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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..9023644 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #64190 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/64190) diff --git a/old/64190-0.txt b/old/64190-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 94ccb09..0000000 --- a/old/64190-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1627 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Purple Forever, by Jack Lewis - -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 -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Purple Forever - -Author: Jack Lewis - -Release Date: December 31, 2020 [eBook #64190] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PURPLE FOREVER *** - - - - - PURPLE FOREVER - - By JACK LEWIS - - _Three men on Venus ... lolling about in their - shirt sleeves and breathing in an atmosphere of - chlorine and ammonia that was sure to kill a man - in thirty seconds. The pictures lied! ... they - must lie! Trick photography?... Inquisitive Carl - Keating found the true answer even stranger._ - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Planet Stories November 1953. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -The envelope was addressed in a bold sprawling hand that barely left -room for the seventy-five cent special delivery stamp in the upper -right hand corner. It was a nice stamp--a blue one commemorating the -fiftieth anniversary of Harvey's first landing on Mars. Carl Keating -tore it open. Inside was a single sheet of good paper, typewritten on -one side. The message read: - - Dear Mr. Keating; - Must see you at once. - Norman Hamlin - -He'd barely slid the letter back in its wrapper when the desk phone -rang. Automatically he pushed the view-plate to a respectful fifteen -inches and threw in the video. The screen swirled for a moment in a -milky blur, then abruptly a man's head and shoulders jumped into focus. -He was a lean, angular-faced man, with thin shoulders and thinner lips, -which at the moment were set in a Lincolnish smile. - -"I'm Dr. Hamlin," the face in the screen announced. "You got my letter?" - -Carl nodded. "I have your letter doctor, but I'm afraid you have the -wrong man. I can't imagine what you'd want to see ME about." - -The image on the screen expanded as Norman Hamlin leaned toward the -view-plate. "You are Major Carl Keating, retired?" the mouth asked. - -Carl pushed the instrument back hoping the other man would do the -same. "Retired as of last Tuesday," he said, "at the tender age of -thirty-six. What's on your mind, doctor?" - -The mouth got bigger till it filled the entire screen. "Major Keating, -would it be possible for you to come out to Long Island tonight?" - -"It would not!" - -"Please it's...." - -"Dr. Hamlin," Carl said not bothering to keep the annoyance out of his -voice, "in the first place I don't even know who you are; in the second -place I'm packing for a vacation in Paris; and in the third place if -there's anything I detest, it's talking down someone's throat. Now if -you don't mind...." - -"Wait!" The image on the screen diminished, till over the narrow -shoulders Carl could make out a book-lined study, and beyond that a -sunken living room. "It's important--very important." - -"So's my vacation." - -"Suppose I were to make it worth while to postpone your vacation?" - -"I'm afraid my while is worth more than you could offer," Keating said -bluntly. - -"I can offer five thousand dollars," Norman Hamlin said. "It's yours -just for coming out to Wading River tonight and listening to what I -have to say." - -"You mean you'll pay five thousand dollars just for the privilege of -talking to me?" - -Hamlin nodded. "You listen to what I tell you. Then, if you aren't -interested, you pick up your five thousand and leave. It's as easy as -that." - -Keating reached across the desk and scanned the envelope. "I have the -address," he said. "I'll be right out." - - * * * * * - -It was the peak of the rush hour when he left the apartment. Overhead, -a congested swarm of copter traffic buzzed like an angry beehive. A -block away was a monorail kiosk. Ever conscious of the strange feel of -his new civvies, Keating entered it and boarded a Huntington express. -From there it was only ten minutes to Wading River by copter-cab. Dr. -Hamlin had left the lawn lights burning, and even before he'd paid his -fare, was standing at his elbow. He extended a hand in greeting. "You -made good time," he said. - -Keating gripped the other man's hand. "You made a good offer." - -Hamlin gestured him through an opening in the dura-glass ell of -the house. The room was a library, the same one he'd seen over -Hamlin's shoulder during the phone conversation. In the center of the -book-bordered room was a rectangular table. A man sat at the head of it. - -"Sit down," the man said. - -Carl sat down. The man at the head of the table was robust, almost to -the point of flabbiness. He was probably in his late twenties, but the -pink flush on his cheekbones and a pair of broad-arched eyebrows gave -him a mannequin appearance. - -"This is Mr. Stewart Ferguson," Dr. Hamlin announced. - -"Not THE Mr. Stewart Ferguson?" - -"I take it then you've heard of him?" - -Carl studied the man whimsically. "Yeah, I've heard of him," he said. -"All the way from here to Mars and back I've heard of him." - -Stewart Ferguson lit a cigarette. "Am I to understand, Mr. Keating, -that you don't approve of my so-called behavior?" - -Carl shrugged. "Who am I to comment on your behavior? If I had your -money I'd probably act the same way you do. Who doesn't want to sleep -with a video actress?" - -Dr. Hamlin coughed. "There are times when perhaps the newspapers have -exaggerated Mr. Ferguson's escapades. Furthermore, I hardly think his -private life is any concern of ours." - -"I'm not concerned," Carl said. "If I'm being paid five thousand -dollars to listen to an evening's chatter I'd as soon listen to -Ferguson's autobiography as anything else ... might even come down on -my price a bit." - -Stewart Ferguson dug into his coat pocket and came up with a sheaf -of bills. He threw them across the table. "That takes care of our -agreement," he said, "now suppose we get down to the business you're -being paid to listen to." - -Carl picked up the bills and rapped them across his knuckles. For just -a moment he toyed with the idea of throwing them back in the playboy's -face. He didn't. Not only was five thousand dollars a lot of money, but -his curiosity was aroused. "I'm listening," he said. - -Norman Hamlin braced his bony elbows on the table and leaned toward -him. "Mr. Keating, in the course of the three trips you made to Mars -with the military, what was it that stood out foremost in your mind?" - -"Men's emotions vary," Carl said carefully. "An architect would -probably admire the beauty of the Martian cities, while a gourmet would -savor the taste of candied encoms. Probably the thing that impressed me -most was the friendliness of the people." - -Hamlin drummed his fingers on the table. "I see," he said. "You'd say, -then, it was a reasonably nice place to live?" - -"Reasonably nice," Carl agreed. "Certainly nicer than the -science-fiction writers had pictured it." - -"Better than Earth?" - -Carl shook his head. "Not as far as I'm concerned. My tastes run to -sandy beaches and women with real eyelashes. That's just my personal -opinion you understand. There's almost eighty-thousand people who -disagree with me--I believe that was the latest migration figures." - -Hamlin thumped his pipe against the edge of the table. "I understand -you've just returned from Venus, Mr. Keating. Can you give us a short -briefing concerning your reactions to that planet?" - - * * * * * - -Carl eyed the man warily. "I'll be as brief as possible. There's been -four landings on Venus in almost forty years. All these have been made -by the military. That to me is a pretty substantial indication that no -one would go there unless they were ordered to!" - -Hamlin smiled. "I didn't mean quite as brief as that, Mr. Keating. I -had rather hoped you'd be a little more explicit." - -Carl frowned. "I find it a bit hard to understand just what you're -driving at Dr. Hamlin. After all, there's been over a hundred books -written on the subject. What can I add to the books? Maybe I could cram -in a few more ghastly adjectives, but even then it wouldn't explain -what the place was really like. You'd have to go there to find that out. - -"How can you explain to someone sitting in a comfortable drawing room, -the terrors of plodding through a swamp, knee deep in green fog, and -wondering when a forty foot reptile is going to sink its teeth into -your leg. How can you explain the sheer mental fatigue of waiting for -a needle-nosed scorpion to puncture your space jumper, knowing that -the atmosphere right on the other side of your face-plate can kill you -in thirty seconds. How do you explain an atmosphere of chlorine and -ammonia for that matter--or a color. I say purple-brown to you and it -don't mean a thing. But look at the angry purple-brown landscape of -Venus for two years like I did and you'd know what I mean. - -"It's a primitive planet, Dr. Hamlin. Right now, according to the -geologists, Venus is just like the earth was ten million years -ago. Life is forming on it--primitive life. Take the chowls, for -example--you see replicas of them in every department store window. -They look a little like teddy-bears, especially when they walk. Still -they have ten fingers and ten toes. Archeologists tell us they're -humanoid. Yet only half-a-million years ago they crawled out of the -oceans. Maybe in another two million years they'll be living in houses -instead of thatched hovels and pointing guns at people instead of -running like a star-bound flame-buggy every time they hear a noise. -But right now they're scared. They're out of their natural element and -they're scared, the same way our own Neanderthal man was scared before -he found out how to fashion a rock-hammer." - -Dr. Hamlin lit his pipe. "You're quite sure then, Mr. Keating, that man -will never be able to live there?" - -"Live there! Man can't even breathe there! There's less than one tenth -of one percent oxygen in the air." - -Dr. Hamlin pressed his fingertips together. "Mr. Keating," he said, -"just how much do you know about the three men who were lost on the -first Venus expedition?" - -"Only what's in the history books," Carl said. "It's more or less of a -legend, how Edgerton, Rhind, and Mitchell, were separated from the main -party and never seen again." - -"Died contributing to man's conquest of space," Ferguson said with mock -drama. - -"It wasn't a pleasant death," Carl said quickly. "I'd bet on that." - -"Mr. Keating," Hamlin said, "do you have any ideas as to just why these -three men should have disappeared at this time?" - -Carl shook his head. "Could have been anything, I guess. They could -have got lost and ran out of oxygen. They could have gotten snake bit. -I wouldn't know. The whole thing happened before I was born." - - - II - -Dr. Hamlin got up. "No, there was more to it than that. In spite of the -fact that it happened almost forty years ago, I happen to know that -the situation didn't occur exactly as the history books would have you -believe. The army, it is true covered up for them and made them heroes, -but Edgerton, Mitchell, and Rhind, in reality, took off on their own. -They took off without orders or permission, just a few hours before -take-off-time, with nothing except a six week supply of oxygen, a -portable air-blister, and a few supplies." - -Carl studied the man's face. The story was true. In his cadet days, -old spacemen had spilled the story too many times for him to doubt its -authenticity. "Suppose you tell me what all this is getting at?" he -hedged. - -Hamlin crossed the room. From a desk drawer he removed a palm-sized -photo-cartridge and inserted it in the video adaptor. The room lights -dimmed as the three dimensional screen brightened, dancing in a -kaleidoscope of color. The colors merged. - -He was staring into a vivid reproduction of a Venusian landscape. The -picture had been taken from a small hill. Below was the violet-brown -monotony of a saroo forest, visible only in small islands, where -the roof of the trees stabbed out from the swirling green fog. And -beyond that, almost lost in the haze, was the outline of a pair of -reddish-brown spires, that reared out of the jungle, rising, till they -were lost in the ever present layer of upper clouds that shrouded the -planet. It was an ugly scene--ugly, yet strangely beautiful. - -The camera swiveled in a 180° arc. They were looking up the hill -now--looking up to where the hill tore itself loose from the green-fog -level, rising for perhaps half a mile, then disappearing in the white -ocean overhead. Halfway up the hill was a cluster of flare trees, their -purple-brown leaves drooping in the ammonia-soaked air, and underneath -the trees, a house--not the blister-type oxygen tents used by the -military, or the thatched hovels of the chowls, but a real earth-style -house with a peaked roof and pillar supported porch. Abruptly, the -picture widened into a sharp closeup, revealing an open doorway. A -man--an earthman--stood framed in the threshold. He was a clean-shaven -man, probably in his early twenties. Two other men slightly older, -lolled in a pair of rustic chairs set on the open veranda. Apparently -none of the men were aware of the camera that recorded their every move. - -Carl was aware of his hands gripping the chair arms. Except for the -weird backdrop of flare trees and raton vines that flanked the house, -he might have been looking at a peaceful summer resort in the Canadian -Rockies. But it wasn't an earth picture. These men were on Venus -lolling about in their shirt sleeves and breathing in the atmosphere of -chlorine and ammonia that was sure to kill a man in thirty seconds! - -It was trick photography. It had to be. Quickly, he flicked a look -at Dr. Hamlin, then looked back at the screen. One of the men was -elbowing himself out of the chair now. He walked to the edge of the -porch railing and stared directly into the camera. There was something -vaguely familiar about the man--about all the men. - -Suddenly, Carl tensed forward on the edge of the chair, conscious of -a cold icicle of movement that snaked the length of his spine. The -picture on the screen flicked out, abruptly. The room lights