World of the masterminds, p.7
World of The Masterminds, page 7
“That is usually true of oaths.”
“And that you will be expected to direct an exploration ‘ team in the search for Race X?”
“Eh?” Hartford did not have to pretend surprise. “But when we don’t know—”
“General Holm is quite sure you do know their hiding place,” Micki said. “He thinks the deep space ship belongs to Race X.”
“The devil-”
Micki’s fingers worked again. “While you are working for him, you will at least have a chance to escape, though a small one. You will be watched. But you can put on a good show. This is the only way I know for you to stay alive, and even it may not work.”
“Tell General Holm we will be glad to serve him,” Hartford said aloud. “Long enough to cut his throat!” his fingers added.
“Good luck,” Micki’s flying fingers said, as she left the cell. Much of her tension had gone. Now she was an actress putting on a good show. Hartford heard her snap at the guard on duty outside.
“Did you hear what Micki said?” Hartford asked Teller.
The old man roused himself from the lower bunk. “Micki? Was she here? I was thinking about Einer and didn’t notice her.”
“Come to life, Ed. Well be out of here in no time. We’ve joined General Holm.”
Teller blinked at his companion. “Join him where? In hell? I’ll gladly join him there. All I want is a chance to tie him to the business end of a rocket and turn on the blast.” Ignoring ‘ Hartford’s frantic signals to be silent, Teller plunged on.
“That’s no way to talk about the greatest man in the Solar System!” Hartford shouted. He hoped his voice would drown out what Teller was saying.
“All right,” Teller said at last. “If you don’t want to listen to me, I’ll shut up.” He slid back to his position on the lower bunk and returned to his withdrawal state.
“Yes, sir, we’ve joined General Holm. It’s a wonderful opportunity.” Hartford continued. He hoped the hidden recorders would believe him but was afraid they would not.
“All right, I heard you,” a voice rasped from a speaker hidden somewhere in the cell.
It was Keglar’s voice.
“You can cut out the act now,” Keglar continued. “I’m coming down to see you.”
The speaker went silent. A few minutes later it clicked on again. Keglar’s voice, speaking to the guard in the corridor outside, came again. “Beat it, Schmitz. I’ll relieve you and take over. Yes, I’ll be responsible for the safety of the prisoners. You can bet on that.” Keglar’s laugh had the harshness of pure sadism coming to the surface.
Feet clumped in the corridor as the guard departed. “You in there,” Keglar said.
Hartford, suddenly sweating, spoke the first words that came to his mind. “When are you going to let us out of here?”
“Right away, buddy, right away,” Keglar answered.
“You don’t want to pay any attention to what my friend said. He’s all shook up and doesn’t know what he’s saying. Actually we’re both very happy to have the privilege of joining General Holm.” Desperation was in Hartford’s voice and he knew it.
“I expect you would be happy, right now, to join him,” Keglar answered. The microphone in the corridor picked up the rasp of turning metal. “The trouble is, your pal ain’t acting very glad.”
“What do you mean? I told you about him.”
“I mean you ain’t kidding anybody, pal. The boss ain’t exactly a damned fool. He knows men will lie to save their necks.”
“But-”
“We want to know how to find Race X. And we don’t want any damned fool answers. Just the facts.”
“But I have told you we don’t know.”
“And now I’m going to tell you,” Keglar said. “Once, you wanted to know what this wheel is for. Well, I’m going to show you.”
Again the speaker in the corridor picked up the sound of metal grinding against metal, Keglar was turning the wheel that tilted the cell Very slightly Hartford felt the floor sway beneath his feet Along the top edge of the outer wall, just below the ceiling, a crack appeared.
Teller, aroused at last, rose from his bunk and wanted to know what was going on. Hartford spread his hands in helpless horror.
“I want to see the two of you try to hold on to that bunk when I tilt the cell all the way,” Keglar continued. “I want to see how long you can hold on when the air goes and the cold comes.”
“What does he mean?” Teller questioned blankly.
