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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..6910804 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #67392 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67392) diff --git a/old/67392-0.txt b/old/67392-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 7be36b9..0000000 --- a/old/67392-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1805 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Phantom Duel, by Ford McCormack - -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: Phantom Duel - -Author: Ford McCormack - -Illustrator: STALLMAN - -Release Date: February 13, 2022 [eBook #67392] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PHANTOM DUEL *** - - - - - - PHANTOM DUEL - - By FORD McCORMACK - - Illustrated by STALLMAN - - _Farian jade was the most precious - jewel in history--and the most deadly!_ - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Infinity Science Fiction, November 1955. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -Will Archer idly poked one of the array of keys which studded the -wings of his control chair. The pattern of stars which sprayed into a -twelve-foot black bowl from a knobbed projector above his head winked -out and was promptly replaced by the rounding, yellow-green bulk of -Vega VII, less than two diameters away. - -He was not sorry that its image was receding steadily. Faria, as -it was called in the Vega system, was about the size of Earth and -its atmosphere was tolerable to humans--there the resemblance all -but ended. For its weather was insufferably hot, its topography -fantastically tortuous, and its life-forms, both animal and -vegetable--and yes, mineral!--were of a general aspect that only a -biologist could gaze on with fondness. - -In order to do so, a whole group of kindred scientists had come all the -way from far Earth six months before, and had chartered a ship at the -interstellar base on Vega IX. - -They had also required an experienced and reliable "local" crew. The -pay had been good, and Will Archer was looking forward to spending most -of it quickly and freely on Vega IX. - -He released the key and the screen automatically reoriented itself to -primary position--on course. The stars showing before him were actually -almost directly above his head, allowing for "yaw" due to offset -angular acceleration. - -Eighty hours to reversal. A hundred more of "descent" to Vega IX. Will -Archer shrugged. Eight days between him and the fanciest fleshpots in -the system. With a little more squirt--say about one-point-six G, which -anybody but a cardiac case could easily stand--they could cut the trip -in half, and sit down with juice to spare. But the freak-chasers loved -comfort, and with all those specimens to drool over, they'd probably -just as soon start for Sol III on chem-drive! Well, they or their -sponsors were footing the bill, so-- - -The concave screen suddenly flickered to fifth position, showing a 120° -range of the firmament, rotated 90° clockwise, to the pilot's left. At -the same time, a buzzer started droning, and a yellow light blinked on -the gauge panel to his right. - -Toward one side of the screen, the great disc of Vega, selectively -dimmed in projection, glowed like a blue-white moon. Near the center, -a twelve-inch ring of light appeared and began to move slowly to the -right. Whatever the ring indicated was too small and too distant -to see, but to the unaided judgment its motion bore a disturbing -resemblance to a collision course. - -Evidently the detector-system thought otherwise, or a red light would -be flashing instead of a yellow one, an all-quarters alarm-bell would -be sounding instead of a buzzer, and the controls would have operated -automatically to deflect the ship by a safe margin--or to the limit of -its occupants' capacity to absorb shock. Fortunately, such instances -were vanishingly rare: space is incredibly roomy. - -Beneath the yellow blinker, a set of clicking meters recorded the -flight components of the foreign object. Its direction cosines were -changing slowly in a characteristically orbital manner; the object was -probably a ship approaching the planet, although its velocity was a bit -high for this proximity. But that was another pilot's worry. - -The ring was moving faster now, approaching the edge of the field. -Just as it touched, it disappeared, and the screen flashed to first -position. The ring reappeared at far left, shifted to the right with -gathering speed. It swung past the center with a rush, slowed down -again, and reached the far edge as the screen reoriented to third -position. Very slowly now, the ring moved out from the left side of the -field. - -The nearest distance of the respective courses had been about 45 miles; -of the ships themselves, about 70. The ring drifted on toward the -center of the screen and seemed to hover there. - -Will Archer looked back at the meters and shook his head. Too fast by -far. And the negative acceleration was only a fraction of a G--_wait a -minute!_ He stared at the meter in question. Its reading was positive! - - * * * * * - -That meant the other ship, or whatever it might be, was approaching -the planet in something resembling a free fall. A crash was not -inevitable--there was plenty of time to apply sufficient lateral thrust -to insure a miss--but _why_? Time and fuel would be wasted before a -landing would become possible. - -The meters stopped clicking, the buzzer became silent, and the ring -disappeared from the screen, which changed back to first position. The -object had passed beyond accurate range. - -Will Archer frowned and pressed a key to his left. After a moment, the -face of the radio operator appeared on a small video plate: "Yes?" - -"Any calls from outside in the last few minutes?" - -The radio operator looked surprised. "No. Why?" - -"Stay on audio." The pilot pressed another key, and the buzzer began -droning again. This time, it would be heard in all parts of the ship. -Captain's call. After perhaps ten seconds, the broad, placid face of -Captain Rogan appeared on the screen: "Will? What's the trouble?" - -The captain rested his claim to respect on an amazing percentage of -sound decisions, and held formality very lightly. - -"Cap, a ship just crossed our course in what looked like a free fall to -the planet--too fast for a landing. No signals of any kind." - -Archer added nothing to the simple facts, since Captain Rogan was as -well qualified to speculate about them as anyone. He knew that the Vega -system harbors few, if any, meteorites of the indicated size. There -is no asteroid belt; apparently there have never been more than the -present twenty-three planets. - -The only answer which seemed consistent with the facts was an ugly one. -The object was a ship out of control--its occupants either dead or -helpless. - - * * * * * - -Captain Rogan's furrowed brow indicated that he had reached the same -conclusion. - -"Modify thrust to hold course and cut acceleration," he said quietly. -"I'll send Berry up to make the layout." The video plate blanked out. - -Berry, the navigator, had turned in shortly after the fix and was -probably asleep by now. Archer would need him--it was going to be -tricky to plot a follow-course this close to the planet with enough -leeway to match velocities. And they would have to pour it on a little, -in all probability, to insure a safe margin--he wondered how the paying -guests would like that. Not that it would matter to Captain Rogan--the -Space Code came first. - -Will Archer pressed a key, and a high-pitched gong began to sound at -one-second intervals. It would warn the ship's occupants of a change in -acceleration, and would continue until the change was completed. - -Berry came in, walking quite steadily with the flat-footed gait of one -wearing magnetic shoe-plates. He nodded sleepily, ran a hand through -his tousled blond hair, and strapped his slight frame into the seat at -the computing table. - -"I can tell you right now," he said glumly, "it's going to be rough. At -3 G tops, it'll take five elements and seven hours, at the very least. -We won't get within 50 percent of optimum." - -Archer read between the lines. Berry was a confirmed pessimist, and -if he specified seven hours, it meant there was a fair chance of -overtaking the other ship in less. - -On the trip "down," Will Archer did not mind the roller-coaster effects -nearly so much as his gradual loss of orientation. It was not his first -experience with incrementing a free descent, but it was by all odds his -longest one. In succession, the planet was "up," "down," sideways and -all over the place. Only the screen remained relatively unconfused. -Certainly no planet-evolved organism could hope to match its gyroscopic -single-mindedness. - -Some six hours later, the planet's projection occupied virtually the -whole screen. The locator ring, now in shadow for contrast, picked -out the other ship, which presently became visible as a black speck -somewhat above the screen's center. - -It grew, and became recognizable as a small ship of not more than -six-man capacity. There was now little question of its being out of -control--it was dropping toward the planet at an odd angle, and its -jets were dead. The question was whether there would be sufficient -thrust available to divert it from the planet's atmosphere. Unless -power were applied within the next hour, Archer surmised, no reasonable -amount of acceleration would do the trick. - -Archer grinned. The same thing applied to this ship. How would the -scientists react to the choice of jettisoning some of their heavy -equipment and specimens or burdening their own frames with artificial -avoirdupois to the point of black-out? - -The final jockeying to match velocities was a delicate and -nerve-wracking task, since overshooting even once would have meant -considerable loss of time. There was a tense moment as they slid -abreast of the smaller ship and Archer applied the last few pounds of -thrust. It was precisely enough, and the two ships floated relatively -motionless, though somewhat askew. The smaller ship showed no external -signs of damage, yet no light showed through any of the visible -portholes. - -An extending rod, blackly silhouetted against the looming planet, -stretched slowly across the field and touched the smaller ship's -hull. Another moved out, farther away, and then a third, forming a -magnetically clinging tripod which locked the two ships together. - -The buzzer sounded intermittently and a blue light flashed on Archer's -left. He flipped a key, and Captain Rogan's face appeared on the video -plate. - -"Will, get into your suit and come to the lock. Berry will take the -controls. You're to go over with Stokely and see what can be done. -And--better bring your gun, just in case." - -It was a notion that had already occurred to Archer, and he toyed -with it further while donning his pressure-suit. People occasionally -go berserk in space--its awesome immensity affects some minds that -way--and a few had been fairly successful in liquidating their fellows -wholesale. Among those ships which had simply disappeared forever into -the void, there were probably a few such cases. Yes, it was entirely -possible that there might be one living occupant of the other ship--a -madman. - - * * * * * - -Stokely, the burly, pink-haired chief engineer, was dressed for space, -except for his head-globe, when Archer arrived at the lock. So were -two others: Evans, a soft-spoken, sharp-faced member of the crew, -and a tall and graying individual whom Will recognized as Dr. Hubert -Grimwood, one of the more eminent of the scientists aboard. A sizable -medical kit was slung from the doctor's middle. - -"I must admit, Captain," he was saying apologetically, "that while I do -have a medical degree, I have never practised except--ah--incidentally." - -Captain Rogan shrugged. "There's no other medical doctor aboard, as I -told you. All you can do is your best." - -The captain took up his position at the observation port next to the -lock. "Are you ready, gentlemen?" - -With the others, Archer slipped on his radio headset, placed his -head-globe in its rubber gasket and tightened the four clamps that held -it. He cracked the compressed-air valve just enough to inflate the -suit gently, and turned on the regulator unit. As he stepped into the -airlock, the voice of Captain Rogan, slightly blurred in transmission, -sounded in his ears: - -"Stokely and Archer, being armed, will enter first. Stokely will report -progress, if able--otherwise Archer, Evans, Grimwood, in that order. -Please acknowledge." - -The four men in the lock spoke their "Yes, sirs," in the order named, -including Dr. Grimwood, whose response was nervously emphatic. He was -plainly unaccustomed to activity during degravitation, but the set of -his bony countenance showed his determination to go through with it. - -Will Archer felt his suit stiffening as the gauge dropped toward zero, -and he moved his arms and legs a little to test the ball joints. They -moved freely, being precisely pivoted so that the volume of the suit -remained constant regardless of position. A moment later, Stokely -pulled open the outer hatch. - -One of the contact rods projected from its sheath near the hatch to a -point within reach of the other ship's lock. Stokely set out carefully, -hand over hand, and Archer followed him, gripping the rod firmly with -each hand in turn. This was no time to make a slip and go drifting off -into nowhere. The pistol at his side would provide a means of getting -back, but an awkward one, because one's center of gravity was difficult -to judge accurately, and if the shot were not closely aligned to it, -one stood an excellent chance of converting himself into a human -pinwheel. - -Archer waited near the hull of the other ship until Stokely drew -himself out of the way, then, grasping a nearby rung, he made room -for Evans and Grimwood. Stokely, though a few feet away, was in dense -shadow and almost invisible, but his flashlight made a shifting oval of -light on what appeared to be a pane of vitreon, and he spoke steadily: - -"I'm looking through the porthole, but I can't see much. There are no -lights aboard ship. Nothing seems to be out of place in the waist -here, but of course I can't see the nose and tail compartments." - -"How about the lock?" came Captain Rogan's voice. "Try the emergency -control." - -Archer could feel a slight vibration through the hull as Stokely -changed his position, then spoke again: - -"Seems to be in working order. The lock is evacuating. But it's going -to be a squeeze for the four of us." - -"Better go in two at a time. You and Archer first. And keep your suits -operating, even if the air reads all right--there just might be some -fancy bacteria floating around." - -That was another grim possibility not unknown in space annals. Bacteria -could mutate rapidly and strangely under extra-planetary conditions. -On two or three occasions, "fancy" ones had nearly wiped out orbital -laboratories devoted to bacteriological research. - -If such were the case here, it was all the more important to see what -could be done to avoid tainting the atmosphere of an inhabited planet. - - * * * * * - -In the air lock, the pressure balanced quickly with that of the -interior, and the tension eased on the fabric of their suits. Stokely -pushed the inner hatch open and they entered with guns drawn. The beams -of their flashlights swept the chamber quickly, then more slowly. - -There were only the bunks, storage lockers, air-processing equipment, -and gyro-stabilizer unit to be expected amidships of such a craft. -Stokely placed a hand on the stabilizer housing for a moment, then -nodded. They had already judged from the ship's behavior that it must -be functioning. - -"Nothing out of the way here," reported Stokely in a low voice. - -"Stay together, and look at the control room first," Captain Rogan -ordered. - -There was, of course, no central lift in a ship this size, but merely -narrow ladders between the compartments. These were necessary only -under the pull of gravity or acceleration, and under the present -circumstances, to be avoided. Stokely led the way "up" the inner hull -and across the "overhead," placing his magnetized boots as softly as -possible. - -The inter compartment hatch, about three feet in diameter, was wide -open. Stokely pointed at Archer's flashlight and made a fanlike motion -with his hands. Archer nodded, reached out and aimed the light through -the hole, full flood, while Stokely peered through the other side, gun -in hand. The stratagem was simple--anyone firing at the light might hit -Archer's arm, but probably not Stokely's less expendable head. - -Nothing happened. After a tense moment, Archer moved the light about -slowly, then Stokely turned his own over the edge. - -"There are two men in there," he said slowly. "Both dead, I think." - - * * * * * - -There was no doubt at all about one of them, whose corpse floated not -six feet away, tied by one wrist to a conduit. Part of the face seemed -to have been gouged out, and closer inspection showed the explanation: -a sizable bullet-hole in the opposite temple. - -Whether or not the other was dead, he was certainly not conscious, -despite his normal sitting posture in the control chair. That was to -be expected anyhow, in a free fall with the safety belt fastened. His -squat frame was stripped to the waist, his small black eyes stared -blindly, and his unshaven jaw was clenched in an ugly grin. His right -hand loosely held a hypodermic syringe, and a pistol was stuck in his -belt. - -Stokely gave a brief description, and added: "He looks dead, all right. -Maybe he tried to give himself an anti-tetanus injection, but was too -late." - -"Dr. Grimwood will please go in immediately," said