were on -again, and Stewart Ferguson was studying him with detached insolence. - -"Well?" Ferguson asked. - -Carl ignored him, and turned to Norman Hamlin. "Did I see what I think -I saw?" he asked. - -Hamlin nodded. - -"But those men!" - -"You recognized them?" - -Carl swallowed, hard. The highball he'd had three hours before churned -up in his throat. "Of course I recognize them," he said thickly. -"They've been commemorated on postage stamps and cut in stone at every -spaceport in the country. But they're dead! Been dead for forty years!" - -Hamlin turned up his palms. "You saw the pictures," he said evenly. - -"Possibly the military has been deceiving us for forty years," Ferguson -drawled. "Maybe they only made up that story about the poisonous -atmosphere." - -Keating felt a hot flush rise to the back of his neck. "That's not -true," he said with obvious restraint. "I was there--for two long years -I was on Venus, and it's bad, every bit as bad as the army says it is. -You'd have to smell the stuff yourself to know what I really mean. It's -so bad that even after you drop your jumper in the airlock and shower, -the stuff follows you inside and stinks the ship up from here to Pluto -and back again. The army's not lying. Not about that they're not!" - -"How do you account for the photos then?" - -"I don't know," Carl said wearily. "All I know is that for forty years, -no man...." He stopped suddenly, as all at once the full enormity of -the situation dawned on him. Those men on the screen. He'd recognized -them of course from their pictures. But how about those pictures? -The pictures he'd seen of Edgerton, Mitchell, and Rhind, were old -pictures.... Pictures taken almost forty years ago! - - * * * * * - -As if from far away, Hamlin's voice was droning in his ears. "Perhaps -it's not quite as ridiculous as you may think, Mr. Keating. There's -a widely recognized theory that the very air which gives us life, -also gives us death. In fact, one of the chief reasons for the high -migration to Mars is the fact that man's life expectancy on that -planet is almost thirty percent greater than on our own. Now let's -suppose that the three men who deserted the first Venus expedition -had in some way found a way to breathe the air of that planet. Is it -so inconceivable that the atmospheric content might be conducive to -extremely high longevity--perhaps even immortality?" - -Carl wanted to say something--anything. "When--when were these pictures -taken?" he finally managed. - -"Just a little over four months ago." - -The voice had an oddly nostalgic ring to it. Carl turned. The man had -apparently entered the room unnoticed. He was a big block-shouldered -man, with brown eyes and a mat of inky-black hair that all but covered -a low sloping forehead. He could have passed for a cargo hand at the -Montauk Spaceport, except that Carl knew different. - -"No need to introduce myself, is there?" the man said. - -Carl shook his head. To Hamlin he said: "Paul Spero just got back from -Venus too. We were discharged together--as if you didn't know." - -"You should have stuck around Keating," Spero said. "Right after you -left, I tied in with a three-day party. You missed out on a good time." - -"I'll bet," Carl said. "I take it that you were the one who brought -back the pictures?" - -Spero forced a grin that didn't quite make the width of his mouth. -"That's right. While you and the rest of the crew were entertaining -yourselves collecting fossils I did some research on my own." - -"Did it ever occur to you that the military might want these pictures?" -Carl asked. - -The other man made a noise with his nose. "Just what did the military -ever do for me, Keating?" he asked "Fifteen years I spent as a crewman -on every flame-buggy from here to Titan and back, and after all that, I -get pensioned off a miserable second lieutenant." - -"You'll have to admit," Carl said, "there were times when your conduct -fell something short of exemplary." - -Spero tossed him a sloppy salute. "Yes, Major," he said with mock -formality. Abruptly he strode over to where Carl was standing. "I don't -think you quite get it yet, Keating," he said thickly. "Try using your -imagination. Forget about the griping we did when we were stationed -there. It's different now. Edgerton, Mitchell and Rhind have found -a way to breathe, and the secret of breathing is also the secret of -immortality. Suppose I'd been sucker enough to turn this information -over to the high brass? Inside of half-an-hour, those men would have -been interrogated. Inside of a week, the information would have been -radioed back to Terra. And by now, every one on this earth and his -great maiden aunt would be selling their soul to get passage to Venus. -And where do you think all this would leave us Keating? I'll tell you -where ... we'd be right here sweating out a priority list long enough -to stretch from here to Pluto and back!" - -Carl studied the man's face. "I take it then you didn't talk to these -men when you took the pictures?" - -Spero shook his head. "No," he said carefully. "At first I had all I -could do to keep from running up to them, but then I figured that if -they saw me, they'd know there was a spaceship on the planet. All kinds -of things went through my head; one of them was that maybe they were -sick of Venus and would try to make contact with the ship and spill -their story. In the end, I just hid behind a clump of saroo trees and -took the pictures." - -Carl let his gaze wander about the room. He had to think. Then, -almost as if it had been prearranged, he found himself looking into -a full-length mirror on the far wall. The reflection he saw wasn't -old--the hair, while slightly lighter at the temples, was still for -the most part dark-brown. He had a good build too, and except for a -few creases radiating from the corners of his eyes, his skin had the -smooth sort of thickness that many men in their middle-thirties would -have envied. He'd kept himself well. It would probably be fifteen or -twenty years yet before the almost invisible lines in his cheeks and -forehead would begin to widen into deep grooves. But it would happen. -It would.... - -And it didn't have to. - -He knew what the proposition was now. He turned to Dr. Hamlin. "Let's -see if I have it figured," he said. "You want to go to Venus and look -for this fountain of youth. Ferguson's financing the trip, and Spero -is the Ponce de Leon who knows where to look. All you need is a pilot. -Right?" - -"Think it over carefully, Mr. Keating," Hamlin said. "Don't be hasty in -your answer." - -Spero too had noticed the note of rejection in his voice. "You'd better -grab the chance, Keating," he said. "Right now I'll admit I don't like -Venus anymore than you. But we're going to change all that. Right after -the migration starts there'll be cities, and parks and railroads. And -we'll be the ones responsible for all of it. We'll be heroes--not just -for ten or twenty years, but forever!" - -"Did I hear someone say forever?" - -The voice had a resonant, almost musical pitch to it. It was deep and -throaty, more like an adolescent boy's voice than a woman's. She was -standing at the arched entrance to the library, one hand balanced on -the jade statue flanking the threshold. She had finespun taffy-blonde -hair and a complexion to match. She wore a gray-green krylon dress, the -same color as her eyes. It looked good on her. A space jumper would -have looked equally well. - -"I don't believe you've met my daughter," Dr. Hamlin said. "Diane, this -is Mr. Keating." - -Diane crossed the room. The pressure of her fingers was quick, and warm -and suggestive. "Hello, Mr. Keating," she said. - -Carl was aware of mumbling something polite. Across the room, Stewart -Ferguson had derricked himself out of the chair. Spero remained seated, -caressing the girl with his sultry brown eyes. - -Diane flicked an imaginary wisp of hair back from behind her ear. "Have -you decided to join us, Mr. Keating?" she said. - -"Us?" - -She searched his face. "Why, yes. Didn't Dad tell you there'd be five -of us. After all, who'd want a slice of immortality more than a woman." - -"Immortality for a goddess," Ferguson said blandly. - -The soft, red mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. Then the brief look -of annoyance was gone. "You will come, won't you?" she said. - -Keating avoided her eyes. Again he found his gaze wandering to the -wall mirror; looking at his own face, coarse and ruddy looking against -Diane's soft white shoulder. - -"Count me in," he said quietly. - - - III - -Keating opened his eyes slowly, dimly aware of the familiar throbbing -headache and a dull racking pain around the chest. Hazy-looking behind -a galaxy of dancing spots was the instrument panel. He shook his head -sideways--hard. The spots dissolved and the big panel board jumped into -focus. The ship was two hundred miles above the Montauk Spaceport. He -flicked a glance over his shoulder, half expecting to see the familiar -blue uniforms of his fellow crewmates. Instead he saw three men and a -girl--a girl with long shapely legs and taffy-blonde hair. - -So it was true then. It hadn't been a dream after all. - -After the passengers began to stir, he turned. "Have a nice sleep?" he -asked. - -Diane shot him a pale smile. - -Stewart Ferguson pretended to applaud. "Splendid Captain," he said -contemptuously. "A momentous speech for a momentous occasion. Come, say -something more for the history books!" - -There was an awkward silence. Then Spero guffawed. Carl bit off the -angry reply that jumped to his lips. "All right, I will," he said. "How -about someone brewing a pot of coffee?" - -Diane got up and disappeared into the galley. Minutes later, she -returned with a tray of containers. She stopped momentarily when Spero, -leaning against one of the ports at the end of the companionway, said -something to her, then abruptly, she quickened her pace. When she -handed Carl the coffee her face was a deep scarlet. - -Carl Keating stared vacantly out of the blister window watching the -fleecy-white rim of the earth roll up toward them. The trip, less than -one hour old, was already a hotbed of smoldering emotions. Worst of -all, was the fact that things were almost sure to get worse before -they got better. Under the best of conditions, space does strange -things to individuals cramped together in the confines of a ship. -Army records are crammed full of case histories where men, failing to -adjust themselves to existing conditions, have reacted in ways which -are probably best left in the files. But military men are schooled and -conditioned for space, and while complete and mutual understanding -seldom exists, there is usually, even as there was between Spero and -himself, an unwritten live-and-let-live policy among crew members. - -But they weren't in the army anymore, and no one seemed more aware -of it than Paul Spero. Never a model officer, Spero in his new-found -freedom, had become almost unbearably obnoxious. Nor could he expect -any cooperation from Stewart Ferguson. He could handle him, he hoped. -All of which brought him to the big question. What about Diane? - -It was probably a paradox that while the more unsavory military case -histories were due to men being without women, the proximity of a -long-legged taffy-blonde in this case was a factor more conducive to -mutiny than harmony. - -And curiously enough, it was Diane Hamlin herself, who came up with -at least part of the answer. She was smart--whether or not she'd -been around was a question to ponder over while staring into the -star-studded blackness beyond the blister ports. But one thing was -certain: the girl had an almost uncanny knowledge of the working's of -men's minds, an insight of psychology which she applied diplomatically -if not ruthlessly to all aboard. - -With just the right amount of good-natured tolerance she either ignored -or subtly evaded the bluntly-pointed remarks of Stewart Ferguson and -deftly sidestepped the impulsive hands of Paul Spero. On several -occasions when a crisis seemed imminent, she disappeared--always -good-naturedly and on a new logical pretense--into the small cubbyhole -to which she'd been assigned. So tactfully was all this accomplished -that they'd already passed the halfway mark before Carl realized that -he hadn't spoken to her alone since during the preparations. - - * * * * * - -He was mildly surprised therefore, when while spelling Spero at the -controls during the sleep period, he became suddenly aware of someone -standing at his elbow. She was wearing a robins-egg-blue dressing robe, -loose-fitting except around the curve of her breasts. She sat down in -the co-pilot's seat next to him. - -"Mind if I keep you company awhile? I can't seem to get to sleep." - -"A pleasure," Carl said with genuine enthusiasm.... He stopped -awkwardly, wondering what to say.... Impulsively, he ran his open hand -across the width of the blister glass. "Want a hunk of space, baby. Say -where to cut and I'll slice it for you." - -She smiled a little. "You sound a little like Ferguson when you talk -that way." - -Carl pretended to check the dials. - -"Carl?" - -On his forearm he could feel Diane's fingers. He turned. - -"What makes a man like that?" - -He moved his shoulders. "I don't know, unless it's because he's always -been able to buy anything he's ever wanted. As far as I know, there's -only been one thing he hasn't been able to buy, and he's working on -that." - -"You mean immortality?" - -Carl ignored the question. "Why ask me about Ferguson's mind anyhow?" -he asked suddenly. "You're the psychologist of this expedition." He -watched her nibble on her lower lip for a moment, then went on: "You -don't have to admit it. I just want you to know you've been doing a -good job. I don't know how long you can keep it up or what happens -after we get to Venus, but up till now you've been doing all right. -There's only one thing wrong with the setup as far as I can see, and -that's that this arm's-length policy apparently applies to me as well -as it does to everyone else. I know it's necessary to the plan, and I -know it's a selfish argument, but it bothers me!" - -She turned and faced him. For a moment it occurred to him she was -angry, but when she spoke, her voice was soft, and deep, and lingering. -"I'm sorry, Carl, but you can see why it has to be this way.... I -mean--" - -Carl leaned over suddenly and kissed her full on the lips. She didn't -pull away. Neither did she respond the way he'd