exclaimed. "Hurry!"</p> - -<p>"Anything wrong?" the operator asked.</p> - -<p>"Only a ... family affair," I said, and snapped off the set.</p> - -<p>The message sent, my nerves lost some of their tension. Uncle John had -gone to Verlis in his big rocket-sled. With its exhausts opened full, -the sled could race over the icy plain well in excess of a hundred -miles an hour. And since Verlis was only a short distance away he could -reach the mine, with luck, in thirty minutes.</p> - -<p>I glanced through the big observation port of the control room. The -window of the administration building was still lit by the white-hot -glare of the oxy-hydrogen torch. An hour was necessary to cut through -the steel doors of the safe, Taon had said. But the hour must be -nearly up. I had to make sure that they didn't get away before Uncle -John arrived. But how? At that moment my glance fell on the intricate -control panel. If that were smashed....</p> - -<p>My eyes swept the crowded control room, fell upon a heavy metal stool, -drawn up at the navigator's table. I seized it, swung it high above my -head. Thrown into the panel, it was sure to wreck the array of delicate -instruments. And with them smashed, the ship would be grounded here -indefinitely. My muscles tensed as I prepared to heave the stool into -the fragile mass of wire and glass tubing. Another moment and....</p> - -<p>"Don't throw that chair!" A clear, firm feminine voice came from the -doorway behind me. "Set it gently on the floor! Any tricks and I'll -shoot!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>For just a moment I hesitated, the stool held high over my head. A -woman ... here! Then I felt the muzzle of a gun dig into my back, and I -knew that whoever the woman was, she meant business. I set the stool -carefully on the floor, turned, hands raised, to face my captor.</p> - -<p>The owner of the clear voice was young, slender, her well-modeled -figure sheathed in a shining green cellatos dress. Her hair was the -coppery red of a Martian desert, and her eyes were cloudy blue, the -color of distant hills. The hand that held the gun was steady, her -expression was determined.</p> - -<p>"I thought I heard voices," the girl said. "Who were you talking to?"</p> - -<p>"Only the radio." I nodded toward the set, grinning. "I called Verlis -to tell them the Cerean Mining's safe is being cleaned out by my -charming father."</p> - -<p>"Your father!" The girl's figure stiffened. "Then you're Steve McClean! -And you've notified your uncle to come here? Oh, you fool! You fool!" -Tears of anger filled her eyes, adding rather than detracting from her -beauty.</p> - -<p>I stared at the girl, puzzled. What was she doing on this ship? And -how did she know about me, about Uncle John? There was, of course, one -simple explanation of her presence, but somehow I didn't like to think -of it.</p> - -<p>"Now that you've found out who I am," I said, "maybe you'll tell me -your name? And your status aboard this ship?"</p> - -<p>She didn't answer. Her lips moved, but she seemed to be talking to -herself.</p> - -<p>"Five minutes since he called Verlis; not over half an hour's run in a -rocket sled." Then, squaring her shoulders. "Keep your arms raised! And -head for the air-lock! We're going to the administration building to -warn Captain McClean!"</p> - -<p>I had no choice with the flame-gun tightly gripped in the girl's hand. -Arms raised, I stumbled from the control room, along the companionway, -through the air-lock. The girl walked behind me like a shadow, her face -pale, deadly earnest.</p> - -<p>Leaving the ship we set out across the bitter icy plain toward the -administration building. The blue-white light no longer streamed from -the window. Which meant only one thing. The great wall-safe had been -forced! A million in palladium, Uncle John's life savings, were at my -father's disposal! Unless that rocket-sled broke all records returning -from Verlis....</p> - -<p>"Hurry up!" the girl behind me said through chattering teeth. "I'm -freezing!"</p> - -<p>I quickened my pace, bounding across the all but gravity-less plain. -Snow creaked under our feet, our breaths were white clouds, our shadows -sprawled like grotesque monsters on the pale ice. At length we reached -the low crystalloid building; the girl's gun digging into my back, I -opened the door, entered.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The room was a scene of desolation. To one side of the safe stood the -twin-cylindered blow torch, shut off, now that its work of destruction -was done. The huge door of the safe, its lock melted away, the edges -of the hole glowing cherry-red, gaped wide, revealing stacks of small, -steel-white ingots. Palladium ... a million dollars' worth! Taon, the -big silent Jovian, was busy taking the bars of precious metal from the -safe, grunting with satisfaction as he stacked the ingots on the floor. -My father, as we entered, had just taken a small, leather-bound book -from the safe, was leafing through it with a queer expression on his -face. On seeing us, he whirled about, gasping,</p> - -<p>"Clare! And you, Stephen!" He turned, frowning, to the big Jovian. -"This is your fault, Taon! You have done poorly! I ordered him locked -up."