Captain Rogan. "In -the meantime, Stokely and Archer will look at the tail compartment." - -The tail, or engine, compartment contained nothing of abnormal -interest, as it turned out. The ship appeared to be in running order, -with adequate fuel. Its power had evidently been cut deliberately, for -whatever mysterious reason. - -"Stokely will remain there," said Captain Rogan. "Archer will take the -controls. We are withdrawing the contact rods, and will retard our -fall, giving you enough clearance to align ship and test the power. If -everything functions normally, the four of you will proceed to company -base on Faria. Dr. Grimwood will exercise his judgment as to whether to -remove your pressure-suits. Archer, as pilot, will take command." - -Dr. Grimwood and Evans had removed the dead man from the control seat -when Archer returned. The controls were fewer and less specialized, and -in place of the all-seeing projection screen was a televiewer plate -with fixed scanners, whose field was limited to the tailward sector -of the heavens. Other observation was necessarily direct, through the -several ports. - -The televiewer became activated at the flip of the switch and revealed -that Captain Rogan had withdrawn his ship to a safe distance. - -Will Archer depressed a key which had the effect of applying a -magnetic brake in the stabilizer unit to one of a pair of oppositely -rotating flywheels, or "gyrotors," whose axis was athwartship. As the -considerable speed of the gyrotor diminished, the ship began to turn -with it in a slow somersault. Archer eased up on the key, and after -some hundred and twenty degrees, released it. The gyrotor came up to -speed again, stopping the spin nicely. - -Archer paused with his hand on the power control. "Hang on, boys," he -said. "There's going to be a floor." - -The others got as close to it as they could, and Archer "raised" the -thrust-control lever a few notches. Immediately, there was the welcome -feeling of weight. This, as a dubious tribute to the adaptability of -human flesh, became oppressive before the accelerometer showed one G. - -"We're going to have to pour it on," said Archer. "Three G's for a safe -margin. Since there's only one other chair here, maybe Evans had better -go down with Stokely. There are two chairs there. And by the way, I -think our two silent partners would be better off in the main storage -compartment." - -"Particularly," agreed Dr. Grimwood, "as they appear to have been dead -two or three days. That would be one reason for keeping our suits on -for a while." Gingerly, he picked up the hypodermic syringe from beside -the sprawling corpse. - -"It would be interesting to know what was in this. Maybe--" The doctor -stooped again quickly. "But what's this?" - -Will Archer looked down in time to see him force open the dead man's -clenched left fist. As the fingers came back, a greenish, glowing -object the size and shape of a brazil nut lay exposed. Or was it -green? All the colors of the spectrum seemed to appear in flickering -succession as Dr. Grimwood picked it up almost reverently, yet the -predominant effect was of cold green fire. - -After a moment, the doctor spoke softly: "So that's it! Farian jade!" - -"Farian jade!" Archer echoed. "I've heard of it. Plenty valuable, isn't -it?" - -Dr. Grimwood nodded. "Fabulously. There are only a few hundred pieces -known to exist, and their combined value could purchase a fair-sized, -habitable planet!" - -Evans' normally wide, dark eyes were bulging myopically. "Do you think -these guys stole it?" - -"Hard to say," said the doctor. "But, putting two and two together, it -looks more like they made a find somewhere back on the planet. If so, -there should be more of the stuff around, or some information--" He -felt about in the dead man's clothing, and presently pulled some papers -from an inner pocket. - -"Here we are!" he said, unfolding them. "The Farian coordinates, a -rough topographical map of the region, and written directions. They -must have struck it rich--a find of only a dozen pieces could be worth -twenty million dollars. They possibly decided to take out only a few -pieces at a time and pass them off as stolen goods elsewhere in the -system, legal protection being of dubious effectiveness where Farian -jade is involved. But it was evidently too big a strike for their -psyches to withstand." - -Stokely stepped from the open hatch, his eyes fixed on the jewel in -Dr. Grimwood's hand. He reached for it, held it up and studied it at -several angles, then passed it back, his face inscrutable throughout -the actions. - -"It's about the only gem that can't be synthesized, isn't it?" he asked -the doctor. - -"Yes--that's the main reason for its enormous value. And it's my guess -that it couldn't be synthesized for a long time even if we knew a lot -more about it than we do. The reason we don't know much is absurdly -simple: the stuff is just too damned expensive for a mere scientist -to be permitted more than superficial analysis. But we do know this: -synthesizing it would be tantamount to creating life." - -"Don't look now," Will Archer interrupted calmly, "but there's a -sizable planet breathing down our necks. So if you gentlemen would -retire to your respective stations, I can guarantee to add considerable -weight to the discussion." - - * * * * * - -"Not that the stuff is really alive, in any accepted sense," Dr. -Grimwood went on a few minutes later, his breathing somewhat labored, -but his enthusiasm not altogether squelched by three hundred and fifty -added pounds. "But it certainly isn't jade at all, or anything similar. -That misnomer has stuck because of its greenish glow--although if you -examine it under a very strong light, it appears dead black. Actually, -it's a microbiotic crystalline formation, the result of some age-long -process believed to be conducted by a virus-like life-form. The 'jade' -itself seems to be a borderline structure, having no obvious properties -of life--yet there is the contradictory cold light, or bioluminescence, -which would indicate some degree of electrochemical change. I'm not a -bio-chemist myself, but I'll tell you there are one or two fellows on -the other ship who would cut all our throats, in a charmingly objective -manner, in order to lay their hands on this bauble. Some think that -Farian jade may very possibly hold the secret of life itself." - -With an effort, the doctor lifted his hand high enough so that, without -altering his reclining position, he could peer over his own chin at -the jewel. Archer found his eyes held by it almost hypnotically, as it -pulsated through the gamut of hues, now blending, now contrasting with -the dominant green. - -"From what I've heard," said Archer, "the virus, or whatever makes it, -is pretty deadly to humans. Is it true that you can't even tell you're -infected until the final convulsions?" - -"In effect, yes," replied Dr. Grimwood. "Although if you're exposed -to it, which means stumbling across one of the rare and unpredictable -localities where the jade is found, the chances are about four out of -five that you will be infected. The fifth person, for some inexcusably -unknown reason, seems to be immune. But there is one symptom that -occurs with some punctuality three and a half hours after exposure, and -about 15 minutes before the convulsions: it's a bodily glow, or aura, -due to some bioluminescent substance saturating the tissues. - -"However, it is so faint that it can be seen only in the dark, and then -not by the victim himself, since it shows up only in contrast to a dark -background. I think that is the explanation of the fact that we found -all the lights out when we boarded this ship." - -"You mean," said Archer, with some alarm, "that fellow might have died -of the virus infection--in this chair?" - -Dr. Grimwood smiled slightly. "Don't worry. In the first place, -he didn't have it--he only thought he did. And if he had, you -couldn't catch it, even minus your pressure-suit. The malady is not -transmissible among humans. I almost wish it were, since we would have -been obliged to learn a great deal more about it than we have." - -"You say he thought he had it--was the stuff in the hypodermic some -kind of antidote, then?" - -"Undoubtedly," said the doctor. "And since there is only one antidote -known, it explains what happened to the rest of the jade they brought -along." - -"That's right!" exclaimed Archer. "I remember having heard that now. -The jade itself is the only antidote. But then--why did he die?" - -"Because," said Dr. Grimwood, "the antitoxin, where the infection has -not occurred, is a deadly and swift poison." - - * * * * * - -The doctor paused, then spoke bitterly: "There is some reason for -believing that the jade, or end-product, might be rendered non-toxic -in itself--if it were obtainable for experimentation. But it's not. -They'll inject the stuff in their own skins to save same--one wealthy -woman even mixed herself a million-dollar martini in order to commit -suicide--but when it comes to turning over the smallest fragment to a -laboratory, even billionaire philanthropists are restrained by their -wives. And the specimens are never cut or ground since it wouldn't -enhance their luminescence, so there aren't even any scraps for the -hungry researcher. - -"Anyhow, my guess is that these prospectors started off with their -samples not too long after exposure. They could have been well out -of the atmosphere before the three-and-a-half hour deadline. As it -approached, they evidently killed the lights in order to watch each -other for the symptomatic aura. Even though the probability was pretty -high of at least one of them being infected, they most likely wouldn't -have prepared any of the precious solution in advance. Fortunately, it -doesn't take long---you merely dissolve a minimum of ten carats in a -little alcohol, and it's ready to inject. - -"The fellow who was later killed must have developed the aura and been -told about it in good faith, because I saw the needle-mark on his -arm. Then came trouble. The other fellow happened to be one of the 20 -percent minority who are immune. He failed to show the symptom, but -suspected his colleague of lying about it. He probably kept him covered -with his gun while he cut the power so that even the control lights -would be out. Then he tried to tell by the reflection of his naked -torso in the observation ports whether he had the fatal glow. It must -have been a tense and ironic situation. - -"Whether he was deceived by a diffusion of sunlight in the heavy -vitreon or by his own taut nervous system, he evidently fancied he saw -the aura, and shot his comrade in a fit of rage. Then he turned the -equally fatal hypodermic on himself." - - * * * * * - -Although the four men were still in radio contact, having decided to -keep their pressure-suits on until the air "cleared," nobody spoke for -a while. Archer lolled his leaden cranium sideways on its rest, to see -the rim of the planet looming hugely in the side ports. The ship would -be reaching the near-point in another hour. - -"They must have been pushing off at well over two G," he said, "for -their momentum to have carried them out as far as it did. They made a -big loop." - -Dr. Grimwood smiled wryly. "I imagine they were impatient. How would -you feel with a negotiable fortune as a cargo?" - -"You might say," returned Archer, "how _do_ I feel? That leftover -you're holding must be 30 or 40 carats. I'll be glad enough to turn it -over to the company and let them find out about salvage rights, if any. -Frankly, I'm just a little afraid of the stuff. Its value seems to be -of slightly lethal proportions." - -"True," sighed the doctor, "but there's a great temptation to stop off -at that find and sneak a hunk of it for some friends of mine. They'd -get a bigger kick out of pulverizing it with a mallet than they would -buying castles on Arcturus IV." - -Under the onus of triple weight, the hour that followed seemed much -longer. At last the ship cleared the dangerous fringe of atmosphere by -a good thousand miles, and Archer aimed her nose at the retreating rim -of the planet, reducing deceleration to a very tolerable 1.5 G. - -"We'll swing pretty wide," he said to the others. "It'll be nine or ten -hours before we get back in at a safe speed. If you fellows don't mind, -I'm going to shuck this suit and catch a nap right here in this chair. -I'm all in. I'd advise you, Stokely, to do the same. We may need to be -on our toes later--this job won't practically land itself like the one -we're used to!" - - * * * * * - -A few hours later, Will Archer was pacing a broad marble courtyard -inlaid with Farian jade, in a kingly castle on Arcturus IV, when a -rough hand on his shoulder shook him awake. It was Stokely, with his -gun in his hand and an ugly smile on his rather handsome, freckled -face. He motioned derisively toward Dr. Grimwood, who was bound -securely to his chair. - -"I can't figure the doctor out," said Stokely. "I thought he made a -wonderful suggestion about stopping off and picking up some more jade, -but now that I've invited him, he doesn't want to go." - -Archer had discarded his own gun with his pressure-suit and was -chagrined to see it now in its holster at Stokely's waist. He groaned -inwardly, cursing his sleeping intuition for not having warned him. -In looking back, he realized now that there had been more to Stokely's -reactions than mere awe at the sight of a fabulous gem. And there was -something else--Stokely, though a first-rate engineer, had been washed -out as a Space Guard cadet on psychological grounds. He was quite sane, -but too individualistic--his social and cooperative indices had been -low. Captain Rogan had known of his record, of course--but he had not -known what would be found on this ship, and what effect it would have -on Stokely. - -But what about Evans? Archer turned in his chair and saw the slightly -built man standing a little nervously in back of him, holding what must -be the dead prospector's gun. - -Archer bit his lip. Not much was known of Evans, since he had been with -them only two trips, and his responsibilities as an ordinary crewman -had not been great. Archer judged him as a none-too-bright individual -who would never undertake such a bold venture on his own initiative, -but who might go to considerable lengths under strong leadership. -Well, he had that in Stokely, whose pale blue eyes had a reckless and -determined look about them. - -"Are you with us?" demanded Stokely. "I could probably pull this off -without you, but it'll be easier with you. Because you're a damned good -pilot even if you are the Captain's fair-haired boy. What do you say? -Not that we'll trust you very far, either way. Evans and I keep the -guns. You'll have to string along part way, anyhow--if you want to come -all the way, there's a fortune in it for you." - -Archer unsnapped his safety belt and got to his feet, flexing his lean -limbs, which were cramped from the many hours of confinement. As he -faced Stokely, their eyes were on a level, although the pink-haired man -would have run a good 30 pounds heavier--or, at the moment, 45. - -"What guarantee," asked Archer in a dull voice, "would I have of that?" - -"My say so, mostly," Stokely admitted evenly. "But I can use a pilot, -not only now but later. After we grab the stuff, the first thing we'll -need is another ship--and Faria won't be the place to look for it. When -we get it, we'll get rid of this one. That's where you come in." - -"How do you plan to do it?" - -"Very simple. Charge it up to the hilt, set her course straight out -of the system and let her go at about two G. It won't come back for a -thousand years, at least. The company will figure something happened to -it on this trip after we managed to miss the planet, and we couldn't -get back. I thought of cracking it up on Faria, but somebody might -spot it hitting the air, and the time would be way off. This way is -better--we just got lost in space. With nobody looking for us on IX, -it'll be a cinch to get out of the system from the interstellar base. - -"After that--we can go buy that nice planet the doctor was talking -about." - - * * * * * - -Archer scarcely heard the latter part of Stokely's speech, except to -visualize briefly the ironic situation in which a pilot named Archer -would change ships in mid-space--or start to. The important question -was whether there was anything to be gained by pretending to throw in -with the conspirators. Stokely, like most people who find it difficult -to appreciate a different viewpoint, should be easy enough to deceive. -It might mean a gain of considerable time--for Archer. - -But what about Dr. Grimwood? There seemed to be no place for him in -Stokely's scheme, after locating the jade, except perhaps the storage -compartment with the two prospectors. Once Stokely had disposed of the -doctor, he would undoubtedly require less of an excuse to do the same -with Archer--and eventually Evans, in all probability. - -There was a chance, however, that if Stokely found himself stoutly -opposed by both Dr. Grimwood and Archer, he might hesitate to kill them -both out of hand, at least until he could be certain of finding the -jade deposit. Double murder is a long step for a man with no previous -criminal record. - -Archer made his decision. - -"You can count me out," he said flatly, watching Stokely's face for a -reaction. "That badlands where the find is supposed to be is a tough -place to land a ship, so I'll put her down on behalf of all of us--but -also on the condition that you'll release Dr. Grimwood and myself -immediately. It'll take us weeks to reach civilization, _if_ we're -lucky. That ought to give you all the time you need. But I want your -guarantee--otherwise, I'll have nothing to lose by trying to cross you -up, if