have liked her to. -After a brief interval he felt the pressure of her hand against his -shoulder. - -"Please Carl, not now." - -"When?" - -She turned away. On the starboard port he could see the reflection of -her finely-moulded face. She looked wistful, almost on the verge of -tears. - -"I don't know, Carl," she said wearily. "Maybe after we're settled on -Venus. Maybe after the migration starts." - -Keating hacked up a laugh. "Just what makes you so sure there's going -to be a migration, or for that matter any little men who never grow old -as long as they have their daily diet of ammonia and chlorine?" - -He watched her turn, felt her eyes bore into him. "You don't believe -it, do you?" - -"I'm not sure," Carl said carefully, "I want to believe it, only I've -listened to so many bug yarns in my time it's probably warped my sense -of values. The whole thing just sounds too fantastic." - -"But the pictures?" - -"The pictures were real enough," Carl admitted. "I'd vouch for that. -It's just that if you'd ever caught a whiff of that stuff like I have, -you'd know that no one could breathe it and stay alive for sixty -seconds, much less forever." - -"What do you think we'll find?" - -Carl shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe the story's true. Sometimes I find -myself wondering what it would be like to be immortal--I mean after all -the willful-wishing's over with, and you get down to thinking about it -in terms of 'what's-in-it-for-me.' Most of us think of immortality as -being something we could have on our own terms. But suppose everyone -were immortal, the way they'll be--or could be--after this so-called -migration starts. How much will people have really changed. They'll -have just as many problems--bigger ones in fact, 'cause they'll be -living on what to me is just about the God-awfulest hunk of crud in the -galaxy. And the only thing they're getting in the way of compensation -is the knowledge that these same troubles are going to go on forever." - -She was staring at him now--attentively with her lips slightly parted. -"You feel this way, and you still agreed to come," she said evenly. -"Why?" - -Carl forced a smile. "Like I said, maybe I can have it on my own terms. -It's a gamble, but if it pays off it'll be worth it." - -Diane got up. "I'd best be getting back," she said. - -He watched her till she disappeared around the corner of the -companionway. Then he fixed his gaze on the marble-sized disc to the -right of Polaris. - -"Immortality, and thou," he murmured. - - * * * * * - -Carl Keating nosed the ship into a standard satellite maneuver, -circling the planet twice before he cleaved into the unbroken -ocean of ammonia clouds that shrouded the planet. Then they were -falling--falling through a smoky whiteness that boiled against the -portholes, settling in spots, and condensing into tiny rivulets that -ran the length of the amber glass. The ship shuddered sharply three -times as its powerful thrust engines reached out, challenging the -herculean fingers of gravity; fighting them--fighting them to a draw. -Then the misty ports cleared, and the ship settled with a gentle bump -in the center of a broad meadow. - -Not till after the controls had been checked, and the atomic reactor -switch set to recharge, did he look at the passengers. They were -standing in the companionway, their faces pressed against the ports. He -crossed the control room and peered over the bony shoulder of Norman -Hamlin. - -Dismal-looking, even through the amber glass, the miserable panorama -rolled away from them. A quarter-mile away, the meadow ended at the rim -of a small ridge, beyond which a hill dipped down--down across the roof -of a purple-brown saroo forest that merged with an abyss of swirling -green fog that swallowed up the horizon. In the foreground, a few -packing cases lay scattered about in front of a large white hemisphere -topped by a radio antenna and American flag. It was all there, exactly -the way it had been left by the military almost six months ago. - -"That's a permanent building," Carl said to no one in particular. "Just -before we evacuated, Colonel Brophy stocked it up with all our excess -supplies, just on the chance someone might be crazy enough to come back -here. We even left the separator running when we left. So take a good -look at it, 'cause inside that bubble is the only breath of air on the -whole planet." - -"Very nice of the military," Ferguson commented dryly. - -"Let's hope we won't have to use it long," Dr. Hamlin said. - -Carl looked out the port. Rain, that doused the planet almost twenty -hours a day, had started to fall, settling in small puddles at the base -of the ship and drenching the broad-leafed saroo trees. - -"I wouldn't bet on it," he said. - -As if in a trance, Diane continued to stare at the melancholy -landscape. "It's more that awful color than anything else," she said -finally. "It makes everything seem so angry looking. How about the rest -of the planet? Is it all like this?" - -"No," Carl said, "it's not all like this. That's the trouble. This -is one of the more livable spots. That's why it was chosen by the -military. Roughly ten percent of the planet lies above water, but out -of that, only five percent of the terrain is in the visual belt." - -"I'll play the straight man," Ferguson said. "Tell us, Captain, what is -the visual belt?" - -"The visual belt represents the altitude from approximately three to -four thousand feet above sea level," Carl told him. "Below that you -have the green ground haze you see over the tops of those trees, and -above it is the ten-mile-thick layer of clouds that never lift. Both -are so thick, that except around the fringe areas, you can't even count -your own fingers." - -"Nice place to take your girl for a walk," Ferguson said, looking at -Diane pointedly. - -"Is anyone interested in what I think?" Spero said suddenly. - -"Think away," Carl said. "Who's there to stop you?" - -"That's exactly what I'd like to talk about," Spero said grimly. "It -seems to me that for a fellow who left his rank back at the separation -center, you've certainly been assuming a lot of authority around here." - -Carl felt a warm flush rising to his cheekbones. "We've been in space," -he said. "The pilot of a ship is responsible for the actions of -everyone aboard." - -Spero jerked a thumb at the blister port. "I've got news for you, -Keating," he said. "We're not IN space anymore, so you may consider -yourself relieved of your authority. For five weeks now we've watched -you swagger around the ship like the hero of a grade-B space-opera, and -frankly I think we're all a little sick of it!" - -"Aren't you dramatizing this a little heavy," Diane said suddenly. - -"Shut up!" Spero said harshly. - -Stewart Ferguson sat down, folding his hands in his lap. "My, my," he -said. "A real live mutiny, just like one reads about. Tell me, when -does Jack Jupiter come crashing through the lock-door?" - -"I wasn't aware that anyone in particular was in command," Diane -persisted, "but if you think we need someone, I'd suggest we take a -vote." - -Spero grinned. "No, honey. We all know who your money's riding on. -That's why you can forget all those dreams about you and Keating -settling down in a saroo covered cottage for the next three or four -thousand years. You see, I've got different plans." - -From the slash pocket of his tunic Spero suddenly whipped out a -snub-nosed needle gun, waving it carelessly across the width of the -cabin. He flicked a glance at Ferguson. - -"Surprise," he said. "Jack Jupiter just crashed the lock-door. I'm Jack -Jupiter!" - -"You'll never get away with this," Carl said. - -The smile on Spero's face broadened. "Oh, come Keating. How corny -can you get? I have gotten away with it. Since I'm the only one who -can lead you to immortality, what's more natural than for me to take -command? My first official act will be to detail you, Ferguson, and -Dr. Hamlin to go outside and activate the blister. You'll find space -jumpers in the airlock. Diane and I will stay here and figure out a -plan of action." - -Carl took a step forward. "I'm afraid we can't go along with your -plan," he said quietly. - -Spero leveled the lethal end of the weapon against his chest. "You're -acting stupidly, Keating. You know you can't stop me, just as you know -I'll kill you if you try. You above all people should know that." - -There was a stagnant silence, during which Carl held his ground. -Violently he was aware of the beating of his own heart. The tapping -got louder as he watched Spero's finger tighten on the trigger. Then -suddenly he realized it wasn't his heart. SOMEONE WAS TAPPING ON THE -THICK GLASS INSIDE THE CONTROL ROOM. - -Spero heard it, too. For a confused moment, his trigger-finger relaxed -as he tried to flick a quick glance toward the source of the sound. - -Then the world exploded in his face. - - - IV - -Carl left Spero lying on the floor where he dropped him. Stopping only -to scoop the gun off the floor, he ran to the control room. The tattoo -on the glass stopped when he entered. A face peered in at him--a face -curiously without emotion. It was a hairy-face, except around the eyes -and mouth, where three patches of yellow skin peeked through, giving -the appearance of three yellow bull's eyes. - -Carl stared at the creature, fascinated. In his entire stay on Venus, -never had he observed a chowl at such close range. For perhaps five -seconds the chowl stared back at him, then quickly bounded off the ship -and disappeared toward the forest. - -He turned. Diane, standing at the entrance to the control room was -regarding him curiously. "They look almost human, don't they?" she said. - -"They are human," Carl told her. "Humanoid anyhow according to the -people who are supposed to know about these things. We don't know too -much about them really. They're so timid, it's a novelty to get within -half-a-mile of them." - -"This one wasn't." - -Carl scratched his head. "I know. It's the first time I've ever got -that close to one. I guess he didn't know what a spaceship was. You -notice he didn't wait very long after he saw us through the window." - -"What are you going to do about Spero?" Diane asked suddenly. - -Carl walked over to the gun cabinet where he poked around a moment, -then returned with the key. "I don't know," he admitted. He placed both -hands on the girl's shoulders. "Just how much does this immortality -really mean to you?" - -Diane appeared to think about it a moment. "I'm not sure. I'm not sure -at all. Sometimes I find myself wondering if I'm not more interested in -finding out how it's accomplished than I am in applying it to myself. -Do you feel that way, too?" - -Carl looked out the window. - -"I've always felt that way," he said. - - * * * * * - -Spero, aided by Dr. Hamlin, was just beginning to stir when they -returned. He shook his head dazedly for a moment, then sat up massaging -his jaw. - -Keating regarded him with a questioning stare. "What do you think we -should do with you?" he asked bluntly. - -Spero patted his pockets and came up with a cigarette. After it had -been lighted, he blew the smoke in Carl's direction. "If you were -smart, you'd kill me," he said. "Only you're not smart. You know you -won't, and I know you won't. So suppose we all relax and stop trying to -build up suspense." - -Carl dropped his hand inside his pocket, allowing his grip to tighten -around the butt of the needle gun. "What makes you so sure I won't kill -you?" he said. "I could, you know. The fact you know where Edgerton and -his cronies are wouldn't stop me. I could probably find them myself if -I wanted to. And I'm not even sure that I want to." - -Spero took a drag on the cigarette and derricked himself to his feet. -"I wasn't thinking of that," he said quietly. "I just happen to know -that you haven't got it in you to kill a man in cold blood, Keating. -I could do it but not you. You got too many principles. The worst you -could bring yourself to do, Keating, would be to put it up to a vote. -And if it came to that, everyone here--probably you included--would -vote to let me off on the promise that I wouldn't do it again. Go -ahead, put it to a vote. See if I'm not right." - -Keating let his eyes wander across the cabin.... To Stewart Ferguson, -white-looking, and curiously without comment.... To Diane, outraged -amazement on her face--but still a woman. And to Norman Hamlin, -wondering what made the man tick--but still a doctor. He looked back at -Spero, blowing small curls of smoke at the ceiling. - -No, he didn't have to take a vote. - -Impulsively, he waved the gun in the direction of the cubbyhole where -Diane had been sleeping. "Get in there," he said tightly. - -Spero stubbed out the cigarette, swiveled a tight-lipped smile across -each member of the party, then shrugged his shoulders and shuffled into -the room. - -Carl locked the door and stuck the key in his pocket along with the key -to the gun case. While neither of the locks were built for durability, -at least Spero would have to make a noise opening them. - -To the others he said: "I'd suggest we make our future plans without -figuring on Spero's cooperation." - -"But how can we," Dr. Hamlin said. "We'll have to find Edgerton, -Mitchell and Rhind first. They're the only ones who know the answer to -what we're after." - -"The secret of immortality is nothing more than the secret of breathing -the air here," Carl said crisply. "Let's not kid ourselves about that." - -"Well, what is the secret?" Hamlin said impatiently. "I'm sure I -haven't the slightest idea." - -Carl studied the man intently. - -"Haven't you?" - -Diane shot him an odd look. - -"What's that supposed to mean?" Hamlin said hotly. - -Keating ignored the question and jerked a finger at the window. -"Suppose we leave Spero here and go over and activate the blister. It's -much more comfortable. It'll be a nice change after being cramped up -here for six weeks." - -"Suppose you explain that statement first?" Hamlin said. - -"There's jumpers in the airlock," Carl went on. "I'll explain after -we're settled over there. Who knows, maybe by that time I'll be ready -to apologize." - -"I certainly hope so," Hamlin mumbled. "I can't understand what's got -into everyone all of a sudden." - -"This way," Carl said. - -Inside the lock, he helped each member of the party into a jumper and -adjusted the air valves. When everything was in order, he pressed a -switch, and the lock-door hissed open. - -Another moment, and they were wading