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Read Ebook: The Sun-Death by Whiteside Stanley
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Ebook has 449 lines and 15358 words, and 9 pages
"That's a lie!" The indignant voice was a woman's.
Gripping the bars, she stared angrily out at them. She had the small figure of a Mute, but her bare arms were bronzed, and her hair was dark, in long curls.
"They can talk." She shook the bars vigorously. "Release us, you sinners!"
Lodar suddenly scowled. "You're no Venus Mute!" He grabbed her hand and twisted it over. The palm was small and pink, not the bluish white of a Mute.
"Turn us loose, you heathen!" she raged, her large brown eyes aflame. "The Great Zipher will pour his wrath on you!"
"A missionary!" Lodar snorted savagely. He whirled on Jenkins. "Who brought her in here?" he bellowed in sudden fury.
Jenkins backed away, blinking his short-sighted eyes. "I--I don't know. I never seen her before."
The captain turned back to Ray. "Help me get her out," he growled.
Ray silently guarded the door while Lodar entered the cage and dragged the protesting girl outside. She refused to leave without the others, but Lodar grimly hauled her out and threw her clear of the door.
"I ought to throw you off in space!" He eyed the girl viciously.
Ray locked the door uneasily. Kidnaping a missionary would mean plenty of investigation. Earth zealously protected all its numerous and varied religious workers. This one, he knew, belonged to a very small sect--a cult founded in dim antiquity.
"Wait till my father learns of this!" The girl was rubbing her elbows. "He'll call down the wrath of the Great Zipher on this--this ark of abominations! The grave will open to swallow you. Death and oblivion shall come, and everlasting torment--"
"Shut up!" Lodar pushed the girl away. "Why you people waste your time on Mutes--"
"They're not mute!" she stormed. "Woe to you, you--"
"Shut up!" Lodar bawled.
"Very well." She drew herself up to a full five feet, one. "I'll show you!" She went to the bars. "Emu! Emu! Tell this heathen what the Great Zipher says."
One of the Mutes shuffled forward, a man with blank face. He drew a breath and recited in singsong tones.
"The Great Zipher say, come unto me all ye who look for work, and I give."
"See!" The girl turned imperiously. "Now, let them loose!"
"A parrot!" Lodar snapped. "Come on above or do I drag you?"
For a moment she looked rebellious, then she shrugged the skin cloak about her slender shoulders and turned with them to the well stairs.
McVane was leaning curiously out the engine room door, his loose jacket flapping in the pulsing of warm air.
"A gurrl, eh?" He shook his graying head. "That's a bad business, Lodar." His pale blue eyes blinked owlishly.
"Don't get ideas," Lodar snapped. "It wasn't my doing."
"Nah?" McVane teetered solemnly as he leaned forward. "What's your name, girlie?"
"Ellenor." She stared at the engineer.
McVane blinked. He scratched his whiskery chin. "Well, Ellenor, ye can have my cabin for the while," he offered.
"Come on, up you go!" Her dark eyes were bright with anger, but she climbed to the upper deck without further trouble.
They locked her in McVane's cabin.
"Funny, Mac giving up his room for her," Ray remarked as they headed forward to the control room.
So that explained the captain's easy going attitude toward the little engineer. At least Lodar had some feelings!
"Why not take this girl back to Venus?" Ray suggested.
"And run into a patrol? Earth Fleet or Company ship, it makes no difference. If we're caught it means life!"
Scowling, Ray followed the captain. In the control room they found Campora studying the magnaflux. He looked nervous as Lodar headed straight for him.
"What about this girl we got aboard?" the captain demanded harshly.
"Girl?" Campora looked innocent.
"You led the raid, didn't you?" Lodar's dark eyes were dangerous. "Maybe you were looking for some more fun?" He stepped close to the mate. "Or are you just blind?"
"There was a whole bunch of captives." Campora backed away. "We was in a hurry, and--"
"You damned liar!" Lodar seized his tunic. "You brainless idiot!" His free hand whipped up to slash across Campora's face.
With an oath Campora jerked free and reached for his belt.
Before he could free his gun Lodar's heavy fist smashed into his jaw. The mate slammed against the wall, then sagged to the floor. "Dirty rat!" Lodar took his gun, then kicked him till he stirred.
"Next time you draw on me," he grated, "you go out the disposal chute!"
"That didn't solve anything." Ray stooped to help Campora up.
Probably Campora had brought the girl aboard, perhaps her presence would hang them, but the captain could have used more proper means of discipline. Instead he had deliberately goaded Campora to action. It was as if Lodar had to give physical vent to his rage like a caged animal slashing at the bars.
Then, as Lodar turned briefly his way, Ray thought he saw an appeal for understanding in the dark eyes that slowly lost their angry glare. A fleeting look of the trapped lion, but it was gone in an instant.
"Mind your own business," the captain said sourly. He turned to Campora and growled, "Go wash your face!"
Ray's lips tightened helplessly. After all, Lodar's word was law. It was the only way to run a spaceship on its vast journeying through emptiness. It was the only insurance against hysteria from taut nerves, the fear of space rays, and claustrophobia in the little metal world.
With a long breath he turned to the magnaflux and swung the detector beams. The magnatoid field would instantly react to anything within five units. There was no time lapse as with radar, a vital point when riding on a Benson Drive.
There was no sign of patrols. Only the dim globe of Venus behind and the smaller points of Mars and Earth ahead. Except for the haze of star dust space was empty of threat.
Lodar was again pacing back and forth. Ray could hear his heavy step on the metal plates.
Tramp--tramp--tramp. Then, to his relief, Lodar halted.
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