</p> - -<p>"Don't blame Taon," I grinned. "It wasn't his fault!"</p> - -<p>Without a word my father strode into the next room, unbolted the -closet. At sight of my home-made magnet, still dangling from its wires, -he nodded blandly.</p> - -<p>"Very good, Stephen," he said, re-entering the room. "You show signs of -real ingenuity. I'm afraid I underestimated you." He glanced at me with -an air of satisfaction.</p> - -<p>"More than you think!" the girl Clare exclaimed. "We've got to hurry! -He radioed John Gibson at Verlis to return at once! He put the call -through before I knew he was on the ship!"</p> - -<p>For a long minute my father remained silent, puffing at his eternal -Martian <i>eyla</i> studying the greenish clouds of smoke as though the -future lay revealed in their swirling tendrils. The girl bit her lip -impatiently, glanced nervously toward the door. Taon stood motionless, -his broad, ugly face stolid, awaiting orders.</p> - -<p>"I must confess," my father said at length, "that matters haven't -turned out just as I had expected. I had intended to take the -palladium ... and my loving son, here ... aboard the ship, make a quick -getaway. Now, thanks to that message to Verlis, I am known to be the -person responsible for the ... ah ... robbery, and will be pursued by -the I.P. men. Moreover, there is another matter" ... his glance fell -upon the leather-bound book he had taken from the safe ... "that has -caused me unexpectedly to change my plans. I think it is wiser all -around for us to remain here."</p> - -<p>"But you can't!" the girl cried. "It's madness! He can have you -arrested for murder! My father's...."</p> - -<p>I never heard the rest of what she was going to say. The staccato roar -of rockets, the grinding of steel brakes biting into ice, drowned -out her words. A rocket-sled was screaming to a stop before the -building, the flare of its exhausts flickering through the window like -terrestrial lightning.</p> - -<p>Taon stiffened, his hairy hand seeking the butt of his flame-gun. The -girl went whiter still. And I drew a quick sigh of relief for the first -time in the past two hours. Only my father betrayed no emotion; he sat -there like an image carved from ice, that bitter, mocking smile on his -lips.</p> - -<p>With a bang the door of the building slammed open. Uncle John, tall, -gaunt, bushy-browed, strode into the room, frowning.</p> - -<p>"Good evening, John," my father said pleasantly. "We've been missing -you. You're all that's needed to complete this family reunion."</p> - -<p>"Vance! Then it was true, Stephen's message! You've nerve, coming -here!" Uncle John shook his head. "Thief! Murderer! Liar! I suppose I -was a fool to let you escape that night. I only did so for the honor -of the family and the name of Stephen, here. And so you return to -commit another robbery, to make sure your son is known as the son of a -space-rat!"</p> - -<p>"You touch me deeply, John!" my father observed dryly. "As -sanctimonious as ever! Pure, honest John Gibson! Ceres' outstanding -citizen!" He surged to his feet, leaned across the desk; for the -second time that night his cold, mocking mask dropped, revealing the -man beneath. Eyes like glowing coals, face etched in savage lines, he -stared at my uncle. "I've thought of you a great deal these eleven -years! In the radium fields of that hell-planet Mercury, hunting gold -in the stinking Venusian jungles, prospecting the dusty, choking -deserts of Mars! And there was one thing that kept me going! The -thought of this minute! A year ago I'd scraped together enough to -buy the little space-yacht outside. Then I had to go to Terra, find -Clare...." He motioned toward the girl.</p> - -<p>Uncle John swung about, noticing the girl for the first time as she -stepped from the shadows. His face took on a drawn, tight look.</p> - -<p>"Who is this girl?" he croaked.</p> - -<p>"Allow me." My father waved an airy hand. "Miss Clare Conroy, daughter -of the late Carl Conroy."</p> - -<p>"Daughter of...! But I didn't know he had a daughter! Why is she here?" -Uncle John whirled about. "What deviltry is this? You, the murderer of -her father, kidnaping the daughter...."</p> - -<p>"Not kidnaping, Mr. Gibson," Clare said quietly. "I came of my own free -will."