through the purple-brown, -ankle-deep slosh of Venus. The blister-building was only about three -hundred yards from the ship, but the rain--coming down in torrents -now--had turned the ground into a soft-slimy ooze that was sometimes -knee deep. - -Carl led the way, shouting instructions through the speaker-unit -encased in his helmet. Once when Diane fell, he went back and helped -her to her feet. Through the helmet glass, he could see her face for -a moment. Then she jerked her arm free and plodded on. Behind him he -heard Stewart Ferguson swear. - -It took a full twenty minutes to reach the building. It was big. Two -hundred feet in diameter at the base, it sloped out of the sea of mud -like a giant stemless mushroom. Carl led the party around the base to -the far side where the lock-door was situated. Then he stopped. - -The rest of the party had caught up with him now. They stood in -a restless semi-circle in front of the great doors. From behind -mud-splattered face-plates, three pairs of eyes were regarding him -curiously. He didn't answer their solemn stare. Instead he continued to -stare at the great lock-doors. - -They were open. - - * * * * * - -For a full minute he stared into the darkness, then he touched the -switch of his helmet lamp. The beam, seemingly thick enough to walk -on, stabbed into the cave-like interior. He went in. First, he'd have -to get the pumps working. Then, after the lethal gases had been pumped -out, start the separator motors. Even then, the place wouldn't be -livable for three weeks. He swore. - -Abruptly, from behind him, he became aware of three flickering beams -of light. Diane and the two men were following him inside. He turned, -waving his arms backward. "Stay back!" he called. "Wait till I get the -lights working." - -He watched them stop. - -And then, the lights WERE working. They came on all at once, -illuminating the big structure with dazzling brilliancy. From behind -him, he was aware of the staccato crackle of a squawk-box being readied -for use. Then, like a bass drum in a brick tunnel, a voice boomed out -of the stillness: - -"Welcome! Welcome to Venus!" - -He stepped back, trying to peer over the row of packing cases. The -voice had originated from the control room at the far end of the -building. He flinched when something touched the sleeve of his jumper, -then relaxed when he saw Diane peering at him through a mud-stained -face-plate. The men had joined him, too, looking at him and shifting -from one foot to the other. - -The squawk-box was silent now. Impulsively, Carl allowed his gloved -hand to brush against the butt of the needle pistol holstered in the -webbed-belt of his jumper. - -"The gun won't be necessary, I assure you. I'm unarmed!" - -The speaker stood at the far end of a corridor of wooden cases, -spotlighted in the glow of an overhead lamp. He was a young man, -with close-cropped sandy-blonde hair. He wore a blue spaceman's -uniform--obviously salvaged from one of the cases. - -He remained motionless a moment, like a man waiting for the press -photographers to finish, then walked slowly toward them, his bare hand -extended in greeting. - -"I'm Raymond Edgerton," the man said. - -Awkwardly, Carl grasped the bare hand with the thick glove of his -jumper. "I know," he said. He was suddenly at a loss for words. What -DID one say at a time like this? Certainly not the time-worn Dr. -Livingston cliche. - -Stewart Ferguson said it anyhow. - -Carl studied the man carefully, watching the rise and fall of his -breathing. The man WAS breathing--breathing the lethal gases that -should kill him in thirty seconds. - -"You find it hard to believe, don't you?" Edgerton said suddenly. - -Carl nodded. "I have a nephew who collects stamps," he heard himself -saying. "He has one with your picture on it. It's a rarity now, 'cause -it's almost forty years old, but the picture on the stamp looks just -like you--just like you do NOW!" - -"How is it done Mr. Edgerton?" Diane asked pointedly. "Why is it that -you can breathe this air when it kills everyone else?" - -Edgerton's eyes narrowed when he heard the voice. Then he leaned -over and peered into the mud-stained face-plate. He smiled. "I'll be -damned," he said. "A woman. A real live woman! Pretty too." - -"How is it done?" Diane persisted. - -Edgerton's grin faded. He turned to Carl. "You mean you don't know?" - -Carl eyed the man, his lips set in an aggravating silence. Then: "Yes, -I know. Or at least I think I know. Furthermore, Dr. Hamlin knows too. -He's known all the time. Obviously, this girl is the only one who's -still in the dark. I think it's about time someone told her." - -"Wait!" Dr. Hamlin said. - -"Say, what's this all about?" Edgerton said suddenly. "Where's Paul -Spero anyhow? Rhind and Mitchell are waiting!" - -Carl flicked a look at Diane, then turned back to her father. "Are you -going to tell her? Or should I?" - -"Tell me what?" Diane said. "How does he know about Paul Spero? Spero -told us...." - - - V - -"Spero told us a lot of things," Carl said thickly. "He told us he'd -taken pictures without speaking to anyone. It served his purpose better -to keep us in the dark about how this immortality thing was really -worked until after we got here. After that, he figured he'd take -over and we'd have to go along with him whether we liked it or not. -Furthermore, Ferguson and your father were in on it from the beginning, -weren't you?" - -"Please," Dr. Hamlin said nervously, "it's not near as bad as you're -making it out to be. It's only a minor adjustment." - -"Minor adjustment!" Carl grasped the arm of Diane's jumper, pulling her -along with him through the long corridors of boxes. At the far end of -the structure, he found what he was searching for. Three boxes--slitted -in front like a zoo cage. And inside the boxes, peering at them through -sad yellow-rimmed eyes--were three chowls. - -"There's the answer to your immortality," Carl said grimly. "Rhind and -Mitchell were both doctors--surgeons. Do you get it now?" - -Raymond Edgerton and Norman Hamlin had joined them now. "Mr. Keating," -Edgerton said, "I'm sure if you were a doctor, you wouldn't be -so squeamish about a thing like this. After all, what's a simple -operation?" - -"Simple operation!" - -Carl reached over clamping his gloved hands on Edgerton's shoulders. -Quickly, he raked the steel-tipped fingers of both hands down the man's -back. There was a tearing noise, as the open-collared shirt ripped -apart at the seams, revealing a broad fleshy back--smooth-looking -except for where an angry gash dipped in a deep U between the shoulder -blades. - -He jerked his thumb back to where the chowls were chattering restlessly -in their cages. "In case you don't know it," he said, "chowls are -humanoid. They're the only things on this planet with any sign of -intelligence. Killing them's not only murder. It's worse than murder. -It's genocide! All that has to happen is for this story to get back -to Terra, and you'll have every quack who can wield a scalpel up here -cutting the lungs out of these poor creatures!" - -Alongside him, he was aware of Diane getting sick inside her helmet. -Ferguson coughed. - -"Since you were apparently aware of this all the time, Keating, just -why did you come along?" Ferguson asked. - -"I wasn't aware of it all along. It wasn't till I saw Dr. Hamlin -nursing Spero's jaw that I began to wonder why he wanted a doctor along -in the first place. He needed you to finance the trip, and he needed me -to pilot the ship. But why Dr. Hamlin unless there was some need for -a surgeon? Then I remembered the chowls, and everything began to fall -into place." - -Ferguson sat down on one of the wooden cases. "As usual Keating, you're -not being very logical. As a matter of fact, he didn't need the good -doctor at all. He had two doctors right here. Remember?" - -Carl nodded. "Yes, I remember," he said grimly. "That was the part of -the puzzle that didn't fit. But now I think I've even got the answer to -that." - -"Do tell?" - -"Yes, I'll tell you," Carl said ruthlessly. "It was because with all -the build-up these would-be-gods gave you about this immortality -gimmick, they were sick to death of it. They were sick of the -loneliness, sick of the rain, sick of the color of purple. In short, -they were sick of this foul planet and were willing to trade it in for -whatever the earth had to offer them! That's where Dr. Hamlin came in." - -Doggedly, Carl spun on Edgerton, trying to draw the tatters of his -shirt back across his back. - -"Who's lungs were you going to take, Mr. Edgerton? Mine, or Stewart -Ferguson's?" - -He was aware of Diane pulling on his arm. He turned to the two men in -the mud-splattered jumpers. "We're leaving for Terra in an hour," he -said crisply. "Are you coming, or staying?" - -Ferguson and Hamlin stared at each other. - -"Make up your mind!" - -Abruptly, Dr. Hamlin walked over to where Diane was standing. "I'm an -old man," he said. "All I have back on Earth is twenty years at the -most. Stay with me, Diane?" - -Breathlessly, Carl watched the girl--watched her shake her head, -slowly. "How about you?" he asked Ferguson. - -For a long moment, Ferguson appeared undecided. Then he looked at -Dr. Hamlin. "I'm in trouble back home," he mumbled. "Bad trouble. -They're going to find out about it any day, if they haven't found out -already.... I--I'd better stay." - - * * * * * - -With Diane grasping his arm, Carl started down the long corridor of -packing cases toward the open lock-door. - -"I'm sorry it turned out this way," he said. "As soon as we ready the -ship I'll go back and talk to them again. Maybe they'll change their -minds." - -Diane didn't answer. Instead she turned a last backward glance toward -her father. It was a long glance. Too long. He was aware of her -steel-tipped fingers digging into the sleeve of his jumper. He wheeled. -Ten feet away, standing in a niche between the wooden cases, was a man. -He wore a regulation space jumper and helmet, and was regarding them -curiously over the barrel of a Westinghouse-chain-rifle. The man spoke: - -"I'm interrupting something, I hope," he said evenly. - -The man was Paul Spero. - -Carl eyed the man warily. Diane choked out a heavy gasp. - -"You should have killed me back in the ship like I suggested," Spero -said smugly. "Now I'm going to have to kill you instead." - -Carl flicked a quick look at Diane. "What about her? Are you planning -to kill her too?" - -The overhead light sparkled briefly across the rifle barrel as Spero -snapped the weapon to his shoulder. Across the sights he said: "Diane -will stay here with me. That's the way I planned it and that's how -it'll be." - -"I know I'm interfering with your plans," Carl said with mock-concern, -"but I don't think she is. Not unless she wants to of course." - -From behind the face-plate, Spero flashed a double row of teeth. "Stop -stalling for time, Keating. You had your chance on the ship, and you -muffed it. Now it's my turn!" - -Carl waited--waited while Spero's gloved hand tightened against -the trigger-switch. The bolt coil snapped back. There was a dull -click--nothing else.... - -"Did you really think I'd be stupid enough to leave you alone with a -case full of live guns?" Keating said thinly. - -Bewildered, Spero snapped the rifle down to chest level, fumbling -awkwardly with the trigger assembly. - -"It won't work," Carl said indulgently. "Before we left the ship I -removed the anodes from every gun in the case. It's an old army trick, -in case you haven't heard." - -With Spero glaring at him, Carl allowed his arm to brush against his -own needle gun. He didn't bother to draw. - -"I think your friends are waiting for you," he said. - -Back in the control room, Carl went through the motions of readying -the ship for take-off. Back in the galley he could hear Diane sobbing -softly. - -Idly, he glanced out of the amber blister ports toward the big -sphere-like structure that rose out of the sea of purple mud. It looked -evil, and ominous-looking against the rain-sodden backdrop of the saroo -forest. - -Then from the edge of the tree line, moving shapes suddenly began to -make an appearance. He rubbed his eyes. There were hundreds--no, -thousands of them. Slowly and curiously they poured out of the -rain-soaked forest, deliberately converging on the open lock-doors of -the huge, white building. Some were carrying sticks, some stones, some -nothing. It was as if the mystic forces of evolution had chosen this -exact moment to endow the chowls with an emotion hitherto lacking in -their makeup. Call it hate; call it self-preservation; call it anything -you like, it was something they hadn't had before, yet needed badly. - -Quickly, he bit off the half-formed cry that rose to his throat. Diane -was still back in the galley. He was glad she wasn't watching. Actually -there was no need for her to know about it ever. - -Silently he made a vow never to tell her--even as a few moments ago -they'd both vowed to keep another secret: The secret that could spell -the life or death of an entire planet. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PURPLE FOREVER *** - -***** This file should be named 64190-0.txt or 64190-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - https://www.gutenberg.org/6/4/1/9/64190/ - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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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 <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Purple Forever</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Jack Lewis</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: December 31, 2020 [eBook #64190]</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PURPLE FOREVER ***</div> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>PURPLE FOREVER</h1> - -<h2>By JACK LEWIS</h2> - -<p><i>Three men on Venus ... lolling about in their<br /> -shirt sleeves and breathing in an atmosphere of<br /> -chlorine and ammonia that was sure to kill a man<br /> -in thirty seconds. The pictures lied! ... they<br /> -must lie! Trick photography?... Inquisitive Carl<br /> -Keating found the true answer even stranger.</i></p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Planet Stories November 1953.<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>The envelope was addressed in a bold sprawling hand that barely left -room for the seventy-five cent special delivery stamp in the upper -right hand corner. It was a nice stamp—a blue one commemorating the -fiftieth anniversary of Harvey's first landing on Mars. Carl Keating -tore it open. Inside was a single sheet of good paper, typewritten on -one side. The message read:</p> - -<p class="ph1">Dear Mr. Keating;<br /> -Must see you at once.