Hartford explained. As Teller grasped the meaning of the words, horror added new wrinkles to those already existing on the old man’s face. Then, slowly, the horror went away.
“It won’t last long,” Telia said. He seemed to be speaking either to himself or to some invisible third person present. “It will be bad for a few minutes, then we’ll get so numb we won’t feel anything. We’ll hardly notice the long drop, when it starts. Long before it’s over, well be with Enter.” For a moment, Teller almost managed to look happy. His eyes came up to Hartford. “I’m mighty tired of this world, Burke, tired of the Keglars and the Holms in it. Getting out of it will be a relief.”
“See how it is with him,” Hartford shouted at the hidden mike. “He’s out of his head. You can’t blame him for anything he says.”
“I see,” Keglar answered. “And it don’t make any difference. Both of you, you can either draw us a map so we can reach Race X, and take us there, or you can take the long drop. And you’ll get it right now if you don’t give us the answer we want.”
Teller’s eyes searched for the hidden mike. He located a spot that he thought was the right one. “You and Holm can both go to hell,” he answered, lying back down on the bunk.
Even Keglar appeared confused. “Is he really nuts?”
“He spent his life looking for Race X,” Hartford said. He made no effort to keep the rage out of his voice. “The first person he ever found who could take him where he wanted to go was killed by your men. Do you expect him to kiss and make up?”
“Well—” Keglar’s indecision showed in his voice. This lasted for only an instant. Then his voice came again, changed now. It was a persuasive voice, it argued, and it tried to plead. “Working for the boss is a good go. You’ll get everything you want. The boss has got jobs on every planet. You can pick your place. You’ll be well paid and there’s always the. chance of picking up a little something on the side. Nobody but a damned fool would turn the boss down. He’ll still take you in if you will go along with him. What do you say to this?”
“You can tell him to go to hell for me too,” Hartford answered.
Keglar’s voice lost its persuasive note and became a snarl.
“All right for both of you. If you think you can bluff Keglar —” Again metal rasped. This time Hartford distinctly felt the floor give under his feet.
“We’re not trying to bluff you.” Hartford could feel the sweat gathering in his soul. He suspected that Keglar was bluffing but he wasn’t sure that this was true. “You’ll gain no information from bodies smashed on the surface of Pluto.”
“I’ve got my orders from the boss,” Keglar answered. “Either you-talk or you drop. Just make up your—What the hell—”
Keglar’s voice faded into a hissing sound. He shouted again, at somebody, but the sound was muffled. Then came a heavy thump. Metal rasped again. Hartford’s heart leaped up into his mouth but he did not feel the floor drop again under his feet. Instead it seemed to rise slightly. Then the lock rattled and the door of the cell was jerked open.
A spacesuit clad figure stood there. A gun was firmly held in one hand. The other hand held Einer’s staff.
5
Behind the tough plastic window of the spacesuit, Micki Adcock’s worried face was visible. She swung the visor back, sniffed vigorously, then spoke quickly. “I gassed Keglar but the air seems all right now. Both of you out of here, fast! Walk ahead of me, keep your hands up, and act as if you are my prisoners. Up off of that bunk, Teller. You’re going for a ride.”
Teller was so surprised that he obeyed without question and without comment.
“Kid, I sure am glad to see you,’’ Hartford said. “Keglar meant business.”
“Shut upl” Micki hissed at him. “These walls have ears and you know it.” The muzzle of her gun gestured them out of the cell.
In the corridor, Keglar was slumped on the floor. Hartford paused long enough to lift the heavy bulk in his arms. Thrown, Keglar’s body sprawled on the floor of the cell. Hartford locked the door.
For an instant, he stood beside the wheel that controlled the tilting of the cell. The expression on his face was terrible. Micki gasped and jerked at his arm with the tough plastic of her gloved hand. Hartford ignored her. Deep down inside him, the temptation to spin this wheel and send Keglar on the long drop was very great. There was no question that Keglar deserved such a fate. However, there was something in Burke Hartford which prevented him from destroying a helpless man. In a fair fight, he knew he could kill Keglar with no compunction whatsoever. But he knew he couldn’t spin the wheel that would send even Keglar on the long drop. Shaking his head, he moved away.