it kills us all." - -The bluff evidently carried a certain amount of purely psychological -weight, for Stokely seemed a little taken aback, and his blustering -smile lacked full confidence. - -"Honest Will Archer!" he said scornfully. "The pride of the company! -You're in a hell of a position to bargain!" He went on in a more -serious tone: "But it sounds good enough. You get us down, the doctor -helps us find the jade--he's the only one who knows much about the -stuff--and then the two of you can start out. Who knows--you might even -make it!" He grinned. - -It sounded as if--at the moment--Stokely regarded the proposition as -an easy way out for himself. For Archer and the doctor, it would not -be so easy. There would be at least two hundred miles of fearfully -rugged terrain, infested by predatory and poisonous animals, insects -and plants. It would be both hot and dangerous to travel by day--and -downright foolhardy by night. And even this dim prospect depended on -the slight scruples of a thoroughly egocentric individual. - -It was not enough. Archer resolved to keep his faculties on the alert -for any loophole that might occur. - - * * * * * - -But Stokely's vigilance had not slackened when, hours later, they -approached the atmosphere at a speed slightly greater than that of the -planet's rotation, and within an estimated five hundred miles of the -coordinates shown on the dead men's chart. Stokely left Evans in Dr. -Grimwood's chair, with the strict injunction not to remove his eyes -from Archer, and took the doctor with him to the engine compartment. - -Thereafter, Archer was obliged to give his entire attention to -the business of angling the ship sharply into the atmosphere and -opposing its thrust to the resultant of deceleration, gravity and -air resistance, a function which was only semi-automatic, and needed -constant correction. - -The first landmark shown on the map, a jagged and mighty canyon, -presently appeared between scattered clouds below. Archer set the -ship's angle nearer to the horizontal, allowing gravity to pull it into -a steeper descent. - -The next landmark, a crescent-shaped range of sawtooth mountains near -the far end of the canyon, showed up plainly, since shadows were -lengthening across the face of the planet. A dozen valleys meandered -off from the hills in a southerly direction and Archer aimed for the -fourth from the south. - -At last, one third of its length from the south end of the valley, the -ship stood over the spot corresponding to the X-mark on the map and -settled slowly on its jets. According to the scrawled notation, the -jade deposit would be not more than half a mile away, near the valley's -east wall. - -Archer delayed the impatient Stokely long enough to provide Dr. -Grimwood and himself with packs of food and water from the ship's -stores, trading on the doctor's promise to help locate the jade. Once -it was found, Archer did not intend to remain at Stokely's mercy long -enough to return to the ship. - -All four of the men donned their pressure-suits, primarily as a barrier -against the deadly "jade" virus, but incidentally as a protection from -all manner of unpleasant insects and tentacular, stinging plants. Also, -there was an abundance of scurrying, cold-blooded little horrors, -reminiscent of Terran reptiles or batrachians, but by those standards -grotesquely misshapen. - -Vega VII was a planet whose surface had been prematurely desiccated by -a broiling sun, although there was still considerable water available -in underground lakes, but the excess of hard radiation had spurred -evolutionary processes to improbable extremes. - -Just now, the outsized, glaring white orb was low in the sky and the -temperature was becoming tolerable. Before morning, in this dry air, it -would probably drop far below freezing. - - * * * * * - -Stokely made Archer and the doctor walk ahead, at a difficult pace over -the rough ground. They went willingly, however, since failure to find -the jade in the next hour or so would mean spending the whole night in -untrustworthy company. - -The final fixing of the location was accomplished by aligning the tip -of a rocky promontory resembling a human nose with a farther peak and -walking directly away from it until a small ravine was encountered. -The deposit was 75 yards farther on, according to the instructions, -in a direction a little south of east. All four men paced it off with -extended strides, ending up in a scattered configuration, with no two -of them more than ten yards apart. - - * * * * * - -The men faced each other and looked about. It was a rock-strewn area -similar to a dozen others they had passed through on the way here. But -closer inspection revealed one difference. Here and there were piles of -dry, gray bones of different sizes, some of them crumbled almost into -dust. - -"Looks something like an animal graveyard," said Dr. Grimwood. "But I -rather imagine it's less purposeful than that, and most of them simply -made the mistake of sleeping here." - -"Well," said Stokely, his voice harsh and a trifle high-pitched, -"where's the jade?" - -He deliberately pointed his gun at the doctor, who regarded him -dubiously. - -"I'm sure it's here," said Dr. Grimwood, "but I really don't know much -about its appearance in the natural state. They carefully avoided any -mention of that on their map, you know. That map was intended for them -alone." The doctor began to walk slowly among the rocks, studying them. -"I seem to recall, though, hearing something about--" - -He paused, bent down slowly with the weight of his pack, and dug with -his space-gauntleted fingers at a hollow in one of the larger rocks. - -"--moss!" he finished. "Gray moss. I think this is it." - -The tufted moss was hardly distinguishable from the stone itself in the -waning light. Dr. Grimwood plucked from its core a thimble-sized lump. -Holding it up, he scraped away part of the gray coating. It was as if, -with some magic flint, he had struck green fire. The eerie glow of the -gem made the surrounding area seem suddenly darker by contrast. - -Will Archer only glanced at it, returning his gaze quickly to Stokely, -on his left. In the big man's reaction to this climactic discovery -might lie some clue to his probable course of action. - -And the expression on Stokely's face was not good to see. The pale eyes -which had widened at the first sight of the gem now narrowed to slits, -while his normally regular features pulled into an ugly mask. A dark -flush suffused his freckled cheeks. - -Archer watched him with growing alarm. There was little doubt that, for -the moment, Stokely was not sane. - -His gun, still pointed at Dr. Grimwood, moved slightly, and Archer saw -his finger tightening on the trigger. In one motion, Archer slipped -free of his pack and flung himself at the heavier man. - -The gun went off just as he struck, and Stokely, caught off guard, was -bowled over like a tenpin. His head-globe hit hard against the rocky -ground, protecting his head but smashing a large hole in the globe. - -He went over so easily that Archer himself was thrown off balance. He -stumbled over Stokely's legs and fell a few feet beyond. Rolling over -quickly, he scrambled to a crouching position, then paused, and drew -himself slowly erect. - -Evans was standing just beyond Stokely, and the gun in his hand was -aimed steadily at Archer's stomach. Dr. Grimwood was lying prone and -limp, his blood trickling out between the stones under him, the bit of -jade glinting near his outstretched hand. - -Stokely picked up his gun and got to his feet dazedly, shaking his -head to clear it. Archer studied his face and saw there a vast, rising -anger, but no longer the wild light of utter unreason. The man was in a -dangerous mood and might readily kill again, but he had evidently been -jolted back to a semblance of sanity. - -Suddenly, Stokely's eyes widened and fear became dominant in his -expression. He obviously had just realized the implication of the fact -that his head-globe was broken. He licked his lips, and looked back and -forth from Archer to Evans. - -His mouth tightened with sudden purpose. - -"Evans! Look out!" Archer shouted, but too late. - -Stokely had lashed out with his gun and caught Evans sharply on the -right wrist. As Evans' gun dropped from paralyzed fingers, Stokely -easily shoved him away and scooped it up from the ground. He stepped -back a few paces, keeping a watchful eye on Archer. - -"Okay," he ordered Evans grimly, "take it off!" - - * * * * * - -Only then, evidently, did Evans' slow wits grasp the meaning of what -had happened. His dark eyes stared with fright, but he loosened the -clamps with trembling fingers, and set his head-globe carefully on the -ground. Stokely, now in possession of all three guns, holstered the one -in his left hand, removed his cracked head-globe with some difficulty, -and even more awkwardly replaced it with Evans'. - -Head-globes were interchangeable, though the individually proportioned -suits were not. The reason that Stokely had called upon Evans, not -Archer, to remove his globe was disturbingly obvious. Stokely wanted -Evans in the same status as himself, for the time being--which should -have been reassuring to Evans. To Archer it was quite the contrary, and -he was not surprised when Stokely scowled at him a moment later and -spoke in a voice that was too quiet: - -"As for you, you're too smart for your own good. I don't think we need -you around any longer." The gun in his right hand swung slowly. - -"On the contrary," said Archer quickly, "since that borrowed helmet -might not make any difference now, you need me worse than ever. That -is, unless you trust each other implicitly." He spoke the last few -words with slow emphasis. - -For a long moment, the gun held steady, then it lowered a little. -Stokely gestured with the other hand. - -"Take it off," he said harshly, "and I'll hear what you have to say. -I'm not promising anything, though. For instance--why should I trust -_you_?" - -Archer removed his head-globe, admitting the outer air. It was cold -against his face, and so dry by comparison with the humidified air of -his pressure-suit that it caught in his throat as he breathed. He left -his headset on for communication with Stokely. - -"Maybe you won't have to," Archer answered steadily. "I have a plan -that might work in spite of our low regard for each other's veracity. -But--in case it doesn't--you'll be better off if you take off that -globe." - -Stokely sneered. "You'll have a hard time selling me that idea!" - -"I don't think so, when you see the point. You're forgetting that in -this case, a false cure is just as deadly as the disease. I don't -know just how full of the virus the air is hereabouts, but as far as -either of us can tell, you may be cutting down your chances of getting -infected. Evans' chance, and mine, with full exposure, will be four out -of five. That means if we can't find out for sure whether we have it, -we can take an injection and be 80 percent sure of being right. - -"How sure can you be?" - -Stokely's face set in a grim mask as the realization sank in. He -removed his globe and set it out before him on the ground. Again the -gun raised to Archer's chest. - -"Okay, bright lad, you put it on!" - -Archer smiled thinly and shook his head. "Could you be sure that I -don't know more about the infection than I've admitted? In which case, -it might be a trick to get the globe for myself." - -Stokely's face was twisting dangerously again, and Archer went on -quickly: - -"Better leave us all in the same boat, anyhow--it'll work out better -later on." - -It was a full, tense minute before Stokely's fury subsided to a point -where he could speak. - -"I think I'm making a mistake in letting you live," he said thickly. -"This plan of yours had better be good. How does it work--with mirrors? -Let's have it!" - -"Lacking mirrors of a size which would show a good contrast--say about -ten feet square," Archer returned calmly, "we'll have to use other -means. My plan will give each of us an equal chance, at least. I'll -tell you the first part now: we take all the jade we can find around -here, before dark if possible, and go back to the ship. I'll tell you -the next step when we get there. If that isn't good enough--or if an 80 -percent chance _is_--you can shoot and be damned!" - - * * * * * - -It was nearly three hours later, very dark and very cold, when they -returned to the ship. Archer and Evans carried Dr. Grimwood's body, -consigned to the same storage compartment as the dead prospector's. -Stokely evidently had not altogether abandoned his original plan for -disposing of the evidence. The question now, Archer thought grimly, was -how many bodies there would be. - -Stokely himself carried the jade, of course. Under his prodding, they -had literally left no stone unturned in the vicinity of the deposit. It -had yielded nine pieces of varying size and a total weight of perhaps a -hundred and fifty carats. They added up to riches beyond imagining. - -One of the lockers, as would be expected aboard a prospector's ship, -contained an assortment of standard chemicals, and Archer lost no time -in locating a bottle of ethyl alcohol. There was also a balance and a -set of weights. - -"The next step is simple," he said, anticipating Stokely's question. -"I make up a solution of antitoxin. There are hypodermics in the -medical kit, which is in the control room. The doctor put the one we -found up there in it, and I'm pretty sure I noticed a couple of others. -Perhaps you will trust Evans to go get it, and in the meantime, I'll -trouble you for about 30 carats of jade." - -"Thirty carats! That's enough for all three of us! We may not all be -infected." - -"No--as a matter of fact the odds work out to be only a little better -than 50-50 that we all have it. But we've all got to have the means of -doing something about it if we find out--otherwise the plan won't work. - -"_If_ we find out!" Stokely echoed harshly. "Archer, you've stalled -around long enough! What is this plan?" - -Archer looked at him in open disgust. "_You've_ stalled around long -enough! There's only 20 more minutes until the three-and-a-half hour -deadline. Let me get the stuff made and then we'll talk about it. -Incidentally, 30 carats is less than the share you offered me--and also -a lot less than I value my life. So you can figure the shots are on -me." - -With a reluctant grimace, Stokely removed the utility kit from his belt -and poured out a small but dazzling cascade. Archer weighed several -combinations of the smaller gems, and found one group of three which -came to a little under six and a half grams or about 32 carats. - -Unceremoniously, he dumped them into a small beaker, and poured in a -little alcohol. After a minute or so, they softened and dissolved. -Archer added distilled water and stirred the solution gently. - -Evans returned from the control room and handed the medical kit to -Archer, who took out the three hypodermics. Forcing himself to take -great pains, he divided the solution among the three. - -"No time to sterilize these," he said. "Not that they should need -it. Here is the one used by the dead man--I don't mind taking it, if -anybody else does. This next one has a little more in it than the -others. Stokely, you're the biggest, so--but suit yourself. Now let's -get these suits off and get outside." - -"Why can't we wear the suits?" asked Evans. "It's freezing out there!" - -"Because they're opaque," said Archer patiently, "and the aura is so -faint that your cranium alone probably wouldn't give off enough to be -visible. Personally, I'm going to strip to the waist. I'd be inclined -to strip further, if it weren't for the fact that some of those -crawling things out there are about as deadly as the virus." - - * * * * * - -In silence, the three men climbed down from the airlock, their -flashlights cutting holes in the thick darkness. Faria was a moonless -planet, and the hour was late. - -Under the watchful eye of Stokely, Archer walked clear of the -retractable landing supports and shone his flashlight about the small -level area in which the ship was fairly centered. He held the beam -steady on an outcropping of rock about 40 feet away. - -"There's a good background for you, Stokely. It faces the lock, and I -imagine you'll want to do the same." - -He swung the flashlight slowly around. There were several piles of -boulders standing about, and Archer indicated two of them, each about -120 degrees from the first. - -"Evans and I can take those two positions. That way we'll form a -triangle, each of us about 40 feet from the ship, and in plain sight -of the others--that is, _if_ we develop that fatal glow. In any case, -Stokely, I think you can depend on us staying put until we find out, -since--" - -"And then what happens?" Stokely demanded impatiently. "How do we find -out--without trusting each other? The whole set-up sounds silly to me!" - -"It's my life, too," Archer reminded him. "And in case you're in any -doubt, I don't trust you, either. Here's the plan: As you know, all of -us were exposed within a very few minutes of each other. That means, -according to our late friend, the doctor, that in ten to 12 minutes -from now--perhaps a few minutes longer--one or more of us should show -the symptomatic aura. - -"Now there's the point: _one or more_ of us. There's an excellent -chance we won't all show it. Allowing an adequate margin, the next 20 -minutes should reveal who has the infection and who hasn't. I propose -that at the end of that time each of us in turn announces, not which -of the others shows it but simply whether he sees the aura at all. He -doesn't tell whether one or both of the others shows it, but merely -whether _at least one_ does." - -"What good would that do anybody?" asked Stokely glumly. - -"None, in