Plague Ship Part 17

But, when Rip and Ali left, the younger Cargo-apprentice began to find the bubble a haunted place. He took the sealed containers out of their storage racks, stood them on a small hand truck, and pushed them to the foot of the stairs, up which he then climbed carrying two of the cylinders at a time.

The swish of the air current through the narrow corridors made a constant murmur of sound, but he found himself listening for something else, for a footfall other than his own, for the betraying rasp of clothing against a wall--for even a whisper of voice. And time and time again he paused suddenly to listen--sure that the faintest hint of such a sound had reached his ears. He had a dozen containers lined up when the welcome signal reached him by the com-unit of his field helmet. To transfer the cylinders to the lock, get out, and then open the outer door, did not take long. But as he waited he still listened for a sound which did not come--the notice, that someone besides himself was free to move about the Stat.

Not knowing just how many of the supply tins were needed, he worked on transferring all there were in the storage racks to the upper corridor and the lock. But he still had half a dozen left to pa.s.s through when Rip sent a message that he was coming in.

Out of his pressure suit, the Astrogator-apprentice stepped lightly into the corridor, looked at the array of containers and shook his head.

"We don't need all those. No, leave them--" he added as Dane, with a sigh, started to pick up two for a return trip. "There's something more important just now--" He turned into the side hall which led to the com room.

Both the I-S men had awakened. The Com-tech appeared to accept his bonds philosophically. He was quiet and flat on his back, staring pensively at the ceiling. But the other agent had made a worm's progress half across the room and Rip had to halt in haste to prevent stepping on him.

Shannon stooped and, hooking his fingers in the other's tunic, heaved him back while the helpless man favored them with some of the ripest speech--and NOT Trade Lingo--Dane had ever heard. Rip waited until the man began to run down and then he broke in with his pleasant soft drawl.

"Oh, sure, we're all that. But time runs on, Eysie, and I'd like a couple of answers which may mean something to you. First--when do you expect your relief?"

That set the agent off again. And his remarks--edited--were that no something, something F-T was going to get any something, something information out of him!

But it was his companion in misfortune--the Com-tech--who guessed the reason behind Rip's question.

"Cut jets!" he advised the other. "They're just being soft-hearted. I take it," he spoke over the other agent's sputtering to Rip, "that you're worried about leaving us fin down--That's it, isn't it?"

Rip nodded. "In spite of what you think about us," he replied, "We're not Patrol Posted outlaws--"

"No, you're just from a plague s.h.i.+p," the Com-tech remarked calmly. And his words struck his comrade dumb. "Solar Queen?"

"You got the warn-off then?"

"Who didn't? You really have plague on board?" The thought did not appear to alarm the Com-tech unduly. But his fellow suddenly heaved his bound body some distance away from the Free Traders and his face displayed mixed emotions--most of them fearful.

"We have something--probably supplied," Rip straightened. "Might pa.s.s along to your bosses that we know that. Now suppose you tell me about your relief. When is it due?"

"Not until after we take off on the long orbit if you leave us like this.

On the other hand," the other added coolly, "I don't see how you can do otherwise. We've still got those--" with his chin he pointed to the com-unit.

"After a few alterations," Rip amended. The bulk of the com was in a tightly sealed case which they would need a flamer to open. But he could and did wreak havoc with the exposed portions. The tech watching this destruction spouted at least two expressions his companion had not used.

But when Rip finished he was his unruffled self again.

"Now," Rip drew his sleep rod. "A little rest and when you wake it will all be a bad dream." He carefully beamed each man into slumber and helped Dane strip off their bonds. But before he left the room he placed on the recorder the voucher for the supplies they had taken. The Queen was not stealing--under the law she still had some shadow of rights.

Suited they crossed the rough rock to the s.h.i.+p. And there about the fins, already frozen into brittle spikes was a tangle of plants--the rich result of years of collecting.

"Did you find anything?" Dane asked as they rounded that mess on their way to the ladder.