<br /> -Norman Hamlin</p> - -<p>He'd barely slid the letter back in its wrapper when the desk phone -rang. Automatically he pushed the view-plate to a respectful fifteen -inches and threw in the video. The screen swirled for a moment in a -milky blur, then abruptly a man's head and shoulders jumped into focus. -He was a lean, angular-faced man, with thin shoulders and thinner lips, -which at the moment were set in a Lincolnish smile.</p> - -<p>"I'm Dr. Hamlin," the face in the screen announced. "You got my letter?"</p> - -<p>Carl nodded. "I have your letter doctor, but I'm afraid you have the -wrong man. I can't imagine what you'd want to see ME about."</p> - -<p>The image on the screen expanded as Norman Hamlin leaned toward the -view-plate. "You are Major Carl Keating, retired?" the mouth asked.</p> - -<p>Carl pushed the instrument back hoping the other man would do the -same. "Retired as of last Tuesday," he said, "at the tender age of -thirty-six. What's on your mind, doctor?"</p> - -<p>The mouth got bigger till it filled the entire screen. "Major Keating, -would it be possible for you to come out to Long Island tonight?"</p> - -<p>"It would not!"</p> - -<p>"Please it's...."</p> - -<p>"Dr. Hamlin," Carl said not bothering to keep the annoyance out of his -voice, "in the first place I don't even know who you are; in the second -place I'm packing for a vacation in Paris; and in the third place if -there's anything I detest, it's talking down someone's throat. Now if -you don't mind...."</p> - -<p>"Wait!" The image on the screen diminished, till over the narrow -shoulders Carl could make out a book-lined study, and beyond that a -sunken living room. "It's important—very important."</p> - -<p>"So's my vacation."</p> - -<p>"Suppose I were to make it worth while to postpone your vacation?"</p> - -<p>"I'm afraid my while is worth more than you could offer," Keating said -bluntly.</p> - -<p>"I can offer five thousand dollars," Norman Hamlin said. "It's yours -just for coming out to Wading River tonight and listening to what I -have to say."</p> - -<p>"You mean you'll pay five thousand dollars just for the privilege of -talking to me?"</p> - -<p>Hamlin nodded. "You listen to what I tell you. Then, if you aren't -interested, you pick up your five thousand and leave. It's as easy as -that."</p> - -<p>Keating reached across the desk and scanned the envelope. "I have the -address," he said. "I'll be right out."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was the peak of the rush hour when he left the apartment. Overhead, -a congested swarm of copter traffic buzzed like an angry beehive. A -block away was a monorail kiosk. Ever conscious of the strange feel of -his new civvies, Keating entered it and boarded a Huntington express. -From there it was only ten minutes to Wading River by copter-cab. Dr. -Hamlin had left the lawn lights burning, and even before he'd paid his -fare, was standing at his elbow. He extended a hand in greeting. "You -made good time," he said.</p> - -<p>Keating gripped the other man's hand. "You made a good offer."</p> - -<p>Hamlin gestured him through an opening in the dura-glass ell of -the house. The room was a library, the same one he'd seen over -Hamlin's shoulder during the phone conversation. In the center of the -book-bordered room was a rectangular table. A man sat at the head of it.</p> - -<p>"Sit down," the man said.</p> - -<p>Carl sat down. The man at the head of the table was robust, almost to -the point of flabbiness. He was probably in his late twenties, but the -pink flush on his cheekbones and a pair of broad-arched eyebrows gave -him a mannequin appearance.</p> - -<p>"This is Mr. Stewart Ferguson," Dr. Hamlin announced.</p> - -<p>"Not THE Mr. Stewart Ferguson?"</p> - -<p>"I take it then you've heard of him?"</p> - -<p>Carl studied the man whimsically. "Yeah, I've heard of him," he said. -"All the way from here to Mars and back I've heard of him."</p> - -<p>Stewart Ferguson lit a cigarette. "Am I to understand, Mr. Keating, -that you don't approve of my so-called behavior?"</p> - -<p>Carl shrugged. "Who am I to comment on your behavior? If I had your -money I'd probably act the same way you do. Who doesn't want to sleep -with a video actress?"</p> - -<p>Dr. Hamlin coughed. "There are times when perhaps the newspapers have -exaggerated Mr. Ferguson's escapades. Furthermore, I hardly think his -private life is any concern of ours."</p> - -<p>"I'm not concerned," Carl said. "If I'm being paid five thousand -dollars to listen to an evening's chatter I'd as soon listen to -Ferguson's autobiography as anything else ... might even come down on -my price a bit."</p> - -<p>Stewart Ferguson dug into his coat pocket and came up with a sheaf -of bills. He threw them across the table. "That takes care of our -agreement," he said, "now suppose we get down to the business you're -being paid to listen to."</p> - -<p>Carl picked up the bills and rapped them across his knuckles. For just -a moment he toyed with the idea of throwing them back in the playboy's -face. He didn't. Not only was five thousand dollars a lot of money, but -his curiosity was aroused. "I'm listening," he said.</p> - -<p>Norman Hamlin braced his bony elbows on the table and leaned toward -him. "Mr. Keating, in the course of the three trips you made to Mars -with the military, what was it that stood out foremost in your mind?"</p> - -<p>"Men's emotions vary," Carl said carefully. "An architect would -probably admire the beauty of the Martian cities, while a gourmet would -savor the taste of candied encoms. Probably the thing that impressed me -most was the friendliness of the people."</p> - -<p>Hamlin drummed his fingers on the table. "I see," he said. "You'd say, -then, it was a reasonably nice place to live?"</p> - -<p>"Reasonably nice," Carl agreed. "Certainly nicer than the -science-fiction writers had pictured it."</p> - -<p>"Better than Earth?"</p> - -<p>Carl shook his head. "Not as far as I'm concerned. My tastes run to -sandy beaches and women with real eyelashes. That's just my personal -opinion you understand. There's almost eighty-thousand people who -disagree with me—I believe that was the latest migration figures."</p> - -<p>Hamlin thumped his pipe against the edge of the table. "I understand -you've just returned from Venus, Mr. Keating. Can you give us a short -briefing concerning your reactions to that planet?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Carl eyed the man warily. "I'll be as brief as possible. There's been -four landings on Venus in almost forty years. All these have been made -by the military. That to me is a pretty substantial indication that no -one would go there unless they were ordered to!"</p> - -<p>Hamlin smiled. "I didn't mean quite as brief as that, Mr. Keating. I -had rather hoped you'd be a little more explicit."</p> - -<p>Carl frowned. "I find it a bit hard to understand just what you're -driving at Dr. Hamlin. After all, there's been over a hundred books -written on the subject. What can I add to the books? Maybe I could cram -in a few more ghastly adjectives, but even then it wouldn't explain -what the place was really like. You'd have to go there to find that out.</p> - -<p>"How can you explain to someone sitting in a comfortable drawing room, -the terrors of plodding through a swamp, knee deep in green fog, and -wondering when a forty foot reptile is going to sink its teeth into -your leg. How can you explain the sheer mental fatigue of waiting for -a needle-nosed scorpion to puncture your space jumper, knowing that -the atmosphere right on the other side of your face-plate can kill you -in thirty seconds. How do you explain an atmosphere of chlorine and -ammonia for that matter—or a color. I say purple-brown to you and it -don't mean a thing. But look at the angry purple-brown landscape of -Venus for two years like I did and you'd know what I mean.</p> - -<p>"It's a primitive planet, Dr. Hamlin. Right now, according to the -geologists, Venus is just like the earth was ten million years -ago. Life is forming on it—primitive life. Take the chowls, for -example—you see replicas of them in every department store window. -They look a little like teddy-bears, especially when they walk. Still -they have ten fingers and ten toes. Archeologists tell us they're -humanoid. Yet only half-a-million years ago they crawled out of the -oceans. Maybe in another two million years they'll be living in houses -instead of thatched hovels and pointing guns at people instead of -running like a star-bound flame-buggy every time they hear a noise. -But right now they're scared. They're out of their natural element and -they're scared, the same way our own Neanderthal man was scared before -he found out how to fashion a rock-hammer."</p> - -<p>Dr. Hamlin lit his pipe. "You're quite sure then, Mr. Keating, that man -will never be able to live there?"</p> - -<p>"Live there! Man can't even breathe there! There's less than one tenth -of one percent oxygen in the air."</p> - -<p>Dr. Hamlin pressed his fingertips together. "Mr. Keating," he said, -"just how much do you know about the three men who were lost on the -first Venus expedition?"</p> - -<p>"Only what's in the history books," Carl said. "It's more or less of a -legend, how Edgerton, Rhind, and Mitchell, were separated from the main -party and never seen again."</p> - -<p>"Died contributing to man's conquest of space," Ferguson said with mock -drama.</p> - -<p>"It wasn't a pleasant death," Carl said quickly. "I'd bet on that."</p> - -<p>"Mr. Keating," Hamlin said, "do you have any ideas as to just why these -three men should have disappeared at this time?"</p> - -<p>Carl shook his head. "Could have been anything, I guess. They could -have got lost and ran out of oxygen. They could have gotten snake bit. -I wouldn't know. The whole thing happened before I was born."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">II</p> - -<p>Dr. Hamlin got up. "No, there was more to it than that. In spite of the -fact that it happened almost forty years ago, I happen to know that -the situation didn't occur exactly as the history books would have you -believe. The army, it is true covered up for them and made them heroes, -but Edgerton, Mitchell, and Rhind, in reality, took off on their own. -They took off without orders or permission, just a few hours before -take-off-time, with nothing except a six week supply of oxygen, a -portable air-blister, and a few supplies."</p> - -<p>Carl studied the man's face. The story was true. In his cadet days, -old spacemen had spilled the story too many times for him to doubt its -authenticity. "Suppose you tell me what all this is getting at?" he -hedged.</p> - -<p>Hamlin crossed the room. From a desk drawer he removed a palm-sized -photo-cartridge and inserted it in the video adaptor. The room lights -dimmed as the three dimensional screen brightened, dancing in a -kaleidoscope of color. The colors merged.</p> - -<p>He was staring into a vivid reproduction of a Venusian landscape. The -picture had been taken from a small hill. Below was the violet-brown -monotony of a saroo forest, visible only in small islands, where -the roof of the trees stabbed out from the swirling green fog. And -beyond that, almost lost in the haze, was the outline of a pair of -reddish-brown spires, that reared out of the jungle, rising, till they -were lost in the ever present layer of upper clouds that shrouded the -planet. It was an ugly scene—ugly, yet strangely beautiful.</p> - -<p>The camera swiveled in a 180° arc. They were looking up the hill -now—looking up to where the hill tore itself loose from the green-fog -level, rising for perhaps half a mile, then disappearing in the white -ocean overhead. Halfway up the hill was a cluster of flare trees, their -purple-brown leaves drooping in the ammonia-soaked air, and underneath -the trees, a house—not the blister-type oxygen tents used by the -military, or the thatched hovels of the chowls, but a real earth-style -house with a peaked roof and pillar supported porch. Abruptly, the -picture widened into a sharp closeup, revealing an open doorway. A -man—an earthman—stood framed in the threshold. He was a clean-shaven -man, probably in his early twenties. Two other men slightly older, -lolled in a pair of rustic chairs set on the open veranda. Apparently -none of the men were aware of the camera that recorded their every move.</p> - -<p>Carl was aware of his hands gripping the chair arms. Except for the -weird backdrop of flare trees and raton vines that flanked the house, -he might have been looking at a peaceful summer resort in the Canadian -Rockies. But it wasn't an earth picture. These men were on Venus -lolling about in their shirt sleeves and breathing in the atmosphere of -chlorine and ammonia that was sure to kill a man in thirty seconds!</p> - -<p>It was trick photography. It had to be. Quickly, he flicked a look -at Dr. Hamlin, then looked back at the screen. One of the men was -elbowing himself out of the chair now. He walked to the edge of the -porch railing and stared directly into the camera. There was something -vaguely familiar about the man—about all the men.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, Carl tensed forward on the edge of the chair, conscious of -a cold icicle of movement that snaked the length of his spine. The -picture on the screen flicked out, abruptly. The room lights were on -again, and Stewart Ferguson was studying him with detached insolence.</p> - -<p>"Well?" Ferguson asked.</p> - -<p>Carl ignored him, and turned to Norman Hamlin. "Did I see what I think -I saw?" he asked.</p> - -<p>Hamlin nodded.</p> - -<p>"But those men!"</p> - -<p>"You recognized them?"</p> - -<p>Carl swallowed, hard. The highball he'd had three hours before churned -up in his throat. "Of course I recognize them," he said thickly. -"They've been commemorated on postage stamps and cut in stone at every -spaceport in the country. But they're dead! Been dead for forty years!"</p> - -<p>Hamlin turned up his palms. "You saw the pictures," he said evenly.</p> - -<p>"Possibly the military has been deceiving us for forty years," Ferguson -drawled. "Maybe they only made up that story about the poisonous -atmosphere."