itself. But you forget that all of us will be reporting. For -instance, supposing Evans says he sees it, but I don't show it, or vice -versa--two very distinct possibilities. Then you'd know that the only -place Evans could have seen it--" - -"What if he were lying?" Stokely put in sharply. - -"That's the general idea in back of the whole scheme. He couldn't get -away with it. If he said he saw it and didn't, it could only mean that -neither you nor I showed it. In that case--which is one of the lesser -possibilities, incidentally--I'd be led into the same error that you -would. But it would then be very much to our mutual benefit to compare -notes before taking any injection. - -"If he said he didn't see it, and either of us had it, the other would -know he was lying. If we can't trust each other to tell the truth, we -can't very well depend on each other to back up our lies--especially -when there is everything to lose by it. If you knew Evans was lying -about me, how would you know whether he was telling the truth about -you?" - -"Now listen!" protested Evans, who seemed to be shivering as much with -fear as with the cold, "you guys talk like you expected me to pull a -fast one. Hell, it's complicated enough if we all tell the truth--don't -worry about me!" - -"I was using you for an example," Archer told him. "The same thing -applies to each of us, and we should all be able to see that honesty -is the only workable policy. There's one more little matter to be -decided: the order in which we report. I think it would be fair to -reverse the order of exposure, which would probably make it the order -of observation. I was exposed last, so I'll report first, then Evans, -then Stokely. - -"Now I'd suggest we take our positions, so we can kill these lights and -let our eyes get used to the dark. There's only six to eight minutes to -go." - -Archer turned and started off, half expecting some last-minute -objection from Stokely. But the latter merely waited to assure himself -by means of his flashlight that Archer and Evans were half-way to their -appointed places, then started making his way toward his own. - - * * * * * - -The spot to which Archer had assigned himself turned out to be a -jumble of loose rocks, complete with small and unpleasant denizens. -He frowned. The footing would be very bad for dodging bullets, should -matters turn out unsatisfactory to Stokely. - -As the latter reached his position, about 75 feet away, Archer called -out: - -"Let's all face the ship, and don't anybody move after the lights are -out, or you'll lose your orientation. Don't even shift your feet! Four -to six minutes to go--but it could be sooner! I'm stripping down now." - -He switched off his flashlight, and after a moment, Stokely and Evans -did likewise. The night closed in disconcertingly, the utter dark -wiping out all visual cues and rendering one's very balance momentarily -precarious. - -Archer removed the watch from his wrist and placed it in his -pocket. Its face was luminous, and he was uncertain of its possible -competition. He doffed his jacket and tied it about his hips, then -unzipped his shirt to the waist and slipped it from his shoulders, -tucking the sleeves into his belt. - -The air was too dry for a sudden shock of cold, but within seconds his -outer flesh began to ache dully, and there was difficulty in expanding -his chest sufficiently to breathe. He wondered how much of it a healthy -man could stand before pneumonia became certain. - -Stokely was apparently trying to warm things up in his vicinity with a -muttered string of vehement oaths, and Archer thought he heard a low -groan from the direction of Evans. - -The black border of the horizon was becoming visible now against the -lesser darkness of the sky. Directly before him was the outline of the -ship, the control-room ports showing dim and ghostly above with the -light seeping up from the waist compartment. - -Archer began turning his head back and forth at about ten-second -intervals, staring into the blackness approximately 60 degrees each -side of center, swinging his arms and flexing the muscles of his torso -in a losing battle against the advancing numbness. - -He started suddenly at a slight sound of movement in the rocks not two -yards away in the direction of Evans. But it was far too faint for -human feet on that treacherous ground. More probably it was some small -monster--quite possibly attracted by the dubious warmth of Archer's -body, which was certainly radiating for all it was worth. - -Wryly, he thought of one of the more abhorrent of the local fauna, a -lizard-like creature which attacked any animal which had the single -qualification of being within a considerable jumping range. The beastie -combined the least intelligence with the most virulent poison in -several star-systems. With barbed feet and tail, it clung to its victim -through the death throes--which usually began immediately--and unless -torn apart or crushed in the process, it fed. Fortunately, the species -was one of hundreds equally numerous and generally less deadly. - - * * * * * - -At least five minutes had passed, by the most meticulous of estimates, -when Archer saw the glow. He had been looking at it for several -seconds, in the direction of Stokely, before he realized what it was. - -He had expected a modification of the greenish luminescence of the -jade itself. But this was a mere patch of gray in the blackness, to -begin with. It whitened, gradually revealing the blurred silhouette of -the man within it. At that level it remained, and his outline grew no -sharper. By blinking several times, Archer was able to distinguish the -arms from the rest of him, and assumed from their respective positions -that Stokely was holding his gun in his left hand, the syringe in his -right. - -It seemed twice as long--by which Archer judged it was about -half--before a similar dusky patch became visible in the direction of -Evans. He showed up very soon thereafter, because unlike Stokely, he -was churning his arms as if in direct combat with the cold. - -Archer began to count slowly to himself, swinging his arms in a -period of about a second. He had not done so before, because it would -have served no particular purpose, and would have made the time seem -even longer. Now it was important not to allow too long an interval -following the second revelation of the deadly symptom. There must not -be too much time for the others to think about the situation. - -Yet there must be enough to insure his showing the symptom himself, if -he were going to. He estimated that Evans' period of "incubation" had -varied from Stokely's by about a minute, allowing for the difference in -the time of exposure. If Archer's varied from Evans' by as much as two -minutes, there could still be three minutes or more to go. Of course, -it was possible that he already showed it--or even that he had been the -first. Five minutes should allow a safe margin, he decided. - -Two minutes of it were now gone. Archer's arms felt like lead-weighted -pendulums, yet he restrained the tendency to urge them to more rapid -motion. The count of 60 took a small eternity. - -Three minutes. His arms were so numb it was occasionally difficult to -tell for sure when they had reached the end of their swing. It would -have been reassuring to be able to see them. He widened his eyes and -blinked rapidly, trying to penetrate the dark, and momentarily he -almost fancied he saw a dim haze about him. He thought of the dead man -they had found in the pilot's seat. There were no limits to the fallacy -of human vision, under emotional stress. - -Four minutes. If the original 20-minute period happened to be over -and the others were aware of it, they made no sign. That would not be -strange. Having agreed that Archer would make the first report, they -would hesitate to venture any comment, for fear of dropping some kind -of hint. - -Five minutes. Archer fumbled awkwardly for his watch. If all his -estimates, pieced together, were correct, there should still be a -minute to go. - -He was amazed to find that there was not. By leaning over backward in -his guesses, he had actually managed to be conservative. The time was -up--in fact, it was almost 15 seconds past. It was time to get the -formalities over with and end this desperate game. - -"All right!" Archer said loudly, his voice cracking slightly. "It's -time to report, and here's mine--" He paused briefly, then finished: "I -see it." - - * * * * * - -It was now up to the others either to lie or to admit they saw it. It -didn't particularly matter which, but Archer rather expected the truth. -Evans was next. - -After a moment, the latter's voice came somewhat falteringly, but -clearly enough: "I see it." - -Surprisingly, Stokely did not keep them waiting. His report came -immediately, in a hoarse monotone: "I see it." - -_Now._ Archer's gaze swung back and forth between the two others during -the space of a long breath. Their shadowy figures did not move, but -stood irresolute. - -Archer exhaled with vast relief. "Okay, you fellows," he announced, -"we've all got it. Here goes my injection." - -Watching Stokely carefully, he plucked the syringe from his belt with -enormous caution, and forced his feeble right hand to drive the needle -into his left forearm and press the plunger all the way. There was one -slight advantage to the cold, after all--he hardly felt the perforation. - -He dared not pull up his shirt as yet. It could very easily have the -effect of making him fade partially from Stokely's view, and might -provoke the big man into blazing away at him. - -It was quite possible that Stokely would shoot anyhow, though under the -circumstances his aim might not be at its best. - -"You lie!" Stokely said suddenly, as between clenched teeth. "The only -way you could know about yourself would be if I didn't have it. Then -you'd know where Evans must have seen it." - -"One minute ago," said Archer, "that would have been true. And if -you had thought of it a minute ago, instead of just now, things might -have been different. But putting yourself in my position with respect -to Evans, or in his with respect to me, was too big a step for your -egocentric mind. You haven't quite done it yet, or you would understand -this: - -"If you hadn't shown the aura, I would have known _instantly_ that I -did. Also, Evans would have known about himself, immediately. But we -didn't know, immediately. None of us did. And there is only one way we -could all see it and remain uncertain. That is for all of us to have -it. I didn't know, you both didn't know--and therefore I knew. Can you -follow that?" - -After a pause, Archer went on: "Incidentally, I wouldn't let a dog die -the way both of you are going to in the next few minutes unless you do -something about it. That's why I've taken the trouble to explain it." - -Evans suddenly cleared his throat, and his voice came plaintively: -"Uh--are you sure I've got it, Mr. Archer?" The necessity of the -conclusion was clearly beyond him. - -"Quite sure," Archer returned, noting that Evans had sought the truth -from him instead of his own colleague in crime. - -"That's good enough for me." Evans' motions showed dimly that he was -making the injection. - -But Archer spared him only a glance and turned back to watching -Stokely. The latter had not yet moved. - -"Okay, Stokely," said Archer, "I'll give you a better break than you'd -give me--I'll prove it to you. You're facing me now. Raise either arm, -and I'll tell you which one it is." - -Stokely seemed to hesitate, then raised both arms to the horizontal. - -"You're pretty sharp, at that," Archer told him, "when it comes to -thinking from your own corner. You raised both of them." - -Stokely's arms dropped, but not all the way. There was a motion as of -applying the hypodermic. - -Quickly, Archer drew the sleeves of his shirt over his arms. But he -had counted too heavily on Stokely's preoccupation. The latter turned -rigidly, as if continuing the injection, and fired. - -Archer felt a shock which spun him half around, but could not tell just -where he was hit, for the moment. He began to run awkwardly through -the loose rocks toward the sanctuary of the pile of boulders, raising -his jacket high to screen his head. In doing so, the location of his -wound became evident with a jab of pain. His left arm was useless. - -The next instant, the glaring beam of Stokely's flashlight picked him -out, and the second bullet spanged against a boulder just as he ducked -behind it, peppering his cheek with rock dust. - -Stooping low, Archer moved around the pile, as the crunching sound of -Stokely's rapid footsteps came closer. He cursed the luck that had -enabled Stokely to cripple him. He felt his paralyzed arm gingerly--the -bullet had struck just below the shoulder, and he guessed that the bone -was broken, but the wound did not seem to be bleeding much. - -There was no use making a break for the next heap of rocks over this -treacherous ground, even if he knew precisely where it lay. He would -simply have to play tag with Stokely until-- - -Suddenly, the footsteps slowed and seemed to stumble. There was a -clattering among the rocks and the lancing beam of the flashlight cut -off. Darkness and silence descended. - - * * * * * - -Will Archer waited tensely. If all were well, Stokely should be out -like the light he had been carrying. But Archer was in no hurry about -using his own. It would make him altogether too vulnerable, in case -this just might be a ruse. - -Then from a little distance came the welcome beam of Evans' light. -Archer peered out carefully and beheld the prone, unmoving figure of -Stokely, his arms doubled under him as if to break his fall. - -Unhurriedly, Archer turned on his own flashlight, walked around and -set it between two rocks so that its beam made a path of light between -himself and the ship. He rolled the big man over with a thrust of -his foot, exposing the gun underneath. This, and one gun from the -unconscious man's two holsters, Archer picked up and stuck in his belt. -The remaining one--Archer's own--he pointed at Evans, who had stopped -ten yards away. - -The latter wore a puzzled expression--apparently at having found the -wrong body. - -"What did you do," he asked Archer, "hit him with a rock? Is he dead?" - -"I wish I had," said Archer without humor, "and I wouldn't feel a bit -bad if he were. In fact, I intend to see to it that he is lawfully -executed. But in order to do that it will be necessary to get him back -to the base. You're elected to drag him over to the hoist." - -Archer stooped again, without taking his eyes off Evans, and laid his -gun on the ground. He took the kit of jade from Stokely's belt and -pocketed it, then picked up the gun again and stepped back a few paces. - -"You can fasten his arms with his own belt," he told Evans, "and his -legs with yours. He should sleep for hours, but there's no use taking -chances." - -Evans came forward meekly and bent over Stokely, then looked up, -startled. "The hypodermics! You must have put something in ours that--" - -"Not yours. Do you recall how willingly he took the one with the most -in it? Well, he got no more antitoxin than you and I did. The rest was -a quick-acting sedative that the doctor brought aboard in case we ran -into a lunatic. I emptied most of it into the distilled water, but I -left enough to do the trick. I trust you're buckling that belt good and -tight." - -Evans' blue lips twisted glumly as he pulled off his own belt and -applied it to Stokely's ankles. Suddenly, he smiled. - -"Say! What makes you think they'll believe your story about what -happened? It's your word against ours. Suppose we tell 'em that--" - -"You're daydreaming," Archer broke in. "You'll be a lot better -off to resign yourself to spending five or ten years in a penal -colony--probably on some planet worse than this one. - -"In the first place, you could never pass the lie-detector test, -although Stokely might. In the second place, it isn't just my word -against yours--our psychometric ratings will be weighed, too, and I'll -let you guess whose will be found wanting. And finally, what kind of -criminal will murder for profit, then change his mind and toss the loot -on the manager's desk, of his own free will? - -"Which is just what I intend to do. But there'll be one string -attached. A sizable hunk of this stuff, together with a shiny new -mallet, goes to Dr. Grimwood's pals." - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PHANTOM DUEL *** - -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. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. 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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> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Phantom Duel</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Ford McCormack</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Illustrator: STALLMAN</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: February 13, 2022 [eBook #67392]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PHANTOM DUEL ***</div> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>PHANTOM DUEL</h1> - -<h2>By FORD McCORMACK</h2> - -<p>Illustrated by STALLMAN</p> - -<p><i>Farian jade was the most precious<br /> -jewel in history—and the most deadly!</i></p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Infinity Science Fiction, November 1955.<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>Will Archer idly poked one of the array of keys which studded the -wings of his control chair. The pattern of stars which sprayed into a -twelve-foot black bowl from a knobbed projector above his head winked -out and was promptly replaced by the rounding, yellow-green bulk of -Vega VII, less than two diameters away.