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>I gasped. This girl, Conroy's daughter! And she'd come with the man -who had killed her father, to the scene of the crime, was aiding him -in stealing the palladium. I felt as though I were living some mad -nightmare.</p> - -<p>My father, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying himself hugely. He -stumped out his <i>eyla</i>, smiled ironically across the desk.</p> - -<p>"You see," he said, "Clare has faith in me. She believes that after her -father's death, and my own foolish flight, the partnership agreements -were destroyed, leaving you, John, sole possessor of Cerean Mining. -You didn't know Conroy had a daughter on earth. I was a fugitive who'd -never dare go to court over my share, and Stephen knew nothing of the -arrangement, and wouldn't have contested if he had. Thus Cerean Mining -was yours."</p> - -<p>"You're accusing me of robbery?" Uncle John roared, the veins of his -temple standing out. "You ... a murderer, a thief! Good Lord! You -accuse me when I arrive to find you committing burglary!" He pointed -to the blasted safe door.</p> - -<p>"I'll admit," my father said, smiling, "that my original intention was -to take two-thirds of the palladium, force Stephen aboard, and leave. -With a murder charge hanging over me, I couldn't afford to take the -matter of the metal to court. But now something has occurred that in my -wildest dreams I hadn't hoped for. At no time did I take into account -that vain, boastful streak in your character, John. You had committed -an act which you thought supremely skilful, supremely clever, yet -you had to play the pious, honest business man. You longed to boast -of it, to tell someone, but to do so would have meant your neck. And -so, bursting to recount your cleverness in gaining control of Cerean -Mining, you yielded to sheer folly. You kept a diary!" My father waved -toward the leather-bound book he had found in the safe.</p> - -<p>For just an instant Uncle John remained motionless, shadows flickering -over his gaunt face. Then he leaped, clutching for the book.</p> - -<p>Quick as he had been, Taon was quicker. The big Jovian seemed to slide -across the room as though on wires. His huge hand caught Uncle John, -held him back as one would hold a child.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" width="462" height="500" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>My father, who had not even blinked, flipped through the pages of the -little black book.</p> - -<p>"It <i>was</i> clever, John," he said serenely. "Very subtle. You heard me -coming, that night, rayed Conroy, ran outside. I entered, knelt at his -side. It was then, dying, that he told me of his daughter on earth. A -moment later you entered, caught me supposedly red-handed. Stephen, -on the stairs above, saw me kneeling beside Conroy, saw you enter. -Even so, I might have had a chance in court if I hadn't lost my head, -run away. Naturally you hushed the matter up, 'for the honor of the -family.' You didn't want an I.P. patrol investigating the crime. The -mine was in your control and you won Stephen over by not prosecuting -me. It might have been wiser if you had. However, I also believe in -the honor of the family. Clare and I have no wish to see you in the -lethal-ray chamber. We'll take a third of the palladium apiece," he -motioned toward the heap of gray ingots, "and leave you a third. Which -you don't deserve."</p> - -<p>Eyes hollow pits, my uncle stared at the precious metal. The million he -had counted on, reduced by two thirds! His bony fingers clutched his -belt tightly.</p> - -<p>"And if I refuse?" he said slowly.</p> - -<p>"You'll be turned over to the authorities at Verlis for the murder of -my father!" Clare's voice was like a silken lash.</p> - -<p>Then suddenly Uncle John threw back his head, laughing.</p> - -<p>"You fools!" he said. "D'you think I'd come back here alone after my -beloved nephew so kindly warned me? There's plenty of room in my sled!" -He raised his voice, shouting, "Scott! Carr! Help! Quick!"</p> - -<p>At once the front door of the administration building burst open and -half a dozen space-rats, denizens of the slums of Verlis, swarmed into -the room, flame guns in hand. Vaguely I heard Clare scream and I dove -to snatch up the gun she let drop. As I whirled to face the intruders, -a bolt of blue flame leaped out, knocking the gun from my hand. Taon -crouched to spring, his huge muscles standing out in ridges, but my -father's quiet voice halted him.</p> - -<p>"No good, Taon," he said quietly. "They'd only blast you to bits. I -must, I think, be getting old. I should have realized he'd have men -with him. Well, John," he turned to my uncle, "you win this round. Just -what do you propose to do?"</p> - -<p>"Your ship is outside," Uncle John said with an unctuous smile. "And -these men of mine can handle her. I'm taking this palladium back to -earth with me!"