</p> - -<p>Keating felt a hot flush rise to the back of his neck. "That's not -true," he said with obvious restraint. "I was there—for two long years -I was on Venus, and it's bad, every bit as bad as the army says it is. -You'd have to smell the stuff yourself to know what I really mean. It's -so bad that even after you drop your jumper in the airlock and shower, -the stuff follows you inside and stinks the ship up from here to Pluto -and back again. The army's not lying. Not about that they're not!"</p> - -<p>"How do you account for the photos then?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know," Carl said wearily. "All I know is that for forty years, -no man...." He stopped suddenly, as all at once the full enormity of -the situation dawned on him. Those men on the screen. He'd recognized -them of course from their pictures. But how about those pictures? -The pictures he'd seen of Edgerton, Mitchell, and Rhind, were old -pictures.... Pictures taken almost forty years ago!</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>As if from far away, Hamlin's voice was droning in his ears. "Perhaps -it's not quite as ridiculous as you may think, Mr. Keating. There's -a widely recognized theory that the very air which gives us life, -also gives us death. In fact, one of the chief reasons for the high -migration to Mars is the fact that man's life expectancy on that -planet is almost thirty percent greater than on our own. Now let's -suppose that the three men who deserted the first Venus expedition -had in some way found a way to breathe the air of that planet. Is it -so inconceivable that the atmospheric content might be conducive to -extremely high longevity—perhaps even immortality?"</p> - -<p>Carl wanted to say something—anything. "When—when were these pictures -taken?" he finally managed.</p> - -<p>"Just a little over four months ago."</p> - -<p>The voice had an oddly nostalgic ring to it. Carl turned. The man had -apparently entered the room unnoticed. He was a big block-shouldered -man, with brown eyes and a mat of inky-black hair that all but covered -a low sloping forehead. He could have passed for a cargo hand at the -Montauk Spaceport, except that Carl knew different.</p> - -<p>"No need to introduce myself, is there?" the man said.</p> - -<p>Carl shook his head. To Hamlin he said: "Paul Spero just got back from -Venus too. We were discharged together—as if you didn't know."</p> - -<p>"You should have stuck around Keating," Spero said. "Right after you -left, I tied in with a three-day party. You missed out on a good time."</p> - -<p>"I'll bet," Carl said. "I take it that you were the one who brought -back the pictures?"</p> - -<p>Spero forced a grin that didn't quite make the width of his mouth. -"That's right. While you and the rest of the crew were entertaining -yourselves collecting fossils I did some research on my own."</p> - -<p>"Did it ever occur to you that the military might want these pictures?" -Carl asked.</p> - -<p>The other man made a noise with his nose. "Just what did the military -ever do for me, Keating?" he asked "Fifteen years I spent as a crewman -on every flame-buggy from here to Titan and back, and after all that, I -get pensioned off a miserable second lieutenant."</p> - -<p>"You'll have to admit," Carl said, "there were times when your conduct -fell something short of exemplary."</p> - -<p>Spero tossed him a sloppy salute. "Yes, Major," he said with mock -formality. Abruptly he strode over to where Carl was standing. "I don't -think you quite get it yet, Keating," he said thickly. "Try using your -imagination. Forget about the griping we did when we were stationed -there. It's different now. Edgerton, Mitchell and Rhind have found -a way to breathe, and the secret of breathing is also the secret of -immortality. Suppose I'd been sucker enough to turn this information -over to the high brass? Inside of half-an-hour, those men would have -been interrogated. Inside of a week, the information would have been -radioed back to Terra. And by now, every one on this earth and his -great maiden aunt would be selling their soul to get passage to Venus. -And where do you think all this would leave us Keating? I'll tell you -where ... we'd be right here sweating out a priority list long enough -to stretch from here to Pluto and back!"</p> - -<p>Carl studied the man's face. "I take it then you didn't talk to these -men when you took the pictures?"</p> - -<p>Spero shook his head. "No," he said carefully. "At first I had all I -could do to keep from running up to them, but then I figured that if -they saw me, they'd know there was a spaceship on the planet. All kinds -of things went through my head; one of them was that maybe they were -sick of Venus and would try to make contact with the ship and spill -their story. In the end, I just hid behind a clump of saroo trees and -took the pictures."</p> - -<p>Carl let his gaze wander about the room. He had to think. Then, -almost as if it had been prearranged, he found himself looking into -a full-length mirror on the far wall. The reflection he saw wasn't -old—the hair, while slightly lighter at the temples, was still for -the most part dark-brown. He had a good build too, and except for a -few creases radiating from the corners of his eyes, his skin had the -smooth sort of thickness that many men in their middle-thirties would -have envied. He'd kept himself well. It would probably be fifteen or -twenty years yet before the almost invisible lines in his cheeks and -forehead would begin to widen into deep grooves. But it would happen. -It would....</p> - -<p>And it didn't have to.</p> - -<p>He knew what the proposition was now. He turned to Dr. Hamlin. "Let's -see if I have it figured," he said. "You want to go to Venus and look -for this fountain of youth. Ferguson's financing the trip, and Spero -is the Ponce de Leon who knows where to look. All you need is a pilot. -Right?"</p> - -<p>"Think it over carefully, Mr. Keating," Hamlin said. "Don't be hasty in -your answer."</p> - -<p>Spero too had noticed the note of rejection in his voice. "You'd better -grab the chance, Keating," he said. "Right now I'll admit I don't like -Venus anymore than you. But we're going to change all that. Right after -the migration starts there'll be cities, and parks and railroads. And -we'll be the ones responsible for all of it. We'll be heroes—not just -for ten or twenty years, but forever!"</p> - -<p>"Did I hear someone say forever?"</p> - -<p>The voice had a resonant, almost musical pitch to it. It was deep and -throaty, more like an adolescent boy's voice than a woman's. She was -standing at the arched entrance to the library, one hand balanced on -the jade statue flanking the threshold. She had finespun taffy-blonde -hair and a complexion to match. She wore a gray-green krylon dress, the -same color as her eyes. It looked good on her. A space jumper would -have looked equally well.</p> - -<p>"I don't believe you've met my daughter," Dr. Hamlin said. "Diane, this -is Mr. Keating."</p> - -<p>Diane crossed the room. The pressure of her fingers was quick, and warm -and suggestive. "Hello, Mr. Keating," she said.</p> - -<p>Carl was aware of mumbling something polite. Across the room, Stewart -Ferguson had derricked himself out of the chair. Spero remained seated, -caressing the girl with his sultry brown eyes.</p> - -<p>Diane flicked an imaginary wisp of hair back from behind her ear. "Have -you decided to join us, Mr. Keating?" she said.</p> - -<p>"Us?"</p> - -<p>She searched his face. "Why, yes. Didn't Dad tell you there'd be five -of us. After all, who'd want a slice of immortality more than a woman."</p> - -<p>"Immortality for a goddess," Ferguson said blandly.</p> - -<p>The soft, red mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. Then the brief look -of annoyance was gone. "You will come, won't you?" she said.</p> - -<p>Keating avoided her eyes. Again he found his gaze wandering to the -wall mirror; looking at his own face, coarse and ruddy looking against -Diane's soft white shoulder.</p> - -<p>"Count me in," he said quietly.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">III</p> - -<p>Keating opened his eyes slowly, dimly aware of the familiar throbbing -headache and a dull racking pain around the chest. Hazy-looking behind -a galaxy of dancing spots was the instrument panel. He shook his head -sideways—hard. The spots dissolved and the big panel board jumped into -focus. The ship was two hundred miles above the Montauk Spaceport. He -flicked a glance over his shoulder, half expecting to see the familiar -blue uniforms of his fellow crewmates. Instead he saw three men and a -girl—a girl with long shapely legs and taffy-blonde hair.</p> - -<p>So it was true then. It hadn't been a dream after all.</p> - -<p>After the passengers began to stir, he turned. "Have a nice sleep?" he -asked.</p> - -<p>Diane shot him a pale smile.</p> - -<p>Stewart Ferguson pretended to applaud. "Splendid Captain," he said -contemptuously. "A momentous speech for a momentous occasion. Come, say -something more for the history books!"</p> - -<p>There was an awkward silence. Then Spero guffawed. Carl bit off the -angry reply that jumped to his lips. "All right, I will," he said. "How -about someone brewing a pot of coffee?"</p> - -<p>Diane got up and disappeared into the galley. Minutes later, she -returned with a tray of containers. She stopped momentarily when Spero, -leaning against one of the ports at the end of the companionway, said -something to her, then abruptly, she quickened her pace. When she -handed Carl the coffee her face was a deep scarlet.</p> - -<p>Carl Keating stared vacantly out of the blister window watching the -fleecy-white rim of the earth roll up toward them. The trip, less than -one hour old, was already a hotbed of smoldering emotions. Worst of -all, was the fact that things were almost sure to get worse before -they got better. Under the best of conditions, space does strange -things to individuals cramped together in the confines of a ship. -Army records are crammed full of case histories where men, failing to -adjust themselves to existing conditions, have reacted in ways which -are probably best left in the files. But military men are schooled and -conditioned for space, and while complete and mutual understanding -seldom exists, there is usually, even as there was between Spero and -himself, an unwritten live-and-let-live policy among crew members.</p> - -<p>But they weren't in the army anymore, and no one seemed more aware -of it than Paul Spero. Never a model officer, Spero in his new-found -freedom, had become almost unbearably obnoxious. Nor could he expect -any cooperation from Stewart Ferguson. He could handle him, he hoped. -All of which brought him to the big question. What about Diane?</p> - -<p>It was probably a paradox that while the more unsavory military case -histories were due to men being without women, the proximity of a -long-legged taffy-blonde in this case was a factor more conducive to -mutiny than harmony.</p> - -<p>And curiously enough, it was Diane Hamlin herself, who came up with -at least part of the answer. She was smart—whether or not she'd -been around was a question to ponder over while staring into the -star-studded blackness beyond the blister ports. But one thing was -certain: the girl had an almost uncanny knowledge of the working's of -men's minds, an insight of psychology which she applied diplomatically -if not ruthlessly to all aboard.</p> - -<p>With just the right amount of good-natured tolerance she either ignored -or subtly evaded the bluntly-pointed remarks of Stewart Ferguson and -deftly sidestepped the impulsive hands of Paul Spero. On several -occasions when a crisis seemed imminent, she disappeared—always -good-naturedly and on a new logical pretense—into the small cubbyhole -to which she'd been assigned. So tactfully was all this accomplished -that they'd already passed the halfway mark before Carl realized that -he hadn't spoken to her alone since during the preparations.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He was mildly surprised therefore, when while spelling Spero at the -controls during the sleep period, he became suddenly aware of someone -standing at his elbow. She was wearing a robins-egg-blue dressing robe, -loose-fitting except around the curve of her breasts. She sat down in -the co-pilot's seat next to him.</p> - -<p>"Mind if I keep you company awhile? I can't seem to get to sleep."</p> - -<p>"A pleasure," Carl said with genuine enthusiasm.... He stopped -awkwardly, wondering what to say.... Impulsively, he ran his open hand -across the width of the blister glass. "Want a hunk of space, baby. Say -where to cut and I'll slice it for you."</p> - -<p>She smiled a little. "You sound a little like Ferguson when you talk -that way."</p> - -<p>Carl pretended to check the dials.</p> - -<p>"Carl?"</p> - -<p>On his forearm he could feel Diane's fingers. He turned.</p> - -<p>"What makes a man like that?"</p> - -<p>He moved his shoulders. "I don't know, unless it's because he's always -been able to buy anything he's ever wanted. As far as I know, there's -only been one thing he hasn't been able to buy, and he's working on -that."</p> - -<p>"You mean immortality?"</p> - -<p>Carl ignored the question. "Why ask me about Ferguson's mind anyhow?" -he asked suddenly. "You're the psychologist of this expedition." He -watched her nibble on her lower lip for a moment, then went on: "You -don't have to admit it. I just want you to know you've been doing a -good job. I don't know how long you can keep it up or what happens -after we get to Venus, but up till now you've been doing all right. -There's only one thing wrong with the setup as far as I can see, and -that's that this arm's-length policy apparently applies to me as well -as it does to everyone else. I know it's necessary to the plan, and I -know it's a selfish argument, but it bothers me!"</p> - -<p>She turned and faced him. For a moment it occurred to him she was -angry, but when she spoke, her voice was soft, and deep, and lingering. -"I'm sorry, Carl, but you can see why it has to be this way.... I -mean—"</p> - -<p>Carl leaned over suddenly and kissed her full on the lips. She didn't -pull away. Neither did she respond the way he'd have liked her to. -After a brief interval he felt the pressure of her hand against his -shoulder.</p> - -<p>"Please Carl, not now."</p> - -<p>"When?"</p> - -<p>She turned away. On the starboard port he could see the reflection of -her finely-moulded face. She looked wistful, almost on the verge of -tears.