</p> - -<p>He was not sorry that its image was receding steadily. Faria, as -it was called in the Vega system, was about the size of Earth and -its atmosphere was tolerable to humans—there the resemblance all -but ended. For its weather was insufferably hot, its topography -fantastically tortuous, and its life-forms, both animal and -vegetable—and yes, mineral!—were of a general aspect that only a -biologist could gaze on with fondness.</p> - -<p>In order to do so, a whole group of kindred scientists had come all the -way from far Earth six months before, and had chartered a ship at the -interstellar base on Vega IX.</p> - -<p>They had also required an experienced and reliable "local" crew. The -pay had been good, and Will Archer was looking forward to spending most -of it quickly and freely on Vega IX.</p> - -<p>He released the key and the screen automatically reoriented itself to -primary position—on course. The stars showing before him were actually -almost directly above his head, allowing for "yaw" due to offset -angular acceleration.</p> - -<p>Eighty hours to reversal. A hundred more of "descent" to Vega IX. Will -Archer shrugged. Eight days between him and the fanciest fleshpots in -the system. With a little more squirt—say about one-point-six G, which -anybody but a cardiac case could easily stand—they could cut the trip -in half, and sit down with juice to spare. But the freak-chasers loved -comfort, and with all those specimens to drool over, they'd probably -just as soon start for Sol III on chem-drive! Well, they or their -sponsors were footing the bill, so—</p> - -<p>The concave screen suddenly flickered to fifth position, showing a 120° -range of the firmament, rotated 90° clockwise, to the pilot's left. At -the same time, a buzzer started droning, and a yellow light blinked on -the gauge panel to his right.</p> - -<p>Toward one side of the screen, the great disc of Vega, selectively -dimmed in projection, glowed like a blue-white moon. Near the center, -a twelve-inch ring of light appeared and began to move slowly to the -right. Whatever the ring indicated was too small and too distant -to see, but to the unaided judgment its motion bore a disturbing -resemblance to a collision course.</p> - -<p>Evidently the detector-system thought otherwise, or a red light would -be flashing instead of a yellow one, an all-quarters alarm-bell would -be sounding instead of a buzzer, and the controls would have operated -automatically to deflect the ship by a safe margin—or to the limit of -its occupants' capacity to absorb shock. Fortunately, such instances -were vanishingly rare: space is incredibly roomy.</p> - -<p>Beneath the yellow blinker, a set of clicking meters recorded the -flight components of the foreign object. Its direction cosines were -changing slowly in a characteristically orbital manner; the object was -probably a ship approaching the planet, although its velocity was a bit -high for this proximity. But that was another pilot's worry.</p> - -<p>The ring was moving faster now, approaching the edge of the field. -Just as it touched, it disappeared, and the screen flashed to first -position. The ring reappeared at far left, shifted to the right with -gathering speed. It swung past the center with a rush, slowed down -again, and reached the far edge as the screen reoriented to third -position. Very slowly now, the ring moved out from the left side of the -field.</p> - -<p>The nearest distance of the respective courses had been about 45 miles; -of the ships themselves, about 70. The ring drifted on toward the -center of the screen and seemed to hover there.</p> - -<p>Will Archer looked back at the meters and shook his head. Too fast by -far. And the negative acceleration was only a fraction of a G—<i>wait a -minute!</i> He stared at the meter in question. Its reading was positive!</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>That meant the other ship, or whatever it might be, was approaching -the planet in something resembling a free fall. A crash was not -inevitable—there was plenty of time to apply sufficient lateral thrust -to insure a miss—but <i>why</i>? Time and fuel would be wasted before a -landing would become possible.</p> - -<p>The meters stopped clicking, the buzzer became silent, and the ring -disappeared from the screen, which changed back to first position. The -object had passed beyond accurate range.</p> - -<p>Will Archer frowned and pressed a key to his left. After a moment, the -face of the radio operator appeared on a small video plate: "Yes?"</p> - -<p>"Any calls from outside in the last few minutes?"</p> - -<p>The radio operator looked surprised. "No. Why?"</p> - -<p>"Stay on audio." The pilot pressed another key, and the buzzer began -droning again. This time, it would be heard in all parts of the ship. -Captain's call. After perhaps ten seconds, the broad, placid face of -Captain Rogan appeared on the screen: "Will? What's the trouble?"</p> - -<p>The captain rested his claim to respect on an amazing percentage of -sound decisions, and held formality very lightly.</p> - -<p>"Cap, a ship just crossed our course in what looked like a free fall to -the planet—too fast for a landing. No signals of any kind."</p> - -<p>Archer added nothing to the simple facts, since Captain Rogan was as -well qualified to speculate about them as anyone. He knew that the Vega -system harbors few, if any, meteorites of the indicated size. There -is no asteroid belt; apparently there have never been more than the -present twenty-three planets.</p> - -<p>The only answer which seemed consistent with the facts was an ugly one. -The object was a ship out of control—its occupants either dead or -helpless.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Captain Rogan's furrowed brow indicated that he had reached the same -conclusion.</p> - -<p>"Modify thrust to hold course and cut acceleration," he said quietly. -"I'll send Berry up to make the layout." The video plate blanked out.</p> - -<p>Berry, the navigator, had turned in shortly after the fix and was -probably asleep by now. Archer would need him—it was going to be -tricky to plot a follow-course this close to the planet with enough -leeway to match velocities. And they would have to pour it on a little, -in all probability, to insure a safe margin—he wondered how the paying -guests would like that. Not that it would matter to Captain Rogan—the -Space Code came first.</p> - -<p>Will Archer pressed a key, and a high-pitched gong began to sound at -one-second intervals. It would warn the ship's occupants of a change in -acceleration, and would continue until the change was completed.</p> - -<p>Berry came in, walking quite steadily with the flat-footed gait of one -wearing magnetic shoe-plates. He nodded sleepily, ran a hand through -his tousled blond hair, and strapped his slight frame into the seat at -the computing table.</p> - -<p>"I can tell you right now," he said glumly, "it's going to be rough. At -3 G tops, it'll take five elements and seven hours, at the very least. -We won't get within 50 percent of optimum."</p> - -<p>Archer read between the lines. Berry was a confirmed pessimist, and -if he specified seven hours, it meant there was a fair chance of -overtaking the other ship in less.</p> - -<p>On the trip "down," Will Archer did not mind the roller-coaster effects -nearly so much as his gradual loss of orientation. It was not his first -experience with incrementing a free descent, but it was by all odds his -longest one. In succession, the planet was "up," "down," sideways and -all over the place. Only the screen remained relatively unconfused. -Certainly no planet-evolved organism could hope to match its gyroscopic -single-mindedness.</p> - -<p>Some six hours later, the planet's projection occupied virtually the -whole screen. The locator ring, now in shadow for contrast, picked -out the other ship, which presently became visible as a black speck -somewhat above the screen's center.</p> - -<p>It grew, and became recognizable as a small ship of not more than -six-man capacity. There was now little question of its being out of -control—it was dropping toward the planet at an odd angle, and its -jets were dead. The question was whether there would be sufficient -thrust available to divert it from the planet's atmosphere. Unless -power were applied within the next hour, Archer surmised, no reasonable -amount of acceleration would do the trick.</p> - -<p>Archer grinned. The same thing applied to this ship. How would the -scientists react to the choice of jettisoning some of their heavy -equipment and specimens or burdening their own frames with artificial -avoirdupois to the point of black-out?</p> - -<p>The final jockeying to match velocities was a delicate and -nerve-wracking task, since overshooting even once would have meant -considerable loss of time. There was a tense moment as they slid -abreast of the smaller ship and Archer applied the last few pounds of -thrust. It was precisely enough, and the two ships floated relatively -motionless, though somewhat askew. The smaller ship showed no external -signs of damage, yet no light showed through any of the visible -portholes.</p> - -<p>An extending rod, blackly silhouetted against the looming planet, -stretched slowly across the field and touched the smaller ship's -hull. Another moved out, farther away, and then a third, forming a -magnetically clinging tripod which locked the two ships together.</p> - -<p>The buzzer sounded intermittently and a blue light flashed on Archer's -left. He flipped a key, and Captain Rogan's face appeared on the video -plate.</p> - -<p>"Will, get into your suit and come to the lock. Berry will take the -controls. You're to go over with Stokely and see what can be done. -And—better bring your gun, just in case."</p> - -<p>It was a notion that had already occurred to Archer, and he toyed -with it further while donning his pressure-suit. People occasionally -go berserk in space—its awesome immensity affects some minds that -way—and a few had been fairly successful in liquidating their fellows -wholesale. Among those ships which had simply disappeared forever into -the void, there were probably a few such cases. Yes, it was entirely -possible that there might be one living occupant of the other ship—a -madman.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Stokely, the burly, pink-haired chief engineer, was dressed for space, -except for his head-globe, when Archer arrived at the lock. So were -two others: Evans, a soft-spoken, sharp-faced member of the crew, -and a tall and graying individual whom Will recognized as Dr. Hubert -Grimwood, one of the more eminent of the scientists aboard. A sizable -medical kit was slung from the doctor's middle.</p> - -<p>"I must admit, Captain," he was saying apologetically, "that while I do -have a medical degree, I have never practised except—ah—incidentally."</p> - -<p>Captain Rogan shrugged. "There's no other medical doctor aboard, as I -told you. All you can do is your best."</p> - -<p>The captain took up his position at the observation port next to the -lock. "Are you ready, gentlemen?"</p> - -<p>With the others, Archer slipped on his radio headset, placed his -head-globe in its rubber gasket and tightened the four clamps that held -it. He cracked the compressed-air valve just enough to inflate the -suit gently, and turned on the regulator unit. As he stepped into the -airlock, the voice of Captain Rogan, slightly blurred in transmission, -sounded in his ears:</p> - -<p>"Stokely and Archer, being armed, will enter first. Stokely will report -progress, if able—otherwise Archer, Evans, Grimwood, in that order. -Please acknowledge."</p> - -<p>The four men in the lock spoke their "Yes, sirs," in the order named, -including Dr. Grimwood, whose response was nervously emphatic. He was -plainly unaccustomed to activity during degravitation, but the set of -his bony countenance showed his determination to go through with it.</p> - -<p>Will Archer felt his suit stiffening as the gauge dropped toward zero, -and he moved his arms and legs a little to test the ball joints. They -moved freely, being precisely pivoted so that the volume of the suit -remained constant regardless of position. A moment later, Stokely -pulled open the outer hatch.</p> - -<p>One of the contact rods projected from its sheath near the hatch to a -point within reach of the other ship's lock. Stokely set out carefully, -hand over hand, and Archer followed him, gripping the rod firmly with -each hand in turn. This was no time to make a slip and go drifting off -into nowhere. The pistol at his side would provide a means of getting -back, but an awkward one, because one's center of gravity was difficult -to judge accurately, and if the shot were not closely aligned to it, -one stood an excellent chance of converting himself into a human -pinwheel.</p> - -<p>Archer waited near the hull of the other ship until Stokely drew -himself out of the way, then, grasping a nearby rung, he made room -for Evans and Grimwood. Stokely, though a few feet away, was in dense -shadow and almost invisible, but his flashlight made a shifting oval of -light on what appeared to be a pane of vitreon, and he spoke steadily:</p> - -<p>"I'm looking through the porthole, but I can't see much. There are no -lights aboard ship. Nothing seems to be out of place in the waist -here, but of course I can't see the nose and tail compartments."</p> - -<p>"How about the lock?" came Captain Rogan's voice. "Try the emergency -control."</p> - -<p>Archer could feel a slight vibration through the hull as Stokely -changed his position, then spoke again:</p> - -<p>"Seems to be in working order. The lock is evacuating. But it's going -to be a squeeze for the four of us."</p> - -<p>"Better go in two at a time. You and Archer first. And keep your suits -operating, even if the air reads all right—there just might be some -fancy bacteria floating around."</p> - -<p>That was another grim possibility not unknown in space annals. Bacteria -could mutate rapidly and strangely under extra-planetary conditions. -On two or three occasions, "fancy" ones had nearly wiped out orbital -laboratories devoted to bacteriological research.</p> - -<p>If such were the case here, it was all the more important to see what -could be done to avoid tainting the atmosphere of an inhabited planet.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>In the air lock, the pressure balanced quickly with that of the -interior, and the tension eased on the fabric of their suits. Stokely -pushed the inner hatch open and they entered with guns drawn. The beams -of their flashlights swept the chamber quickly, then more slowly.</p> - -<p>There were only the bunks, storage lockers, air-processing equipment, -and gyro-stabilizer unit to be expected amidships of such a craft. -Stokely placed a hand on the stabilizer housing for a moment, then -nodded. They had already judged from the ship's behavior that it must -be functioning.</p> - -<p>"Nothing out of the way here," reported Stokely in a low voice.</p> - -<p>"Stay together, and look at the control room first," Captain Rogan -ordered.</p> - -<p>There was, of course, no central lift in a ship this size, but merely -narrow ladders between the compartments. These were necessary only -under the pull of gravity or acceleration, and under the present -circumstances, to be avoided. Stokely led the way "up" the inner hull -and across the "overhead," placing his magnetized boots as softly as -possible.</p> - -<p>The inter compartment hatch, about three feet in diameter, was wide -open. Stokely pointed at Archer's flashlight and made a fanlike motion -with his hands. Archer nodded, reached out and aimed the light through -the hole, full flood, while Stokely peered through the other side, gun -in hand. The stratagem was simple—anyone firing at the light might hit -Archer's arm, but probably not Stokely's less expendable head.</p> - -<p>Nothing happened. After a tense moment, Archer moved the light about -slowly, then Stokely turned his own over the edge.</p> - -<p>"There are two men in there," he said slowly. "Both dead, I think."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>There was no doubt at all about one of them, whose corpse floated not -six feet away, tied by one wrist to a conduit. Part of the face seemed -to have been gouged out, and closer inspection showed the explanation: -a sizable bullet-hole in the opposite temple.</p> - -<p>Whether or not the other was dead, he was certainly not conscious, -despite his normal sitting posture in the control chair. That was to -be expected anyhow, in a free fall with the safety belt fastened. His -squat frame was stripped to the waist, his small black eyes stared -blindly, and his unshaven jaw was clenched in an ugly grin. His right -hand loosely held a hypodermic syringe, and a pistol was stuck in his -belt.</p> - -<p>Stokely gave a brief description, and added: "He looks dead, all right. -Maybe he tried to give himself an anti-tetanus injection, but was too -late."</p> - -<p>"Dr. Grimwood will please go in immediately," said Captain Rogan. "In -the meantime, Stokely and Archer will look at the tail compartment."</p> - -<p>The tail, or engine, compartment contained nothing of abnormal -interest, as it turned out. The ship appeared to be in running order, -with adequate fuel. Its power had evidently been cut deliberately, for -whatever mysterious reason.</p> - -<p>"Stokely will remain there," said Captain Rogan. "Archer will take the -controls. We are withdrawing the contact rods, and will retard our -fall, giving you enough clearance to align ship and test the power. If -everything functions normally, the four of you will proceed to company -base on Faria. Dr. Grimwood will exercise his judgment as to whether to -remove your pressure-suits. Archer, as pilot, will take command."