</p> - -<p>"And us?" my father asked quietly.</p> - -<p>"So far as Ceres knows, you will have left aboard the yacht with me. So -far as Terra will know, you four contracted space-fever and were buried -in the void. All heirs, claimants, to the palladium gone, leaving me -sole owner. As for this diary" ... he tossed the book onto the floor, -blasted it to ashes with a beam from his flame-gun. "And now," he went -on calmly, "my men will take the four of you outside, dispose of you. -Buried under a few feet of ice, your bodies will certainly never be -found."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Clare's hand fluttered to her throat. I stood there stupidly, gaping. -My whole life seemed to be whirling like a pin-wheel. This cold killer, -my Uncle John! My Uncle John whom I had trusted, who had been a father -to me these eleven years! I felt that I should say something, do -something heroic, but I could only stare. The six space-rats, their -guns ready.... Clare's pallid face ... Taon, standing there like a -colossal robot. All at once my father's voice broke the brittle silence.</p> - -<p>"Come, come, John!" he said dryly. "You're being melodramatic now. Such -slaughter is useless."</p> - -<p>I watched him as he spoke. He was standing near the safe, hands behind -his back, outwardly very calm, but I could see his eyes darting about -the room in search of some means of escape. Uncle John must have -noticed his eyes, too, for he waved the men forward.</p> - -<p>"No chance for any of your tricks, Vance," he said harshly. "You four -stand in my way and you're going to be removed! Take them out!"</p> - -<p>Still stunned, I stumbled from the room between two of the space-rats. -One of them, a half-breed with Venusian blood predominant, walked -behind Clare, gun in hand. Despite her pallor she kept her chin high. -Taon was stolid, emotionless as always, while my father was jaunty, -careless, as though merely going for a stroll. As we passed through -the door, I glanced back. Uncle John was busy picking up the ingots of -palladium; he seemed to have forgotten us already. His eyes were bright -with avarice, triumph, and he seemed to caress each bar of the precious -stuff as he touched it. The sight filled me with sudden rage.</p> - -<p>"You're mad!" I cried. "Mad! You can't hope to get away with this!"</p> - -<p>He glanced up impatiently. "Hurry up with it!" he snapped, and slammed -the door behind us.</p> - -<p>Like four automatons, we crossed the icy plain. Near a jagged pinnacle -of rock, on the edge of the landing field, the half-breed paused.</p> - -<p>"As good a place as any," he grunted. "Line them up over there!"</p> - -<p>They placed us with our backs to the rock, retreated several paces, -flame-guns ready. I shot a furious look at my father. Was he going -to see us all butchered by the energy blasts without so much as a -struggle? Better to go down fighting than this. And Clare ... so young, -lovely.... I was just flexing my muscles for a desperate leap when my -father spoke.</p> - -<p>"Gentlemen," he said, "it would be to your credit to permit at least -one of us to die happy. Now it so happens that I am addicted to the use -of the Martian <i>eyla</i>. It is, I find, far superior to terrestial tobacco, -having a cheering effect not unlike benzedrine. If you would permit me -to enjoy one last smoke of it, I would find my transition to another -and, I hope, better world infinitely more pleasant."</p> - -<p>The half-breed glanced questioningly at his companions, then at the -little administration building across the plain.</p> - -<p>"Come," my father said pleasantly. "Surely you won't refuse a man's -last wish. It takes only eight minutes to smoke an <i>eyla</i> tube. And at -the first sign of any trickery, you can shoot."</p> - -<p>The half-breed shrugged. "Okay," he grunted.</p> - -<p>With elaborate care my father drew one of the slim, greenish tubes from -his pocket, lit it.</p> - -<p>Quickly the minutes slipped by. The half-breed stamped his feet against -the cold, glanced at the <i>eyla</i>. Only a tiny stump remained in my -father's fingers.</p> - -<p>"All right," the Venusian growled. "Let's get this over with!"</p> - -<p>"As you wish," my father said cheerfully. He took a last puff of the -tube, tossed it onto the ice, ground it out with his foot. One long -glance he shot toward the lights of the administration building, -shining through the gloom, then straightened up. "And now—" he -murmured.</p> - -<p>Six flame-guns swung up to face us. Taon, betraying his first signs of -emotion, gazed anxiously at my father. The latter's face was tense, -anxious. In another moment....