</p> - -<p>"I don't know, Carl," she said wearily. "Maybe after we're settled on -Venus. Maybe after the migration starts."</p> - -<p>Keating hacked up a laugh. "Just what makes you so sure there's going -to be a migration, or for that matter any little men who never grow old -as long as they have their daily diet of ammonia and chlorine?"</p> - -<p>He watched her turn, felt her eyes bore into him. "You don't believe -it, do you?"</p> - -<p>"I'm not sure," Carl said carefully, "I want to believe it, only I've -listened to so many bug yarns in my time it's probably warped my sense -of values. The whole thing just sounds too fantastic."</p> - -<p>"But the pictures?"</p> - -<p>"The pictures were real enough," Carl admitted. "I'd vouch for that. -It's just that if you'd ever caught a whiff of that stuff like I have, -you'd know that no one could breathe it and stay alive for sixty -seconds, much less forever."</p> - -<p>"What do you think we'll find?"</p> - -<p>Carl shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe the story's true. Sometimes I find -myself wondering what it would be like to be immortal—I mean after all -the willful-wishing's over with, and you get down to thinking about it -in terms of 'what's-in-it-for-me.' Most of us think of immortality as -being something we could have on our own terms. But suppose everyone -were immortal, the way they'll be—or could be—after this so-called -migration starts. How much will people have really changed. They'll -have just as many problems—bigger ones in fact, 'cause they'll be -living on what to me is just about the God-awfulest hunk of crud in the -galaxy. And the only thing they're getting in the way of compensation -is the knowledge that these same troubles are going to go on forever."</p> - -<p>She was staring at him now—attentively with her lips slightly parted. -"You feel this way, and you still agreed to come," she said evenly. -"Why?"</p> - -<p>Carl forced a smile. "Like I said, maybe I can have it on my own terms. -It's a gamble, but if it pays off it'll be worth it."</p> - -<p>Diane got up. "I'd best be getting back," she said.</p> - -<p>He watched her till she disappeared around the corner of the -companionway. Then he fixed his gaze on the marble-sized disc to the -right of Polaris.</p> - -<p>"Immortality, and thou," he murmured.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Carl Keating nosed the ship into a standard satellite maneuver, -circling the planet twice before he cleaved into the unbroken -ocean of ammonia clouds that shrouded the planet. Then they were -falling—falling through a smoky whiteness that boiled against the -portholes, settling in spots, and condensing into tiny rivulets that -ran the length of the amber glass. The ship shuddered sharply three -times as its powerful thrust engines reached out, challenging the -herculean fingers of gravity; fighting them—fighting them to a draw. -Then the misty ports cleared, and the ship settled with a gentle bump -in the center of a broad meadow.</p> - -<p>Not till after the controls had been checked, and the atomic reactor -switch set to recharge, did he look at the passengers. They were -standing in the companionway, their faces pressed against the ports. He -crossed the control room and peered over the bony shoulder of Norman -Hamlin.</p> - -<p>Dismal-looking, even through the amber glass, the miserable panorama -rolled away from them. A quarter-mile away, the meadow ended at the rim -of a small ridge, beyond which a hill dipped down—down across the roof -of a purple-brown saroo forest that merged with an abyss of swirling -green fog that swallowed up the horizon. In the foreground, a few -packing cases lay scattered about in front of a large white hemisphere -topped by a radio antenna and American flag. It was all there, exactly -the way it had been left by the military almost six months ago.</p> - -<p>"That's a permanent building," Carl said to no one in particular. "Just -before we evacuated, Colonel Brophy stocked it up with all our excess -supplies, just on the chance someone might be crazy enough to come back -here. We even left the separator running when we left. So take a good -look at it, 'cause inside that bubble is the only breath of air on the -whole planet."</p> - -<p>"Very nice of the military," Ferguson commented dryly.</p> - -<p>"Let's hope we won't have to use it long," Dr. Hamlin said.</p> - -<p>Carl looked out the port. Rain, that doused the planet almost twenty -hours a day, had started to fall, settling in small puddles at the base -of the ship and drenching the broad-leafed saroo trees.</p> - -<p>"I wouldn't bet on it," he said.</p> - -<p>As if in a trance, Diane continued to stare at the melancholy -landscape. "It's more that awful color than anything else," she said -finally. "It makes everything seem so angry looking. How about the rest -of the planet? Is it all like this?"</p> - -<p>"No," Carl said, "it's not all like this. That's the trouble. This -is one of the more livable spots. That's why it was chosen by the -military. Roughly ten percent of the planet lies above water, but out -of that, only five percent of the terrain is in the visual belt."</p> - -<p>"I'll play the straight man," Ferguson said. "Tell us, Captain, what is -the visual belt?"</p> - -<p>"The visual belt represents the altitude from approximately three to -four thousand feet above sea level," Carl told him. "Below that you -have the green ground haze you see over the tops of those trees, and -above it is the ten-mile-thick layer of clouds that never lift. Both -are so thick, that except around the fringe areas, you can't even count -your own fingers."</p> - -<p>"Nice place to take your girl for a walk," Ferguson said, looking at -Diane pointedly.</p> - -<p>"Is anyone interested in what I think?" Spero said suddenly.</p> - -<p>"Think away," Carl said. "Who's there to stop you?"</p> - -<p>"That's exactly what I'd like to talk about," Spero said grimly. "It -seems to me that for a fellow who left his rank back at the separation -center, you've certainly been assuming a lot of authority around here."</p> - -<p>Carl felt a warm flush rising to his cheekbones. "We've been in space," -he said. "The pilot of a ship is responsible for the actions of -everyone aboard."</p> - -<p>Spero jerked a thumb at the blister port. "I've got news for you, -Keating," he said. "We're not IN space anymore, so you may consider -yourself relieved of your authority. For five weeks now we've watched -you swagger around the ship like the hero of a grade-B space-opera, and -frankly I think we're all a little sick of it!"</p> - -<p>"Aren't you dramatizing this a little heavy," Diane said suddenly.</p> - -<p>"Shut up!" Spero said harshly.</p> - -<p>Stewart Ferguson sat down, folding his hands in his lap. "My, my," he -said. "A real live mutiny, just like one reads about. Tell me, when -does Jack Jupiter come crashing through the lock-door?"</p> - -<p>"I wasn't aware that anyone in particular was in command," Diane -persisted, "but if you think we need someone, I'd suggest we take a -vote."</p> - -<p>Spero grinned. "No, honey. We all know who your money's riding on. -That's why you can forget all those dreams about you and Keating -settling down in a saroo covered cottage for the next three or four -thousand years. You see, I've got different plans."</p> - -<p>From the slash pocket of his tunic Spero suddenly whipped out a -snub-nosed needle gun, waving it carelessly across the width of the -cabin. He flicked a glance at Ferguson.</p> - -<p>"Surprise," he said. "Jack Jupiter just crashed the lock-door. I'm Jack -Jupiter!"</p> - -<p>"You'll never get away with this," Carl said.</p> - -<p>The smile on Spero's face broadened. "Oh, come Keating. How corny -can you get? I have gotten away with it. Since I'm the only one who -can lead you to immortality, what's more natural than for me to take -command? My first official act will be to detail you, Ferguson, and -Dr. Hamlin to go outside and activate the blister. You'll find space -jumpers in the airlock. Diane and I will stay here and figure out a -plan of action."</p> - -<p>Carl took a step forward. "I'm afraid we can't go along with your -plan," he said quietly.</p> - -<p>Spero leveled the lethal end of the weapon against his chest. "You're -acting stupidly, Keating. You know you can't stop me, just as you know -I'll kill you if you try. You above all people should know that."</p> - -<p>There was a stagnant silence, during which Carl held his ground. -Violently he was aware of the beating of his own heart. The tapping -got louder as he watched Spero's finger tighten on the trigger. Then -suddenly he realized it wasn't his heart. SOMEONE WAS TAPPING ON THE -THICK GLASS INSIDE THE CONTROL ROOM.</p> - -<p>Spero heard it, too. For a confused moment, his trigger-finger relaxed -as he tried to flick a quick glance toward the source of the sound.</p> - -<p>Then the world exploded in his face.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">IV</p> - -<p>Carl left Spero lying on the floor where he dropped him. Stopping only -to scoop the gun off the floor, he ran to the control room. The tattoo -on the glass stopped when he entered. A face peered in at him—a face -curiously without emotion. It was a hairy-face, except around the eyes -and mouth, where three patches of yellow skin peeked through, giving -the appearance of three yellow bull's eyes.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Carl stared at the creature, fascinated. In his entire stay on Venus, -never had he observed a chowl at such close range. For perhaps five -seconds the chowl stared back at him, then quickly bounded off the ship -and disappeared toward the forest.</p> - -<p>He turned. Diane, standing at the entrance to the control room was -regarding him curiously. "They look almost human, don't they?" she said.</p> - -<p>"They are human," Carl told her. "Humanoid anyhow according to the -people who are supposed to know about these things. We don't know too -much about them really. They're so timid, it's a novelty to get within -half-a-mile of them."</p> - -<p>"This one wasn't."</p> - -<p>Carl scratched his head. "I know. It's the first time I've ever got -that close to one. I guess he didn't know what a spaceship was. You -notice he didn't wait very long after he saw us through the window."</p> - -<p>"What are you going to do about Spero?" Diane asked suddenly.</p> - -<p>Carl walked over to the gun cabinet where he poked around a moment, -then returned with the key. "I don't know," he admitted. He placed both -hands on the girl's shoulders. "Just how much does this immortality -really mean to you?"</p> - -<p>Diane appeared to think about it a moment. "I'm not sure. I'm not sure -at all. Sometimes I find myself wondering if I'm not more interested in -finding out how it's accomplished than I am in applying it to myself. -Do you feel that way, too?"</p> - -<p>Carl looked out the window.</p> - -<p>"I've always felt that way," he said.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Spero, aided by Dr. Hamlin, was just beginning to stir when they -returned. He shook his head dazedly for a moment, then sat up massaging -his jaw.</p> - -<p>Keating regarded him with a questioning stare. "What do you think we -should do with you?" he asked bluntly.</p> - -<p>Spero patted his pockets and came up with a cigarette. After it had -been lighted, he blew the smoke in Carl's direction. "If you were -smart, you'd kill me," he said. "Only you're not smart. You know you -won't, and I know you won't. So suppose we all relax and stop trying to -build up suspense."</p> - -<p>Carl dropped his hand inside his pocket, allowing his grip to tighten -around the butt of the needle gun. "What makes you so sure I won't kill -you?" he said. "I could, you know. The fact you know where Edgerton and -his cronies are wouldn't stop me. I could probably find them myself if -I wanted to. And I'm not even sure that I want to."</p> - -<p>Spero took a drag on the cigarette and derricked himself to his feet. -"I wasn't thinking of that," he said quietly. "I just happen to know -that you haven't got it in you to kill a man in cold blood, Keating. -I could do it but not you. You got too many principles. The worst you -could bring yourself to do, Keating, would be to put it up to a vote. -And if it came to that, everyone here—probably you included—would -vote to let me off on the promise that I wouldn't do it again. Go -ahead, put it to a vote. See if I'm not right."</p> - -<p>Keating let his eyes wander across the cabin.... To Stewart Ferguson, -white-looking, and curiously without comment.... To Diane, outraged -amazement on her face—but still a woman. And to Norman Hamlin, -wondering what made the man tick—but still a doctor. He looked back at -Spero, blowing small curls of smoke at the ceiling.</p> - -<p>No, he didn't have to take a vote.</p> - -<p>Impulsively, he waved the gun in the direction of the cubbyhole where -Diane had been sleeping. "Get in there," he said tightly.</p> - -<p>Spero stubbed out the cigarette, swiveled a tight-lipped smile across -each member of the party, then shrugged his shoulders and shuffled into -the room.</p> - -<p>Carl locked the door and stuck the key in his pocket along with the key -to the gun case. While neither of the locks were built for durability, -at least Spero would have to make a noise opening them.</p> - -<p>To the others he said: "I'd suggest we make our future plans without -figuring on Spero's cooperation."</p> - -<p>"But how can we," Dr. Hamlin said. "We'll have to find Edgerton, -Mitchell and Rhind first. They're the only ones who know the answer to -what we're after."</p> - -<p>"The secret of immortality is nothing more than the secret of breathing -the air here," Carl said crisply. "Let's not kid ourselves about that."</p> - -<p>"Well, what is the secret?" Hamlin said impatiently. "I'm sure I -haven't the slightest idea."</p> - -<p>Carl studied the man intently.</p> - -<p>"Haven't you?"</p> - -<p>Diane shot him an odd look.</p> - -<p>"What's that supposed to mean?" Hamlin said hotly.</p> - -<p>Keating ignored the question and jerked a finger at the window. -"Suppose we leave Spero here and go over and activate the blister. It's -much more comfortable. It'll be a nice change after being cramped up -here for six weeks."</p> - -<p>"Suppose you explain that statement first?" Hamlin said.</p> - -<p>"There's jumpers in the airlock," Carl went on. "I'll explain after -we're settled over there. Who knows, maybe by that time I'll be ready -to apologize."