</p> - -<p>Dr. Grimwood and Evans had removed the dead man from the control seat -when Archer returned. The controls were fewer and less specialized, and -in place of the all-seeing projection screen was a televiewer plate -with fixed scanners, whose field was limited to the tailward sector -of the heavens. Other observation was necessarily direct, through the -several ports.</p> - -<p>The televiewer became activated at the flip of the switch and revealed -that Captain Rogan had withdrawn his ship to a safe distance.</p> - -<p>Will Archer depressed a key which had the effect of applying a -magnetic brake in the stabilizer unit to one of a pair of oppositely -rotating flywheels, or "gyrotors," whose axis was athwartship. As the -considerable speed of the gyrotor diminished, the ship began to turn -with it in a slow somersault. Archer eased up on the key, and after -some hundred and twenty degrees, released it. The gyrotor came up to -speed again, stopping the spin nicely.</p> - -<p>Archer paused with his hand on the power control. "Hang on, boys," he -said. "There's going to be a floor."</p> - -<p>The others got as close to it as they could, and Archer "raised" the -thrust-control lever a few notches. Immediately, there was the welcome -feeling of weight. This, as a dubious tribute to the adaptability of -human flesh, became oppressive before the accelerometer showed one G.</p> - -<p>"We're going to have to pour it on," said Archer. "Three G's for a safe -margin. Since there's only one other chair here, maybe Evans had better -go down with Stokely. There are two chairs there. And by the way, I -think our two silent partners would be better off in the main storage -compartment."</p> - -<p>"Particularly," agreed Dr. Grimwood, "as they appear to have been dead -two or three days. That would be one reason for keeping our suits on -for a while." Gingerly, he picked up the hypodermic syringe from beside -the sprawling corpse.</p> - -<p>"It would be interesting to know what was in this. Maybe—" The doctor -stooped again quickly. "But what's this?"</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Will Archer looked down in time to see him force open the dead man's -clenched left fist. As the fingers came back, a greenish, glowing -object the size and shape of a brazil nut lay exposed. Or was it -green? All the colors of the spectrum seemed to appear in flickering -succession as Dr. Grimwood picked it up almost reverently, yet the -predominant effect was of cold green fire.</p> - -<p>After a moment, the doctor spoke softly: "So that's it! Farian jade!"</p> - -<p>"Farian jade!" Archer echoed. "I've heard of it. Plenty valuable, isn't -it?"</p> - -<p>Dr. Grimwood nodded. "Fabulously. There are only a few hundred pieces -known to exist, and their combined value could purchase a fair-sized, -habitable planet!"</p> - -<p>Evans' normally wide, dark eyes were bulging myopically. "Do you think -these guys stole it?"</p> - -<p>"Hard to say," said the doctor. "But, putting two and two together, it -looks more like they made a find somewhere back on the planet. If so, -there should be more of the stuff around, or some information—" He -felt about in the dead man's clothing, and presently pulled some papers -from an inner pocket.</p> - -<p>"Here we are!" he said, unfolding them. "The Farian coordinates, a -rough topographical map of the region, and written directions. They -must have struck it rich—a find of only a dozen pieces could be worth -twenty million dollars. They possibly decided to take out only a few -pieces at a time and pass them off as stolen goods elsewhere in the -system, legal protection being of dubious effectiveness where Farian -jade is involved. But it was evidently too big a strike for their -psyches to withstand."</p> - -<p>Stokely stepped from the open hatch, his eyes fixed on the jewel in -Dr. Grimwood's hand. He reached for it, held it up and studied it at -several angles, then passed it back, his face inscrutable throughout -the actions.</p> - -<p>"It's about the only gem that can't be synthesized, isn't it?" he asked -the doctor.</p> - -<p>"Yes—that's the main reason for its enormous value. And it's my guess -that it couldn't be synthesized for a long time even if we knew a lot -more about it than we do. The reason we don't know much is absurdly -simple: the stuff is just too damned expensive for a mere scientist -to be permitted more than superficial analysis. But we do know this: -synthesizing it would be tantamount to creating life."</p> - -<p>"Don't look now," Will Archer interrupted calmly, "but there's a -sizable planet breathing down our necks. So if you gentlemen would -retire to your respective stations, I can guarantee to add considerable -weight to the discussion."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"Not that the stuff is really alive, in any accepted sense," Dr. -Grimwood went on a few minutes later, his breathing somewhat labored, -but his enthusiasm not altogether squelched by three hundred and fifty -added pounds. "But it certainly isn't jade at all, or anything similar. -That misnomer has stuck because of its greenish glow—although if you -examine it under a very strong light, it appears dead black. Actually, -it's a microbiotic crystalline formation, the result of some age-long -process believed to be conducted by a virus-like life-form. The 'jade' -itself seems to be a borderline structure, having no obvious properties -of life—yet there is the contradictory cold light, or bioluminescence, -which would indicate some degree of electrochemical change. I'm not a -bio-chemist myself, but I'll tell you there are one or two fellows on -the other ship who would cut all our throats, in a charmingly objective -manner, in order to lay their hands on this bauble. Some think that -Farian jade may very possibly hold the secret of life itself."</p> - -<p>With an effort, the doctor lifted his hand high enough so that, without -altering his reclining position, he could peer over his own chin at -the jewel. Archer found his eyes held by it almost hypnotically, as it -pulsated through the gamut of hues, now blending, now contrasting with -the dominant green.</p> - -<p>"From what I've heard," said Archer, "the virus, or whatever makes it, -is pretty deadly to humans. Is it true that you can't even tell you're -infected until the final convulsions?"</p> - -<p>"In effect, yes," replied Dr. Grimwood. "Although if you're exposed -to it, which means stumbling across one of the rare and unpredictable -localities where the jade is found, the chances are about four out of -five that you will be infected. The fifth person, for some inexcusably -unknown reason, seems to be immune. But there is one symptom that -occurs with some punctuality three and a half hours after exposure, and -about 15 minutes before the convulsions: it's a bodily glow, or aura, -due to some bioluminescent substance saturating the tissues.</p> - -<p>"However, it is so faint that it can be seen only in the dark, and then -not by the victim himself, since it shows up only in contrast to a dark -background. I think that is the explanation of the fact that we found -all the lights out when we boarded this ship."</p> - -<p>"You mean," said Archer, with some alarm, "that fellow might have died -of the virus infection—in this chair?"</p> - -<p>Dr. Grimwood smiled slightly. "Don't worry. In the first place, -he didn't have it—he only thought he did. And if he had, you -couldn't catch it, even minus your pressure-suit. The malady is not -transmissible among humans. I almost wish it were, since we would have -been obliged to learn a great deal more about it than we have."</p> - -<p>"You say he thought he had it—was the stuff in the hypodermic some -kind of antidote, then?"</p> - -<p>"Undoubtedly," said the doctor. "And since there is only one antidote -known, it explains what happened to the rest of the jade they brought -along."</p> - -<p>"That's right!" exclaimed Archer. "I remember having heard that now. -The jade itself is the only antidote. But then—why did he die?"</p> - -<p>"Because," said Dr. Grimwood, "the antitoxin, where the infection has -not occurred, is a deadly and swift poison."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The doctor paused, then spoke bitterly: "There is some reason for -believing that the jade, or end-product, might be rendered non-toxic -in itself—if it were obtainable for experimentation. But it's not. -They'll inject the stuff in their own skins to save same—one wealthy -woman even mixed herself a million-dollar martini in order to commit -suicide—but when it comes to turning over the smallest fragment to a -laboratory, even billionaire philanthropists are restrained by their -wives. And the specimens are never cut or ground since it wouldn't -enhance their luminescence, so there aren't even any scraps for the -hungry researcher.</p> - -<p>"Anyhow, my guess is that these prospectors started off with their -samples not too long after exposure. They could have been well out -of the atmosphere before the three-and-a-half hour deadline. As it -approached, they evidently killed the lights in order to watch each -other for the symptomatic aura. Even though the probability was pretty -high of at least one of them being infected, they most likely wouldn't -have prepared any of the precious solution in advance. Fortunately, it -doesn't take long—-you merely dissolve a minimum of ten carats in a -little alcohol, and it's ready to inject.</p> - -<p>"The fellow who was later killed must have developed the aura and been -told about it in good faith, because I saw the needle-mark on his -arm. Then came trouble. The other fellow happened to be one of the 20 -percent minority who are immune. He failed to show the symptom, but -suspected his colleague of lying about it. He probably kept him covered -with his gun while he cut the power so that even the control lights -would be out. Then he tried to tell by the reflection of his naked -torso in the observation ports whether he had the fatal glow. It must -have been a tense and ironic situation.</p> - -<p>"Whether he was deceived by a diffusion of sunlight in the heavy -vitreon or by his own taut nervous system, he evidently fancied he saw -the aura, and shot his comrade in a fit of rage. Then he turned the -equally fatal hypodermic on himself."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Although the four men were still in radio contact, having decided to -keep their pressure-suits on until the air "cleared," nobody spoke for -a while. Archer lolled his leaden cranium sideways on its rest, to see -the rim of the planet looming hugely in the side ports. The ship would -be reaching the near-point in another hour.</p> - -<p>"They must have been pushing off at well over two G," he said, "for -their momentum to have carried them out as far as it did. They made a -big loop."</p> - -<p>Dr. Grimwood smiled wryly. "I imagine they were impatient. How would -you feel with a negotiable fortune as a cargo?"</p> - -<p>"You might say," returned Archer, "how <i>do</i> I feel? That leftover -you're holding must be 30 or 40 carats. I'll be glad enough to turn it -over to the company and let them find out about salvage rights, if any. -Frankly, I'm just a little afraid of the stuff. Its value seems to be -of slightly lethal proportions."</p> - -<p>"True," sighed the doctor, "but there's a great temptation to stop off -at that find and sneak a hunk of it for some friends of mine. They'd -get a bigger kick out of pulverizing it with a mallet than they would -buying castles on Arcturus IV."</p> - -<p>Under the onus of triple weight, the hour that followed seemed much -longer. At last the ship cleared the dangerous fringe of atmosphere by -a good thousand miles, and Archer aimed her nose at the retreating rim -of the planet, reducing deceleration to a very tolerable 1.5 G.</p> - -<p>"We'll swing pretty wide," he said to the others. "It'll be nine or ten -hours before we get back in at a safe speed. If you fellows don't mind, -I'm going to shuck this suit and catch a nap right here in this chair. -I'm all in. I'd advise you, Stokely, to do the same. We may need to be -on our toes later—this job won't practically land itself like the one -we're used to!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>A few hours later, Will Archer was pacing a broad marble courtyard -inlaid with Farian jade, in a kingly castle on Arcturus IV, when a -rough hand on his shoulder shook him awake. It was Stokely, with his -gun in his hand and an ugly smile on his rather handsome, freckled -face. He motioned derisively toward Dr. Grimwood, who was bound -securely to his chair.</p> - -<p>"I can't figure the doctor out," said Stokely. "I thought he made a -wonderful suggestion about stopping off and picking up some more jade, -but now that I've invited him, he doesn't want to go."</p> - -<p>Archer had discarded his own gun with his pressure-suit and was -chagrined to see it now in its holster at Stokely's waist. He groaned -inwardly, cursing his sleeping intuition for not having warned him. -In looking back, he realized now that there had been more to Stokely's -reactions than mere awe at the sight of a fabulous gem. And there was -something else—Stokely, though a first-rate engineer, had been washed -out as a Space Guard cadet on psychological grounds. He was quite sane, -but too individualistic—his social and cooperative indices had been -low. Captain Rogan had known of his record, of course—but he had not -known what would be found on this ship, and what effect it would have -on Stokely.</p> - -<p>But what about Evans? Archer turned in his chair and saw the slightly -built man standing a little nervously in back of him, holding what must -be the dead prospector's gun.</p> - -<p>Archer bit his lip. Not much was known of Evans, since he had been with -them only two trips, and his responsibilities as an ordinary crewman -had not been great. Archer judged him as a none-too-bright individual -who would never undertake such a bold venture on his own initiative, -but who might go to considerable lengths under strong leadership. -Well, he had that in Stokely, whose pale blue eyes had a reckless and -determined look about them.</p> - -<p>"Are you with us?" demanded Stokely. "I could probably pull this off -without you, but it'll be easier with you. Because you're a damned good -pilot even if you are the Captain's fair-haired boy. What do you say? -Not that we'll trust you very far, either way. Evans and I keep the -guns. You'll have to string along part way, anyhow—if you want to come -all the way, there's a fortune in it for you."</p> - -<p>Archer unsnapped his safety belt and got to his feet, flexing his lean -limbs, which were cramped from the many hours of confinement. As he -faced Stokely, their eyes were on a level, although the pink-haired man -would have run a good 30 pounds heavier—or, at the moment, 45.</p> - -<p>"What guarantee," asked Archer in a dull voice, "would I have of that?"</p> - -<p>"My say so, mostly," Stokely admitted evenly. "But I can use a pilot, -not only now but later. After we grab the stuff, the first thing we'll -need is another ship—and Faria won't be the place to look for it. When -we get it, we'll get rid of this one. That's where you come in."</p> - -<p>"How do you plan to do it?"</p> - -<p>"Very simple. Charge it up to the hilt, set her course straight out -of the system and let her go at about two G. It won't come back for a -thousand years, at least. The company will figure something happened to -it on this trip after we managed to miss the planet, and we couldn't -get back. I thought of cracking it up on Faria, but somebody might -spot it hitting the air, and the time would be way off. This way is -better—we just got lost in space. With nobody looking for us on IX, -it'll be a cinch to get out of the system from the interstellar base.</p> - -<p>"After that—we can go buy that nice planet the doctor was talking -about."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Archer scarcely heard the latter part of Stokely's speech, except to -visualize briefly the ironic situation in which a pilot named Archer -would change ships in mid-space—or start to. The important question -was whether there was anything to be gained by pretending to throw in -with the conspirators. Stokely, like most people who find it difficult -to appreciate a different viewpoint, should be easy enough to deceive. -It might mean a gain of considerable time—for Archer.</p> - -<p>But what about Dr. Grimwood? There seemed to be no place for him in -Stokely's scheme, after locating the jade, except perhaps the storage -compartment with the two prospectors. Once Stokely had disposed of the -doctor, he would undoubtedly require less of an excuse to do the same -with Archer—and eventually Evans, in all probability.</p> - -<p>There was a chance, however, that if Stokely found himself stoutly -opposed by both Dr. Grimwood and Archer, he might hesitate to kill them -both out of hand, at least until he could be certain of finding the -jade deposit. Double murder is a long step for a man with no previous -criminal record.</p> - -<p>Archer made his decision.</p> - -<p>"You can count me out," he said flatly, watching Stokely's face for a -reaction. "That badlands where the find is supposed to be is a tough -place to land a ship, so I'll put her down on behalf of all of us—but -also on the condition that you'll release Dr. Grimwood and myself -immediately. It'll take us weeks to reach civilization, <i>if</i> we're -lucky. That ought to give you all the time you need. But I want your -guarantee—otherwise, I'll have nothing to lose by trying to cross you -up, if it kills us all."</p> - -<p>The bluff evidently carried a certain amount of purely psychological -weight, for Stokely seemed a little taken aback, and his blustering -smile lacked full confidence.