“Both of you walk ahead of me,” Micki ordered. “If we’re lucky, well get out of here. The men who handle the launching of the landing barges know me.” Her face was pale but her eyes were bright with the alertness that comes from the knowledge of great danger.
With Einer’s staff tucked under left arm, she covered them with the gun held in her right hand. To Burke Hartford, her effort was so theatrical that it was unbelievable. For this reason, he thought it might have a chance to work. Micki would fool nobody in his right mind for longer than a few minutes. But perhaps a few minutes would be all they needed.
At her orders, they moved quickly through the big ship.
She seemed to know every turn of every corridor in the vast structure. The way she took them avoided most human traffic. Once they met a scantily-clad messenger who scarcely glanced at them. Next they met a man in the uniform of a pilot He ignored them completely. Hartford had the impression that in this ship it was extremely good manners to pay attention to your own business. When they reached the hold that held the landing barges, the officer in charge looked inquiringly at Micki.
“Fit them with space suits, Tom,” she ordered. Her voice was crisp with the tone of one accustomed to command. “Get a barge ready to drop. I’m taking them down to the planet.”
“Yes, Micki,” the officer replied. “But—”
“Orders from the boss, Tom,” Micki answered. “Tell your men to be fast.” She smiled as she spoke. The smile did it. The officer promptly snapped orders which his men leaped to obey.
Somewhat dazed by the speed of events, Hartford and Teller found themselves being put into space suits and being instructed in the use of the valves that controlled the supply of oxygen from the tank with which each suit was fitted. They were also told how to lock the visors in place. “You won’t need these visors in the landing barge,” the sergeant in charge told them. “But be sure you lock them tight before you go out on the surface, unless you’re going into the Big Depression.”
“Thank you. Well be careful,” Hartford politely answered.
Meanwhile, a landing barge had been slid on to the launching ramp from which it would be dropped out of the ship under its own power.
“I’ll handle the controls, Tom,” Micki told the officer in charge. He looked a litde worried, but nodded. With Hartford and Teller in front of her, she waited for the blast-off signal. When it came, the floor on which the barge was resting dropped away on a steep slant. With a roar, the barge went free.
Above it, like a vast floating island, the great bulk of the ship slid silently away. Far below them, Pluto was a round ball in the sky. Taking a deep breath, Burke Hartford realized he had hardly been breathing at all. Turning to talk to Micki, he found he could not speak. She had bluffed her way out of Holm’s ship I
“You don’t have to say anything, Burke,” she said. “I know how you feel.”
“They will follow our light on their screens,” Teller said.
“When they discover we’re gone, we’ll be lost,” Micki answered. Her face showed signs of growing stress. “Burke, do you know how to fly one of these barges?”
“Of course.”
“Then for heaven s sake, take over before I faint. AD I know how to do is turn on the power. Tom, back there, was trying to remember whether or not I had been cleared for piloting a landing barge when I blasted off. Take over, Burke! For heaven’s sake, take over.”
Hartford hastily slid into the pilot’s seat and took over control of the madly careening barge. It was some time before Micki regained enough breath to speak. Then she could only whisper. “We made it!”
“If I ever doubt you again, you can give me a knock in the noggin, for free,” Hartford answered.
“What have we gained?” Teller wanted to know. “We’re out of the ship but we don’t have Einer and we don’t know where to go.”
“We have this!” Micki said, lifting Einer’s’ staff. “The reason I decided to make the break when I did was because the technicians had discovered that this staff, among other things, is a directional device.”
“What?” Teller said.
“It’s sort of like a compass. It points to a spot on Pluto near the north pole.”
“Any compass will do that.”
“That’s what the technicians also thought, at first, but they checked it against the ship’s compasses, and it is not pointing to Pluto’s north magnetic pole, but a spot nearby.”