Rip's voice came back through the helmet com. "Nothing we know how to interpret. I wish Frank or Craig had had a chance to check. We took tri-dees of everything before we dumped. Maybe they can learn something from these when--"

His voice trailed off leaving that "when" to ring in both their minds. It was such an important "when." When _would_ either the steward or the Medic recover enough to view those tri-dee shots? Or was that "when"

really an ominous "if?"

Back in the Queen, sealed once more for blast-off, they took their stations. Dane speculated as to the course Rip had set--were they just going to wander about the system hoping to escape notice until they had somehow solved their problem? Or did Shannon have some definite port in mind? He did not have time to ask before they lifted. But once they were s.p.a.ce borne again he voiced his question.

Rip's face was serious. "Frankly--" he began and then hesitated for a long moment before he added, "I don't know. If we can only get the Captain or Craig on their feet again--"

"One thing," Ali materialized to join them, "Sinbad's back in the hydro.

And this morning you couldn't get him inside the door. It's not a very good piece of evidence--"

No, it wasn't but they clung to it as backing for their actions of the past few hours. The cat that had shown such a marked distaste for the company of the stricken, and then for the hydro, was now content to visit the latter as if some evil he has sensed there had been cleansed with the dumping of the garden. They had not yet solved their mystery but another clue had come into their hands.

But now the care of the sick occupied hours and Rip insisted that a watch be maintained by the com--listening in for news which might concern the Queen. They had done a good job at silencing the E-Stat, for they had been almost six hours in s.p.a.ce before the news of their raid was beamed to the nearest Patrol post.

Ali laughed. "Told you we'd be pirates," he said when he listened to that account of their descent upon the I-S station. "Though I didn't see all that blaster work they're now raving about. You'd think we fought a major battle there!"

Weeks growled. "The Eysies are trying to make it look good. Make us into outlaws--"

But Rip did not share in the general amus.e.m.e.nt at the wild extravagation of the report from the ether. "I notice they didn't say anything about the voucher we left."

Ali's cynical smile curled. "Did you expect them to? The Eysies think they have us by the tail fins now--why should they give us any benefit of the doubt? We junked all our boosters behind us on this take-off, and don't forget that, my friends."

Weeks looked confused. "But I thought you said we could do this legal,"

he appealed to Rip. "If we're Patrol Posted as outlaws--"

"They can't do any more to us than they can for running in a plague s.h.i.+p," Ali pointed out. "Either will get us blasted if we happen into the wrong vector now. So--what do we do?"

"We find out what the plague really is," Dane said and meant every word of it.

"How?" Ali inquired. "Through some of Craig's magic?"

Dane was forced to answer with the truth. "I don't know yet--but it's our only chance."

Rip rubbed his eyes wearily. "Don't think I'm disagreeing--but just where do we start? We've already combed Frank's quarters and Kosti's--we cleaned out the hydro--"

"Those tri-dee shots of the hydro--have you checked them yet?" Dane countered.

Without a word Ali arose and left the cabin. He came back with a microfilm roll. Fitting it into the large projector he focused it on the wall and snapped the b.u.t.ton.

They were looking at the hydro--down the length of s.p.a.ce so accurately recorded that it seemed they might walk straight into it. The greenery of the plants was so vivid and alive Dane felt that he could reach out and pluck a leaf. Inch by inch he examined those ranks, looking for something which was not in order, had no right to be there.

The long shot of the hydro as it had been merged into a series of sectional groupings. In silence they studied it intently, using all their field lore in an attempt to spot what each one was certain must be there somewhere. But they were all handicapped by their lack of intimate knowledge of the garden.

"Wait!" Weeks' voice scaled up. "Left hand corner--there!" His pointing hand broke and shadowed the portion he was calling to their attention.

Ali jumped to the projector and made a quick adjustment.

Plants four and five times life size glowed green on the wall. What Weeks had caught they all saw now--ragged leaves, stripped stems.

"Chewed!" Dane supplied the answer.

It was only one species of plant which had been so mangled. Other varieties in the same bank showed no signs of disturbance. But all of that one type had at least one stripped branch and two were virtual skeletons.

"A pest!" said Rip.