</p> - -<p>"Honest Will Archer!" he said scornfully. "The pride of the company! -You're in a hell of a position to bargain!" He went on in a more -serious tone: "But it sounds good enough. You get us down, the doctor -helps us find the jade—he's the only one who knows much about the -stuff—and then the two of you can start out. Who knows—you might even -make it!" He grinned.</p> - -<p>It sounded as if—at the moment—Stokely regarded the proposition as -an easy way out for himself. For Archer and the doctor, it would not -be so easy. There would be at least two hundred miles of fearfully -rugged terrain, infested by predatory and poisonous animals, insects -and plants. It would be both hot and dangerous to travel by day—and -downright foolhardy by night. And even this dim prospect depended on -the slight scruples of a thoroughly egocentric individual.</p> - -<p>It was not enough. Archer resolved to keep his faculties on the alert -for any loophole that might occur.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>But Stokely's vigilance had not slackened when, hours later, they -approached the atmosphere at a speed slightly greater than that of the -planet's rotation, and within an estimated five hundred miles of the -coordinates shown on the dead men's chart. Stokely left Evans in Dr. -Grimwood's chair, with the strict injunction not to remove his eyes -from Archer, and took the doctor with him to the engine compartment.</p> - -<p>Thereafter, Archer was obliged to give his entire attention to -the business of angling the ship sharply into the atmosphere and -opposing its thrust to the resultant of deceleration, gravity and -air resistance, a function which was only semi-automatic, and needed -constant correction.</p> - -<p>The first landmark shown on the map, a jagged and mighty canyon, -presently appeared between scattered clouds below. Archer set the -ship's angle nearer to the horizontal, allowing gravity to pull it into -a steeper descent.</p> - -<p>The next landmark, a crescent-shaped range of sawtooth mountains near -the far end of the canyon, showed up plainly, since shadows were -lengthening across the face of the planet. A dozen valleys meandered -off from the hills in a southerly direction and Archer aimed for the -fourth from the south.</p> - -<p>At last, one third of its length from the south end of the valley, the -ship stood over the spot corresponding to the X-mark on the map and -settled slowly on its jets. According to the scrawled notation, the -jade deposit would be not more than half a mile away, near the valley's -east wall.</p> - -<p>Archer delayed the impatient Stokely long enough to provide Dr. -Grimwood and himself with packs of food and water from the ship's -stores, trading on the doctor's promise to help locate the jade. Once -it was found, Archer did not intend to remain at Stokely's mercy long -enough to return to the ship.</p> - -<p>All four of the men donned their pressure-suits, primarily as a barrier -against the deadly "jade" virus, but incidentally as a protection from -all manner of unpleasant insects and tentacular, stinging plants. Also, -there was an abundance of scurrying, cold-blooded little horrors, -reminiscent of Terran reptiles or batrachians, but by those standards -grotesquely misshapen.</p> - -<p>Vega VII was a planet whose surface had been prematurely desiccated by -a broiling sun, although there was still considerable water available -in underground lakes, but the excess of hard radiation had spurred -evolutionary processes to improbable extremes.</p> - -<p>Just now, the outsized, glaring white orb was low in the sky and the -temperature was becoming tolerable. Before morning, in this dry air, it -would probably drop far below freezing.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Stokely made Archer and the doctor walk ahead, at a difficult pace over -the rough ground. They went willingly, however, since failure to find -the jade in the next hour or so would mean spending the whole night in -untrustworthy company.</p> - -<p>The final fixing of the location was accomplished by aligning the tip -of a rocky promontory resembling a human nose with a farther peak and -walking directly away from it until a small ravine was encountered. -The deposit was 75 yards farther on, according to the instructions, -in a direction a little south of east. All four men paced it off with -extended strides, ending up in a scattered configuration, with no two -of them more than ten yards apart.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The men faced each other and looked about. It was a rock-strewn area -similar to a dozen others they had passed through on the way here. But -closer inspection revealed one difference. Here and there were piles of -dry, gray bones of different sizes, some of them crumbled almost into -dust.</p> - -<p>"Looks something like an animal graveyard," said Dr. Grimwood. "But I -rather imagine it's less purposeful than that, and most of them simply -made the mistake of sleeping here."</p> - -<p>"Well," said Stokely, his voice harsh and a trifle high-pitched, -"where's the jade?"</p> - -<p>He deliberately pointed his gun at the doctor, who regarded him -dubiously.</p> - -<p>"I'm sure it's here," said Dr. Grimwood, "but I really don't know much -about its appearance in the natural state. They carefully avoided any -mention of that on their map, you know. That map was intended for them -alone." The doctor began to walk slowly among the rocks, studying them. -"I seem to recall, though, hearing something about—"</p> - -<p>He paused, bent down slowly with the weight of his pack, and dug with -his space-gauntleted fingers at a hollow in one of the larger rocks.</p> - -<p>"—moss!" he finished. "Gray moss. I think this is it."</p> - -<p>The tufted moss was hardly distinguishable from the stone itself in the -waning light. Dr. Grimwood plucked from its core a thimble-sized lump. -Holding it up, he scraped away part of the gray coating. It was as if, -with some magic flint, he had struck green fire. The eerie glow of the -gem made the surrounding area seem suddenly darker by contrast.</p> - -<p>Will Archer only glanced at it, returning his gaze quickly to Stokely, -on his left. In the big man's reaction to this climactic discovery -might lie some clue to his probable course of action.</p> - -<p>And the expression on Stokely's face was not good to see. The pale eyes -which had widened at the first sight of the gem now narrowed to slits, -while his normally regular features pulled into an ugly mask. A dark -flush suffused his freckled cheeks.</p> - -<p>Archer watched him with growing alarm. There was little doubt that, for -the moment, Stokely was not sane.</p> - -<p>His gun, still pointed at Dr. Grimwood, moved slightly, and Archer saw -his finger tightening on the trigger. In one motion, Archer slipped -free of his pack and flung himself at the heavier man.</p> - -<p>The gun went off just as he struck, and Stokely, caught off guard, was -bowled over like a tenpin. His head-globe hit hard against the rocky -ground, protecting his head but smashing a large hole in the globe.</p> - -<p>He went over so easily that Archer himself was thrown off balance. He -stumbled over Stokely's legs and fell a few feet beyond. Rolling over -quickly, he scrambled to a crouching position, then paused, and drew -himself slowly erect.</p> - -<p>Evans was standing just beyond Stokely, and the gun in his hand was -aimed steadily at Archer's stomach. Dr. Grimwood was lying prone and -limp, his blood trickling out between the stones under him, the bit of -jade glinting near his outstretched hand.</p> - -<p>Stokely picked up his gun and got to his feet dazedly, shaking his -head to clear it. Archer studied his face and saw there a vast, rising -anger, but no longer the wild light of utter unreason. The man was in a -dangerous mood and might readily kill again, but he had evidently been -jolted back to a semblance of sanity.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, Stokely's eyes widened and fear became dominant in his -expression. He obviously had just realized the implication of the fact -that his head-globe was broken. He licked his lips, and looked back and -forth from Archer to Evans.</p> - -<p>His mouth tightened with sudden purpose.</p> - -<p>"Evans! Look out!" Archer shouted, but too late.</p> - -<p>Stokely had lashed out with his gun and caught Evans sharply on the -right wrist. As Evans' gun dropped from paralyzed fingers, Stokely -easily shoved him away and scooped it up from the ground. He stepped -back a few paces, keeping a watchful eye on Archer.</p> - -<p>"Okay," he ordered Evans grimly, "take it off!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Only then, evidently, did Evans' slow wits grasp the meaning of what -had happened. His dark eyes stared with fright, but he loosened the -clamps with trembling fingers, and set his head-globe carefully on the -ground. Stokely, now in possession of all three guns, holstered the one -in his left hand, removed his cracked head-globe with some difficulty, -and even more awkwardly replaced it with Evans'.</p> - -<p>Head-globes were interchangeable, though the individually proportioned -suits were not. The reason that Stokely had called upon Evans, not -Archer, to remove his globe was disturbingly obvious. Stokely wanted -Evans in the same status as himself, for the time being—which should -have been reassuring to Evans. To Archer it was quite the contrary, and -he was not surprised when Stokely scowled at him a moment later and -spoke in a voice that was too quiet:</p> - -<p>"As for you, you're too smart for your own good. I don't think we need -you around any longer." The gun in his right hand swung slowly.</p> - -<p>"On the contrary," said Archer quickly, "since that borrowed helmet -might not make any difference now, you need me worse than ever. That -is, unless you trust each other implicitly." He spoke the last few -words with slow emphasis.</p> - -<p>For a long moment, the gun held steady, then it lowered a little. -Stokely gestured with the other hand.</p> - -<p>"Take it off," he said harshly, "and I'll hear what you have to say. -I'm not promising anything, though. For instance—why should I trust -<i>you</i>?"</p> - -<p>Archer removed his head-globe, admitting the outer air. It was cold -against his face, and so dry by comparison with the humidified air of -his pressure-suit that it caught in his throat as he breathed. He left -his headset on for communication with Stokely.</p> - -<p>"Maybe you won't have to," Archer answered steadily. "I have a plan -that might work in spite of our low regard for each other's veracity. -But—in case it doesn't—you'll be better off if you take off that -globe."</p> - -<p>Stokely sneered. "You'll have a hard time selling me that idea!"</p> - -<p>"I don't think so, when you see the point. You're forgetting that in -this case, a false cure is just as deadly as the disease. I don't -know just how full of the virus the air is hereabouts, but as far as -either of us can tell, you may be cutting down your chances of getting -infected. Evans' chance, and mine, with full exposure, will be four out -of five. That means if we can't find out for sure whether we have it, -we can take an injection and be 80 percent sure of being right.</p> - -<p>"How sure can you be?"</p> - -<p>Stokely's face set in a grim mask as the realization sank in. He -removed his globe and set it out before him on the ground. Again the -gun raised to Archer's chest.</p> - -<p>"Okay, bright lad, you put it on!"</p> - -<p>Archer smiled thinly and shook his head. "Could you be sure that I -don't know more about the infection than I've admitted? In which case, -it might be a trick to get the globe for myself."</p> - -<p>Stokely's face was twisting dangerously again, and Archer went on -quickly:</p> - -<p>"Better leave us all in the same boat, anyhow—it'll work out better -later on."</p> - -<p>It was a full, tense minute before Stokely's fury subsided to a point -where he could speak.</p> - -<p>"I think I'm making a mistake in letting you live," he said thickly. -"This plan of yours had better be good. How does it work—with mirrors? -Let's have it!"</p> - -<p>"Lacking mirrors of a size which would show a good contrast—say about -ten feet square," Archer returned calmly, "we'll have to use other -means. My plan will give each of us an equal chance, at least. I'll -tell you the first part now: we take all the jade we can find around -here, before dark if possible, and go back to the ship. I'll tell you -the next step when we get there. If that isn't good enough—or if an 80 -percent chance <i>is</i>—you can shoot and be damned!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was nearly three hours later, very dark and very cold, when they -returned to the ship. Archer and Evans carried Dr. Grimwood's body, -consigned to the same storage compartment as the dead prospector's. -Stokely evidently had not altogether abandoned his original plan for -disposing of the evidence. The question now, Archer thought grimly, was -how many bodies there would be.</p> - -<p>Stokely himself carried the jade, of course. Under his prodding, they -had literally left no stone unturned in the vicinity of the deposit. It -had yielded nine pieces of varying size and a total weight of perhaps a -hundred and fifty carats. They added up to riches beyond imagining.</p> - -<p>One of the lockers, as would be expected aboard a prospector's ship, -contained an assortment of standard chemicals, and Archer lost no time -in locating a bottle of ethyl alcohol. There was also a balance and a -set of weights.</p> - -<p>"The next step is simple," he said, anticipating Stokely's question. -"I make up a solution of antitoxin. There are hypodermics in the -medical kit, which is in the control room. The doctor put the one we -found up there in it, and I'm pretty sure I noticed a couple of others. -Perhaps you will trust Evans to go get it, and in the meantime, I'll -trouble you for about 30 carats of jade."</p> - -<p>"Thirty carats! That's enough for all three of us! We may not all be -infected."</p> - -<p>"No—as a matter of fact the odds work out to be only a little better -than 50-50 that we all have it. But we've all got to have the means of -doing something about it if we find out—otherwise the plan won't work.</p> - -<p>"<i>If</i> we find out!" Stokely echoed harshly. "Archer, you've stalled -around long enough! What is this plan?"</p> - -<p>Archer looked at him in open disgust. "<i>You've</i> stalled around long -enough! There's only 20 more minutes until the three-and-a-half hour -deadline. Let me get the stuff made and then we'll talk about it. -Incidentally, 30 carats is less than the share you offered me—and also -a lot less than I value my life. So you can figure the shots are on -me."</p> - -<p>With a reluctant grimace, Stokely removed the utility kit from his belt -and poured out a small but dazzling cascade. Archer weighed several -combinations of the smaller gems, and found one group of three which -came to a little under six and a half grams or about 32 carats.</p> - -<p>Unceremoniously, he dumped them into a small beaker, and poured in a -little alcohol. After a minute or so, they softened and dissolved. -Archer added distilled water and stirred the solution gently.</p> - -<p>Evans returned from the control room and handed the medical kit to -Archer, who took out the three hypodermics. Forcing himself to take -great pains, he divided the solution among the three.</p> - -<p>"No time to sterilize these," he said. "Not that they should need -it. Here is the one used by the dead man—I don't mind taking it, if -anybody else does. This next one has a little more in it than the -others. Stokely, you're the biggest, so—but suit yourself. Now let's -get these suits off and get outside."</p> - -<p>"Why can't we wear the suits?" asked Evans. "It's freezing out there!"</p> - -<p>"Because they're opaque," said Archer patiently, "and the aura is so -faint that your cranium alone probably wouldn't give off enough to be -visible. Personally, I'm going to strip to the waist. I'd be inclined -to strip further, if it weren't for the fact that some of those -crawling things out there are about as deadly as the virus."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>In silence, the three men climbed down from the airlock, their -flashlights cutting holes in the thick darkness. Faria was a moonless -planet, and the hour was late.</p> - -<p>Under the watchful eye of Stokely, Archer walked clear of the -retractable landing supports and shone his flashlight about the small -level area in which the ship was fairly centered. He held the beam -steady on an outcropping of rock about 40 feet away.</p> - -<p>"There's a good background for you, Stokely. It faces the lock, and I -imagine you'll want to do the same."</p> - -<p>He swung the flashlight slowly around. There were several piles of -boulders standing about, and Archer indicated two of them, each about -120 degrees from the first.</p> - -<p>"Evans and I can take those two positions. That way we'll form a -triangle, each of us about 40 feet from the ship, and in plain sight -of the others—that is, <i>if</i> we develop that fatal glow. In any case, -Stokely, I think you can depend on us staying put until we find out, -since—"</p> - -<p>"And then what happens?" Stokely demanded impatiently. "How do we find -out—without trusting each other? The whole set-up sounds silly to me!"</p> - -<p>"It's my life, too," Archer reminded him. "And in case you're in any -doubt, I don't trust you, either. Here's the plan: As you know, all of -us were exposed within a very few minutes of each other. That means, -according to our late friend, the doctor, that in ten to 12 minutes -from now—perhaps a few minutes longer—one or more of us should show -the symptomatic aura.