</p> - -<p>"I certainly hope so," Hamlin mumbled. "I can't understand what's got -into everyone all of a sudden."</p> - -<p>"This way," Carl said.</p> - -<p>Inside the lock, he helped each member of the party into a jumper and -adjusted the air valves. When everything was in order, he pressed a -switch, and the lock-door hissed open.</p> - -<p>Another moment, and they were wading through the purple-brown, -ankle-deep slosh of Venus. The blister-building was only about three -hundred yards from the ship, but the rain—coming down in torrents -now—had turned the ground into a soft-slimy ooze that was sometimes -knee deep.</p> - -<p>Carl led the way, shouting instructions through the speaker-unit -encased in his helmet. Once when Diane fell, he went back and helped -her to her feet. Through the helmet glass, he could see her face for -a moment. Then she jerked her arm free and plodded on. Behind him he -heard Stewart Ferguson swear.</p> - -<p>It took a full twenty minutes to reach the building. It was big. Two -hundred feet in diameter at the base, it sloped out of the sea of mud -like a giant stemless mushroom. Carl led the party around the base to -the far side where the lock-door was situated. Then he stopped.</p> - -<p>The rest of the party had caught up with him now. They stood in -a restless semi-circle in front of the great doors. From behind -mud-splattered face-plates, three pairs of eyes were regarding him -curiously. He didn't answer their solemn stare. Instead he continued to -stare at the great lock-doors.</p> - -<p>They were open.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>For a full minute he stared into the darkness, then he touched the -switch of his helmet lamp. The beam, seemingly thick enough to walk -on, stabbed into the cave-like interior. He went in. First, he'd have -to get the pumps working. Then, after the lethal gases had been pumped -out, start the separator motors. Even then, the place wouldn't be -livable for three weeks. He swore.</p> - -<p>Abruptly, from behind him, he became aware of three flickering beams -of light. Diane and the two men were following him inside. He turned, -waving his arms backward. "Stay back!" he called. "Wait till I get the -lights working."</p> - -<p>He watched them stop.</p> - -<p>And then, the lights WERE working. They came on all at once, -illuminating the big structure with dazzling brilliancy. From behind -him, he was aware of the staccato crackle of a squawk-box being readied -for use. Then, like a bass drum in a brick tunnel, a voice boomed out -of the stillness:</p> - -<p>"Welcome! Welcome to Venus!"</p> - -<p>He stepped back, trying to peer over the row of packing cases. The -voice had originated from the control room at the far end of the -building. He flinched when something touched the sleeve of his jumper, -then relaxed when he saw Diane peering at him through a mud-stained -face-plate. The men had joined him, too, looking at him and shifting -from one foot to the other.</p> - -<p>The squawk-box was silent now. Impulsively, Carl allowed his gloved -hand to brush against the butt of the needle pistol holstered in the -webbed-belt of his jumper.</p> - -<p>"The gun won't be necessary, I assure you. I'm unarmed!"</p> - -<p>The speaker stood at the far end of a corridor of wooden cases, -spotlighted in the glow of an overhead lamp. He was a young man, -with close-cropped sandy-blonde hair. He wore a blue spaceman's -uniform—obviously salvaged from one of the cases.</p> - -<p>He remained motionless a moment, like a man waiting for the press -photographers to finish, then walked slowly toward them, his bare hand -extended in greeting.</p> - -<p>"I'm Raymond Edgerton," the man said.</p> - -<p>Awkwardly, Carl grasped the bare hand with the thick glove of his -jumper. "I know," he said. He was suddenly at a loss for words. What -DID one say at a time like this? Certainly not the time-worn Dr. -Livingston cliche.</p> - -<p>Stewart Ferguson said it anyhow.</p> - -<p>Carl studied the man carefully, watching the rise and fall of his -breathing. The man WAS breathing—breathing the lethal gases that -should kill him in thirty seconds.</p> - -<p>"You find it hard to believe, don't you?" Edgerton said suddenly.</p> - -<p>Carl nodded. "I have a nephew who collects stamps," he heard himself -saying. "He has one with your picture on it. It's a rarity now, 'cause -it's almost forty years old, but the picture on the stamp looks just -like you—just like you do NOW!"</p> - -<p>"How is it done Mr. Edgerton?" Diane asked pointedly. "Why is it that -you can breathe this air when it kills everyone else?"</p> - -<p>Edgerton's eyes narrowed when he heard the voice. Then he leaned -over and peered into the mud-stained face-plate. He smiled. "I'll be -damned," he said. "A woman. A real live woman! Pretty too."</p> - -<p>"How is it done?" Diane persisted.</p> - -<p>Edgerton's grin faded. He turned to Carl. "You mean you don't know?"</p> - -<p>Carl eyed the man, his lips set in an aggravating silence. Then: "Yes, -I know. Or at least I think I know. Furthermore, Dr. Hamlin knows too. -He's known all the time. Obviously, this girl is the only one who's -still in the dark. I think it's about time someone told her."</p> - -<p>"Wait!" Dr. Hamlin said.</p> - -<p>"Say, what's this all about?" Edgerton said suddenly. "Where's Paul -Spero anyhow? Rhind and Mitchell are waiting!"</p> - -<p>Carl flicked a look at Diane, then turned back to her father. "Are you -going to tell her? Or should I?"</p> - -<p>"Tell me what?" Diane said. "How does he know about Paul Spero? Spero -told us...."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="ph1">V</p> - -<p>"Spero told us a lot of things," Carl said thickly. "He told us he'd -taken pictures without speaking to anyone. It served his purpose better -to keep us in the dark about how this immortality thing was really -worked until after we got here. After that, he figured he'd take -over and we'd have to go along with him whether we liked it or not. -Furthermore, Ferguson and your father were in on it from the beginning, -weren't you?"</p> - -<p>"Please," Dr. Hamlin said nervously, "it's not near as bad as you're -making it out to be. It's only a minor adjustment."</p> - -<p>"Minor adjustment!" Carl grasped the arm of Diane's jumper, pulling her -along with him through the long corridors of boxes. At the far end of -the structure, he found what he was searching for. Three boxes—slitted -in front like a zoo cage. And inside the boxes, peering at them through -sad yellow-rimmed eyes—were three chowls.</p> - -<p>"There's the answer to your immortality," Carl said grimly. "Rhind and -Mitchell were both doctors—surgeons. Do you get it now?"</p> - -<p>Raymond Edgerton and Norman Hamlin had joined them now. "Mr. Keating," -Edgerton said, "I'm sure if you were a doctor, you wouldn't be -so squeamish about a thing like this. After all, what's a simple -operation?"</p> - -<p>"Simple operation!"</p> - -<p>Carl reached over clamping his gloved hands on Edgerton's shoulders. -Quickly, he raked the steel-tipped fingers of both hands down the man's -back. There was a tearing noise, as the open-collared shirt ripped -apart at the seams, revealing a broad fleshy back—smooth-looking -except for where an angry gash dipped in a deep U between the shoulder -blades.</p> - -<p>He jerked his thumb back to where the chowls were chattering restlessly -in their cages. "In case you don't know it," he said, "chowls are -humanoid. They're the only things on this planet with any sign of -intelligence. Killing them's not only murder. It's worse than murder. -It's genocide! All that has to happen is for this story to get back -to Terra, and you'll have every quack who can wield a scalpel up here -cutting the lungs out of these poor creatures!"</p> - -<p>Alongside him, he was aware of Diane getting sick inside her helmet. -Ferguson coughed.</p> - -<p>"Since you were apparently aware of this all the time, Keating, just -why did you come along?" Ferguson asked.</p> - -<p>"I wasn't aware of it all along. It wasn't till I saw Dr. Hamlin -nursing Spero's jaw that I began to wonder why he wanted a doctor along -in the first place. He needed you to finance the trip, and he needed me -to pilot the ship. But why Dr. Hamlin unless there was some need for -a surgeon? Then I remembered the chowls, and everything began to fall -into place."</p> - -<p>Ferguson sat down on one of the wooden cases. "As usual Keating, you're -not being very logical. As a matter of fact, he didn't need the good -doctor at all. He had two doctors right here. Remember?"</p> - -<p>Carl nodded. "Yes, I remember," he said grimly. "That was the part of -the puzzle that didn't fit. But now I think I've even got the answer to -that."</p> - -<p>"Do tell?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I'll tell you," Carl said ruthlessly. "It was because with all -the build-up these would-be-gods gave you about this immortality -gimmick, they were sick to death of it. They were sick of the -loneliness, sick of the rain, sick of the color of purple. In short, -they were sick of this foul planet and were willing to trade it in for -whatever the earth had to offer them! That's where Dr. Hamlin came in."</p> - -<p>Doggedly, Carl spun on Edgerton, trying to draw the tatters of his -shirt back across his back.</p> - -<p>"Who's lungs were you going to take, Mr. Edgerton? Mine, or Stewart -Ferguson's?"</p> - -<p>He was aware of Diane pulling on his arm. He turned to the two men in -the mud-splattered jumpers. "We're leaving for Terra in an hour," he -said crisply. "Are you coming, or staying?"</p> - -<p>Ferguson and Hamlin stared at each other.</p> - -<p>"Make up your mind!"</p> - -<p>Abruptly, Dr. Hamlin walked over to where Diane was standing. "I'm an -old man," he said. "All I have back on Earth is twenty years at the -most. Stay with me, Diane?"</p> - -<p>Breathlessly, Carl watched the girl—watched her shake her head, -slowly. "How about you?" he asked Ferguson.</p> - -<p>For a long moment, Ferguson appeared undecided. Then he looked at -Dr. Hamlin. "I'm in trouble back home," he mumbled. "Bad trouble. -They're going to find out about it any day, if they haven't found out -already.... I—I'd better stay."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>With Diane grasping his arm, Carl started down the long corridor of -packing cases toward the open lock-door.</p> - -<p>"I'm sorry it turned out this way," he said. "As soon as we ready the -ship I'll go back and talk to them again. Maybe they'll change their -minds."</p> - -<p>Diane didn't answer. Instead she turned a last backward glance toward -her father. It was a long glance. Too long. He was aware of her -steel-tipped fingers digging into the sleeve of his jumper. He wheeled. -Ten feet away, standing in a niche between the wooden cases, was a man. -He wore a regulation space jumper and helmet, and was regarding them -curiously over the barrel of a Westinghouse-chain-rifle. The man spoke:</p> - -<p>"I'm interrupting something, I hope," he said evenly.</p> - -<p>The man was Paul Spero.</p> - -<p>Carl eyed the man warily. Diane choked out a heavy gasp.</p> - -<p>"You should have killed me back in the ship like I suggested," Spero -said smugly. "Now I'm going to have to kill you instead."</p> - -<p>Carl flicked a quick look at Diane. "What about her? Are you planning -to kill her too?"</p> - -<p>The overhead light sparkled briefly across the rifle barrel as Spero -snapped the weapon to his shoulder. Across the sights he said: "Diane -will stay here with me. That's the way I planned it and that's how -it'll be."</p> - -<p>"I know I'm interfering with your plans," Carl said with mock-concern, -"but I don't think she is. Not unless she wants to of course."</p> - -<p>From behind the face-plate, Spero flashed a double row of teeth. "Stop -stalling for time, Keating. You had your chance on the ship, and you -muffed it. Now it's my turn!"</p> - -<p>Carl waited—waited while Spero's gloved hand tightened against -the trigger-switch. The bolt coil snapped back. There was a dull -click—nothing else....</p> - -<p>"Did you really think I'd be stupid enough to leave you alone with a -case full of live guns?" Keating said thinly.</p> - -<p>Bewildered, Spero snapped the rifle down to chest level, fumbling -awkwardly with the trigger assembly.</p> - -<p>"It won't work," Carl said indulgently. "Before we left the ship I -removed the anodes from every gun in the case. It's an old army trick, -in case you haven't heard."</p> - -<p>With Spero glaring at him, Carl allowed his arm to brush against his -own needle gun. He didn't bother to draw.</p> - -<p>"I think your friends are waiting for you," he said.</p> - -<p>Back in the control room, Carl went through the motions of readying -the ship for take-off. Back in the galley he could hear Diane sobbing -softly.</p> - -<p>Idly, he glanced out of the amber blister ports toward the big -sphere-like structure that rose out of the sea of purple mud. It looked -evil, and ominous-looking against the rain-sodden backdrop of the saroo -forest.</p> - -<p>Then from the edge of the tree line, moving shapes suddenly began to -make an appearance. He rubbed his eyes. There were hundreds—no, -thousands of them. Slowly and curiously they poured out of the -rain-soaked forest, deliberately converging on the open lock-doors of -the huge, white building. Some were carrying sticks, some stones, some -nothing. It was as if the mystic forces of evolution had chosen this -exact moment to endow the chowls with an emotion hitherto lacking in -their makeup. Call it hate; call it self-preservation; call it anything -you like, it was something they hadn't had before, yet needed badly.</p> - -<p>Quickly, he bit off the half-formed cry that rose to his throat. Diane -was still back in the galley. He was glad she wasn't watching. Actually -there was no need for her to know about it ever.</p> - -<p>Silently he made a vow never to tell her—even as a few moments ago -they'd both vowed to keep another secret: The secret that could spell -the life or death of an entire planet.</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PURPLE FOREVER ***</div> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>This file should be named 64190-h.htm or 64190-h.zip</div> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in https://www.gutenberg.org/6/4/1/9/64190/</div> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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