</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>And then it happened. A blasting, thundering roar echoed across the -plain! Dazed, I saw the windows of the administration building give -forth a blinding flash, lighting up the ice like a magnesium flare! -A sound of shattering glass, of splintering plastic reached us. The -administration building was being wrecked systematically by a mystic, -unknown force!</p> - -<p>With the explosion, the space-rats whirled toward it, instinctively. -At the same instant my father plunged forward, Taon at his heels. The -huge Jovian seized two of the men, crashed their heads together with -a sickening crack. Limp, they fell to the ground, and Taon passed on. -While the giant was thus disposing of two of our adversaries, my father -had leaped upon another, borne him to the ground in a wild tangle of -arms and legs.</p> - -<p>All this in a split second, before I could collect my wits. The three -remaining space-rats leaped back, gripping their guns. A flash of blue -flame leaped out, scorching Taon's shoulder, but before the man could -fire again the Jovian's huge fist had stretched him upon the ice. -Moving forward, I saw the Venusian half-breed aim at my father who -was still struggling with his first opponent. With all the force at -my command I hurtled forward, deflecting his arm so that the dazzling -blue bolt of flame tore up the ice, harmlessly. As I struggled with the -man I saw Taon pick up his third opponent, hurl the inert form at the -remaining space-rat, sending him to the ground. Then my father arose -from the unconscious figure of his antagonist, dug a flame-gun into the -half-breed's ribs. At once his struggles ceased; he raised his hands -submissively over his head.</p> - -<p>"Thanks, Stephen," my father drawled. "I shouldn't be here if you -hadn't deflected his aim. How badly are you hurt, Taon?"</p> - -<p>"Little burn," the Jovian rumbled. "No hurt much." He grinned as Clare -ran toward us. "No die now, missy."</p> - -<p>"Chin up," my father said, patting her shoulder. "It's all right now, -child. Let's go back to the house."</p> - -<p>As soon as our prisoners were disarmed and bound, we returned to the -administration building. It was wrecked by the explosion. Doors and -windows blown out, walls blackened. Inside, it was even worse. Chairs, -desks, splintered, the floor littered with débris—and Uncle John, a -charred and terrible figure, sprawled before the safe, one hand still -clutching an ingot of palladium.</p> - -<p>"What ... what was it?" I whispered. "What caused the explosion?"</p> - -<p>"Hydrogen," my father said gravely. "As I stood there with my hands -behind my back, I opened the hydrogen valve of that oxy-hydrogen blow -torch. We'd used a good bit of it to blast open the safe, but there was -still plenty, under that pressure, to fill the room, unite with the -oxygen already present. A gas explosion, and a powerful one."</p> - -<p>"But," I demanded, "what caused the gases to unite? What ignited them?"</p> - -<p>"And you've been working at these mines all these years?" he cried. -"Don't you know that certain metals like platinum, or palladium, act as -a catalyst? The gases are absorbed on their surface, unite. And when -hydrogen and oxygen unite...." He stooped, picked up one of the gray -ingots. "Here's what ignited that mixture! I knew I had only to stall -until enough hydrogen had entered the room to create an explosion." -He shrugged. "I suppose the play's ended. Now that John's gone, the -metal will only be divided two ways. Half to Clare, as her father's -only heir, and half to me. I'll turn my share over to you, Stephen, as -recompense for any unpleasantness I may have caused you in the past. -Your late uncle's rocket-sled is still outside. I'll have Taon load -half the palladium aboard it and you can go to Verlis, set up as a -wealthy young gentleman of leisure." He smiled, sardonically.</p> - -<p>I stared at him. From that smiling mask his eyes were fastened upon me.</p> - -<p>"And you, sir?" I asked.</p> - -<p>"Me?" he seemed surprised. "I'll be taking Clare and her little fortune -back to Terra. After that" ... he shrugged again. "It'd be of no -interest to you, I'm sure. Taon, take half of these ingots and put them -aboard the rocket-sled outside."</p> - -<p>"No!" I heard myself saying in a queer choked voice. "No! I ... I'm -coming with you and Clare. If you'll have me ... Dad."</p> - -<p>For the third time that night my father's bitter mocking mask fell from -him ... and this time for good.</p> - -<p>"Steve!" he murmured, putting an arm about my shoulders. "Steve!"</p> - -<p>Taon, busy picking up the gray ingots, paused, his gaze shifting from -Clare to Dad to myself.</p> - -<p>"Good!" he grinned. "Dam' good! All one family soon now! Very dam' -good!"</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Star Pirate, by Frederick A. 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