</p> - -<p>"Now there's the point: <i>one or more</i> of us. There's an excellent -chance we won't all show it. Allowing an adequate margin, the next 20 -minutes should reveal who has the infection and who hasn't. I propose -that at the end of that time each of us in turn announces, not which -of the others shows it but simply whether he sees the aura at all. He -doesn't tell whether one or both of the others shows it, but merely -whether <i>at least one</i> does."</p> - -<p>"What good would that do anybody?" asked Stokely glumly.</p> - -<p>"None, in itself. But you forget that all of us will be reporting. For -instance, supposing Evans says he sees it, but I don't show it, or vice -versa—two very distinct possibilities. Then you'd know that the only -place Evans could have seen it—"</p> - -<p>"What if he were lying?" Stokely put in sharply.</p> - -<p>"That's the general idea in back of the whole scheme. He couldn't get -away with it. If he said he saw it and didn't, it could only mean that -neither you nor I showed it. In that case—which is one of the lesser -possibilities, incidentally—I'd be led into the same error that you -would. But it would then be very much to our mutual benefit to compare -notes before taking any injection.</p> - -<p>"If he said he didn't see it, and either of us had it, the other would -know he was lying. If we can't trust each other to tell the truth, we -can't very well depend on each other to back up our lies—especially -when there is everything to lose by it. If you knew Evans was lying -about me, how would you know whether he was telling the truth about -you?"</p> - -<p>"Now listen!" protested Evans, who seemed to be shivering as much with -fear as with the cold, "you guys talk like you expected me to pull a -fast one. Hell, it's complicated enough if we all tell the truth—don't -worry about me!"</p> - -<p>"I was using you for an example," Archer told him. "The same thing -applies to each of us, and we should all be able to see that honesty -is the only workable policy. There's one more little matter to be -decided: the order in which we report. I think it would be fair to -reverse the order of exposure, which would probably make it the order -of observation. I was exposed last, so I'll report first, then Evans, -then Stokely.</p> - -<p>"Now I'd suggest we take our positions, so we can kill these lights and -let our eyes get used to the dark. There's only six to eight minutes to -go."</p> - -<p>Archer turned and started off, half expecting some last-minute -objection from Stokely. But the latter merely waited to assure himself -by means of his flashlight that Archer and Evans were half-way to their -appointed places, then started making his way toward his own.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The spot to which Archer had assigned himself turned out to be a -jumble of loose rocks, complete with small and unpleasant denizens. -He frowned. The footing would be very bad for dodging bullets, should -matters turn out unsatisfactory to Stokely.</p> - -<p>As the latter reached his position, about 75 feet away, Archer called -out:</p> - -<p>"Let's all face the ship, and don't anybody move after the lights are -out, or you'll lose your orientation. Don't even shift your feet! Four -to six minutes to go—but it could be sooner! I'm stripping down now."</p> - -<p>He switched off his flashlight, and after a moment, Stokely and Evans -did likewise. The night closed in disconcertingly, the utter dark -wiping out all visual cues and rendering one's very balance momentarily -precarious.</p> - -<p>Archer removed the watch from his wrist and placed it in his -pocket. Its face was luminous, and he was uncertain of its possible -competition. He doffed his jacket and tied it about his hips, then -unzipped his shirt to the waist and slipped it from his shoulders, -tucking the sleeves into his belt.</p> - -<p>The air was too dry for a sudden shock of cold, but within seconds his -outer flesh began to ache dully, and there was difficulty in expanding -his chest sufficiently to breathe. He wondered how much of it a healthy -man could stand before pneumonia became certain.</p> - -<p>Stokely was apparently trying to warm things up in his vicinity with a -muttered string of vehement oaths, and Archer thought he heard a low -groan from the direction of Evans.</p> - -<p>The black border of the horizon was becoming visible now against the -lesser darkness of the sky. Directly before him was the outline of the -ship, the control-room ports showing dim and ghostly above with the -light seeping up from the waist compartment.</p> - -<p>Archer began turning his head back and forth at about ten-second -intervals, staring into the blackness approximately 60 degrees each -side of center, swinging his arms and flexing the muscles of his torso -in a losing battle against the advancing numbness.</p> - -<p>He started suddenly at a slight sound of movement in the rocks not two -yards away in the direction of Evans. But it was far too faint for -human feet on that treacherous ground. More probably it was some small -monster—quite possibly attracted by the dubious warmth of Archer's -body, which was certainly radiating for all it was worth.</p> - -<p>Wryly, he thought of one of the more abhorrent of the local fauna, a -lizard-like creature which attacked any animal which had the single -qualification of being within a considerable jumping range. The beastie -combined the least intelligence with the most virulent poison in -several star-systems. With barbed feet and tail, it clung to its victim -through the death throes—which usually began immediately—and unless -torn apart or crushed in the process, it fed. Fortunately, the species -was one of hundreds equally numerous and generally less deadly.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>At least five minutes had passed, by the most meticulous of estimates, -when Archer saw the glow. He had been looking at it for several -seconds, in the direction of Stokely, before he realized what it was.</p> - -<p>He had expected a modification of the greenish luminescence of the -jade itself. But this was a mere patch of gray in the blackness, to -begin with. It whitened, gradually revealing the blurred silhouette of -the man within it. At that level it remained, and his outline grew no -sharper. By blinking several times, Archer was able to distinguish the -arms from the rest of him, and assumed from their respective positions -that Stokely was holding his gun in his left hand, the syringe in his -right.</p> - -<p>It seemed twice as long—by which Archer judged it was about -half—before a similar dusky patch became visible in the direction of -Evans. He showed up very soon thereafter, because unlike Stokely, he -was churning his arms as if in direct combat with the cold.</p> - -<p>Archer began to count slowly to himself, swinging his arms in a -period of about a second. He had not done so before, because it would -have served no particular purpose, and would have made the time seem -even longer. Now it was important not to allow too long an interval -following the second revelation of the deadly symptom. There must not -be too much time for the others to think about the situation.</p> - -<p>Yet there must be enough to insure his showing the symptom himself, if -he were going to. He estimated that Evans' period of "incubation" had -varied from Stokely's by about a minute, allowing for the difference in -the time of exposure. If Archer's varied from Evans' by as much as two -minutes, there could still be three minutes or more to go. Of course, -it was possible that he already showed it—or even that he had been the -first. Five minutes should allow a safe margin, he decided.</p> - -<p>Two minutes of it were now gone. Archer's arms felt like lead-weighted -pendulums, yet he restrained the tendency to urge them to more rapid -motion. The count of 60 took a small eternity.</p> - -<p>Three minutes. His arms were so numb it was occasionally difficult to -tell for sure when they had reached the end of their swing. It would -have been reassuring to be able to see them. He widened his eyes and -blinked rapidly, trying to penetrate the dark, and momentarily he -almost fancied he saw a dim haze about him. He thought of the dead man -they had found in the pilot's seat. There were no limits to the fallacy -of human vision, under emotional stress.</p> - -<p>Four minutes. If the original 20-minute period happened to be over -and the others were aware of it, they made no sign. That would not be -strange. Having agreed that Archer would make the first report, they -would hesitate to venture any comment, for fear of dropping some kind -of hint.</p> - -<p>Five minutes. Archer fumbled awkwardly for his watch. If all his -estimates, pieced together, were correct, there should still be a -minute to go.</p> - -<p>He was amazed to find that there was not. By leaning over backward in -his guesses, he had actually managed to be conservative. The time was -up—in fact, it was almost 15 seconds past. It was time to get the -formalities over with and end this desperate game.</p> - -<p>"All right!" Archer said loudly, his voice cracking slightly. "It's -time to report, and here's mine—" He paused briefly, then finished: "I -see it."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was now up to the others either to lie or to admit they saw it. It -didn't particularly matter which, but Archer rather expected the truth. -Evans was next.</p> - -<p>After a moment, the latter's voice came somewhat falteringly, but -clearly enough: "I see it."</p> - -<p>Surprisingly, Stokely did not keep them waiting. His report came -immediately, in a hoarse monotone: "I see it."</p> - -<p><i>Now.</i> Archer's gaze swung back and forth between the two others during -the space of a long breath. Their shadowy figures did not move, but -stood irresolute.</p> - -<p>Archer exhaled with vast relief. "Okay, you fellows," he announced, -"we've all got it. Here goes my injection."</p> - -<p>Watching Stokely carefully, he plucked the syringe from his belt with -enormous caution, and forced his feeble right hand to drive the needle -into his left forearm and press the plunger all the way. There was one -slight advantage to the cold, after all—he hardly felt the perforation.</p> - -<p>He dared not pull up his shirt as yet. It could very easily have the -effect of making him fade partially from Stokely's view, and might -provoke the big man into blazing away at him.</p> - -<p>It was quite possible that Stokely would shoot anyhow, though under the -circumstances his aim might not be at its best.</p> - -<p>"You lie!" Stokely said suddenly, as between clenched teeth. "The only -way you could know about yourself would be if I didn't have it. Then -you'd know where Evans must have seen it."</p> - -<p>"One minute ago," said Archer, "that would have been true. And if -you had thought of it a minute ago, instead of just now, things might -have been different. But putting yourself in my position with respect -to Evans, or in his with respect to me, was too big a step for your -egocentric mind. You haven't quite done it yet, or you would understand -this:</p> - -<p>"If you hadn't shown the aura, I would have known <i>instantly</i> that I -did. Also, Evans would have known about himself, immediately. But we -didn't know, immediately. None of us did. And there is only one way we -could all see it and remain uncertain. That is for all of us to have -it. I didn't know, you both didn't know—and therefore I knew. Can you -follow that?"</p> - -<p>After a pause, Archer went on: "Incidentally, I wouldn't let a dog die -the way both of you are going to in the next few minutes unless you do -something about it. That's why I've taken the trouble to explain it."</p> - -<p>Evans suddenly cleared his throat, and his voice came plaintively: -"Uh—are you sure I've got it, Mr. Archer?" The necessity of the -conclusion was clearly beyond him.</p> - -<p>"Quite sure," Archer returned, noting that Evans had sought the truth -from him instead of his own colleague in crime.</p> - -<p>"That's good enough for me." Evans' motions showed dimly that he was -making the injection.</p> - -<p>But Archer spared him only a glance and turned back to watching -Stokely. The latter had not yet moved.</p> - -<p>"Okay, Stokely," said Archer, "I'll give you a better break than you'd -give me—I'll prove it to you. You're facing me now. Raise either arm, -and I'll tell you which one it is."</p> - -<p>Stokely seemed to hesitate, then raised both arms to the horizontal.</p> - -<p>"You're pretty sharp, at that," Archer told him, "when it comes to -thinking from your own corner. You raised both of them."</p> - -<p>Stokely's arms dropped, but not all the way. There was a motion as of -applying the hypodermic.</p> - -<p>Quickly, Archer drew the sleeves of his shirt over his arms. But he -had counted too heavily on Stokely's preoccupation. The latter turned -rigidly, as if continuing the injection, and fired.</p> - -<p>Archer felt a shock which spun him half around, but could not tell just -where he was hit, for the moment. He began to run awkwardly through -the loose rocks toward the sanctuary of the pile of boulders, raising -his jacket high to screen his head. In doing so, the location of his -wound became evident with a jab of pain. His left arm was useless.</p> - -<p>The next instant, the glaring beam of Stokely's flashlight picked him -out, and the second bullet spanged against a boulder just as he ducked -behind it, peppering his cheek with rock dust.</p> - -<p>Stooping low, Archer moved around the pile, as the crunching sound of -Stokely's rapid footsteps came closer. He cursed the luck that had -enabled Stokely to cripple him. He felt his paralyzed arm gingerly—the -bullet had struck just below the shoulder, and he guessed that the bone -was broken, but the wound did not seem to be bleeding much.</p> - -<p>There was no use making a break for the next heap of rocks over this -treacherous ground, even if he knew precisely where it lay. He would -simply have to play tag with Stokely until—</p> - -<p>Suddenly, the footsteps slowed and seemed to stumble. There was a -clattering among the rocks and the lancing beam of the flashlight cut -off. Darkness and silence descended.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Will Archer waited tensely. If all were well, Stokely should be out -like the light he had been carrying. But Archer was in no hurry about -using his own. It would make him altogether too vulnerable, in case -this just might be a ruse.</p> - -<p>Then from a little distance came the welcome beam of Evans' light. -Archer peered out carefully and beheld the prone, unmoving figure of -Stokely, his arms doubled under him as if to break his fall.</p> - -<p>Unhurriedly, Archer turned on his own flashlight, walked around and -set it between two rocks so that its beam made a path of light between -himself and the ship. He rolled the big man over with a thrust of -his foot, exposing the gun underneath. This, and one gun from the -unconscious man's two holsters, Archer picked up and stuck in his belt. -The remaining one—Archer's own—he pointed at Evans, who had stopped -ten yards away.</p> - -<p>The latter wore a puzzled expression—apparently at having found the -wrong body.</p> - -<p>"What did you do," he asked Archer, "hit him with a rock? Is he dead?"</p> - -<p>"I wish I had," said Archer without humor, "and I wouldn't feel a bit -bad if he were. In fact, I intend to see to it that he is lawfully -executed. But in order to do that it will be necessary to get him back -to the base. You're elected to drag him over to the hoist."</p> - -<p>Archer stooped again, without taking his eyes off Evans, and laid his -gun on the ground. He took the kit of jade from Stokely's belt and -pocketed it, then picked up the gun again and stepped back a few paces.</p> - -<p>"You can fasten his arms with his own belt," he told Evans, "and his -legs with yours. He should sleep for hours, but there's no use taking -chances."</p> - -<p>Evans came forward meekly and bent over Stokely, then looked up, -startled. "The hypodermics! You must have put something in ours that—"</p> - -<p>"Not yours. Do you recall how willingly he took the one with the most -in it? Well, he got no more antitoxin than you and I did. The rest was -a quick-acting sedative that the doctor brought aboard in case we ran -into a lunatic. I emptied most of it into the distilled water, but I -left enough to do the trick. I trust you're buckling that belt good and -tight."</p> - -<p>Evans' blue lips twisted glumly as he pulled off his own belt and -applied it to Stokely's ankles. Suddenly, he smiled.</p> - -<p>"Say! What makes you think they'll believe your story about what -happened? It's your word against ours. Suppose we tell 'em that—"</p> - -<p>"You're daydreaming," Archer broke in. "You'll be a lot better -off to resign yourself to spending five or ten years in a penal -colony—probably on some planet worse than this one.</p> - -<p>"In the first place, you could never pass the lie-detector test, -although Stokely might. In the second place, it isn't just my word -against yours—our psychometric ratings will be weighed, too, and I'll -let you guess whose will be found wanting. And finally, what kind of -criminal will murder for profit, then change his mind and toss the loot -on the manager's desk, of his own free will?</p> - -<p>"Which is just what I intend to do. But there'll be one string -attached. A sizable hunk of this stuff, together with a shiny new -mallet, goes to Dr. Grimwood's pals."</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PHANTOM DUEL ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<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. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ -concept and trademark. 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