“Then what does it point to?” Teller asked.
“Nobody knows. Nobody has gone down to the surface to look. But my guess was that it was pointing to the hiding place of Race X.”
“Let me have that staff,” Teller said. The tone of his voice said he was going to have it, or else. Micki passed the staff to him, then showed him how to use it. “Pointed in one direction, it gives off a brighter glow,” she told him.
Testing it, Teller got the predicted results. The eyes that he turned to Burke Hartford had life in them for the first time since Einer had died. “Burke, this staff points to something! I wonder if—” The glow grew stronger in Teller’s eyes as hope came to life in him. By some magic beyond the comprehension of men, the wrinkles seemed to vanish from his face. “Burke, maybe—” Some of the glow faded as another thought came into his mind. “But it would hardly be worth our while in finding Race X, without Einer.”
“We’ll go look anyhow,” Hartford said. He swung the barge so that it followed the direction indicated by the staff. Micki, rummaging in the lockers, brought out tins of food and water. “We can last a couple of weeks on the supplies stored here,” she announced. “Um! Good old Tellurian corned beef.”
“Make me a sandwich, waitress,” Hartford answered. His eyes went upward, searching the vast expanse of space beyond the clear plastic dome of the barge. Holm’s ship was already below the horizon of Pluto. They were safe from its screens. So far as he could tell, they were not being pursued. At full speed, he swung the barge nearer and nearer to the north pole until at last they reached a spot where the staff pointed straight down.
Below them lay an airless world of broken, tumbled, twisted mountain ranges of vast lava flows, of boulders as big as apartment houses. In places sheer cliffs rose hundreds of feet into the sky. In other places narrow cracks seemed to drop away to the infernal regions of the planet. No vegetation, not even mosses, grew in this airless area. None had ever grown there. No winds blew, no storm clouds gathered, no rain or sleet or snow fell. Neither vegetation nor erosion had ever worked to soften and round up the sharp comers of this tumbled world. It was a land of harsh contrasts, yet the play of sun light, star light, and planet light over the twisted landscape served to soften it.
“I don’t see a place that looks like it might be inhabited,” Teller said, disappointment in his voice. “But the staff points down. If we have understood it correctly—”
“We’ll go down and look on foot.” Hartford landed the barge under an overhanging cliff which shut out most of the view of the sky, then forced it farther out of sight. Looking dubiously upward, Micki said, “We’ll be hard to spot from the sky anyhow.”
“That’s the way I want to be,” Hartford answered.
Teller was already at the lock. “The staff says we go that way. We’ll keep in touch by radio, huh?” Without waiting for an answer, he clicked shut the visor of his suit, turned up the heating elements, and adjusted the oxygen supply. “I wish this planet had a little less gravity. It would make walking easier.” He pointed beyond the barge to the twisted landscape.
Hartford looked doubtfully at this landscape. “Personally, it would have been all right with me if they had never discovered this world at all. Nol I don’t really mean that. The search that brought us here is worth all that it has cost, or is likely to cost, if—”
“If what?” Micki questioned.
“If we can manage to stay alive. If this barge has a supply of weapons, break ’em out and hang a couple on Teller before he gets out of the lock. The same for you and me.”
“Holm’s barges are always well equipped.” She had to hold Teller to get the weapons strapped on him. “Act like you’ve seen a gun before,” she said to Hartford.
The landing barge had a small lock that had been built into the craft for the purpose of enabling its occupants to land on such a place as this without losing too much of the precious air from the interior of the craft. Teller insisted on going first through the lock. The others followed him.
Outside the barge, the cold of this airless world began its slow, subtle, never-ending search for a way through the space suits. In the long run, the cold was a greater threat, and a more dangerous enemy than Cyrus Holm. It stayed on the job forever, always searching for a way to seep through the protective suits and congeal and still the life forces they contained. Did the universe hate life? Probably it did not, but the conditions of living in the universe were such that life had to be always on the alert to maintain its precarious footing in an unsympathetic world of numbing cold or burning heat.
