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.Hume did not touch the tape set tokeep on broadcasting the call for assistance."What now?" Vye wanted to know as they completed the search."The safari camp first--and a call for the Patrol.""Look here," Vye set down the ration container he had found, was emptying it with vast satisfaction of one who had been too long ontablets, "if you beam the Patrol you'll have to talk, won't you?"Hume went on fitting new charges into his ray tube."The Patrol has to have a full report.There's no way of bypassing that.Yes, we'llhave to give all the story.You needn't worry." He snapped closed the load chamber."I can clear you all the way.You're the victim,remember.""I wasn't thinking about that.""Boy." Hume tossed the tube up in the air, caught it in his plasta-hand."I went into this deal with my eyes wide open--why doesn'tmatter very much now.In fact," he stared beyond Vye out into the empty, lighted camp, "I've begun to wonder about a lot ofthings--maybe too late.No--we'll call the Patrol and we'll do it not because it is Wass and his men out there, but because we'rehuman and they're human, and there's a nasty set-up here which has already sucked in other humans for its own purposes."The skeleton in the valley! And how very close they had been themselves to joining that unknown in his permanent residence."So now we make time--back to the safari camp.Get our message off to the Patrol and then we'll try to trace Wass and see what wecan do.Jumala is off a regular route.The Patrol won't be here tomorrow at sunrise, no matter how much we wish a scouter wouldplanet then."Vye was quiet as he stowed in the flitter again.As Hume had said, events moved fast.A little while ago he had wanted to settle withthis Out-Hunter, wring out of him not only an explanation for his being here, but claim satisfaction for the humiliation of being movedabout to suit some others' purposes.Now he was willing to defeat Wass, bring in the Patrol, go up against whatever hid in that lake upthere, providing Hume was not the loser.He tried to think why that was so and could not, he only knew it was the truth.They were both silent as they took off from Wass' deserted camp, sped away over the black blot of the woodland towards the safariheadquarters on the plains.There were stars above again but no globes.Just as they had won their freedom from the valley, so theymoved without escort on the plains.But the lights were there--not impinging on the flitter, or patrolling along its line of flight.No, they hung in a glowing cluster aheadwhen in the dawn the flitter shot away from the woods, headed for the landmark of the safari camp.A crown of lights circled over thecamp site, as if those below were in a state of siege.Hume aimed straight for them and this time the bobbing circle split wide open, broke to left and right.Vye looked below.Though thegrayness of the morning was still hardly more than dusk he could not miss those humps spaced at intervals on the land, just beyond theunseen line of the force barrier.The lights above, the beasts below, the safari camp was under guard.12"There is only one way they could be moving--toward the mountains." Hume stood in the open space among the bubble tents, facinghim the four men of the camp, the three civs and Rovald."You say it's been seven days, planet time, since I left here.They may havebeen five days on that trail.If possible we have to stop them before they reach that valley."Star Hunter 42/55 Star Hunter"A fantastic story." Chambriss wore the affronted expression of a man who expected no interference with his own concerns.Thencatching Hume's eye he added, "Not that we doubt you, Hunter.We have the evidence in those dumb brutes waiting out there.However, by your own story, this Wass is an outside-the-law Veep, on this planet secretly for criminal purposes.Surely there is noreason for us to risk our safety in his behalf.Are you certain he is in any danger at all? You and this young man here have, by yourtestimony, been into the enemies' territory and have been able to get out again.""Through a series of fortunate chances which might never occur again." Hume was patient, too patient, Rovald seemed to think.Hishand moved, he was holding a ray tube so that a simple movement of the wrist could send a crisping blast across all the rest of theparty."I say, stop this yapping and get out there and pick up the Veep!""I intend to--after I call the Patrol."Rovald's tube was now aimed directly at Hume."No Patrol!" he ordered."This wrangling has gone far enough." It was Yactisi who spoke with an authority which startled them all.And as their attentionswung to him, he was already in action.Rovald cried out, the weapon spun from his fingers, fingers which were slowly reddening.Yactisi nodded with satisfaction and he heldhis electo pole ready for a second attack.Vye scooped up the tube which had whirled across the ground to strike against his borrowedboot."I'll set the call for the Patrol, then I'll try to locate Wass," Hume stated [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.Hume did not touch the tape set tokeep on broadcasting the call for assistance."What now?" Vye wanted to know as they completed the search."The safari camp first--and a call for the Patrol.""Look here," Vye set down the ration container he had found, was emptying it with vast satisfaction of one who had been too long ontablets, "if you beam the Patrol you'll have to talk, won't you?"Hume went on fitting new charges into his ray tube."The Patrol has to have a full report.There's no way of bypassing that.Yes, we'llhave to give all the story.You needn't worry." He snapped closed the load chamber."I can clear you all the way.You're the victim,remember.""I wasn't thinking about that.""Boy." Hume tossed the tube up in the air, caught it in his plasta-hand."I went into this deal with my eyes wide open--why doesn'tmatter very much now.In fact," he stared beyond Vye out into the empty, lighted camp, "I've begun to wonder about a lot ofthings--maybe too late.No--we'll call the Patrol and we'll do it not because it is Wass and his men out there, but because we'rehuman and they're human, and there's a nasty set-up here which has already sucked in other humans for its own purposes."The skeleton in the valley! And how very close they had been themselves to joining that unknown in his permanent residence."So now we make time--back to the safari camp.Get our message off to the Patrol and then we'll try to trace Wass and see what wecan do.Jumala is off a regular route.The Patrol won't be here tomorrow at sunrise, no matter how much we wish a scouter wouldplanet then."Vye was quiet as he stowed in the flitter again.As Hume had said, events moved fast.A little while ago he had wanted to settle withthis Out-Hunter, wring out of him not only an explanation for his being here, but claim satisfaction for the humiliation of being movedabout to suit some others' purposes.Now he was willing to defeat Wass, bring in the Patrol, go up against whatever hid in that lake upthere, providing Hume was not the loser.He tried to think why that was so and could not, he only knew it was the truth.They were both silent as they took off from Wass' deserted camp, sped away over the black blot of the woodland towards the safariheadquarters on the plains.There were stars above again but no globes.Just as they had won their freedom from the valley, so theymoved without escort on the plains.But the lights were there--not impinging on the flitter, or patrolling along its line of flight.No, they hung in a glowing cluster aheadwhen in the dawn the flitter shot away from the woods, headed for the landmark of the safari camp.A crown of lights circled over thecamp site, as if those below were in a state of siege.Hume aimed straight for them and this time the bobbing circle split wide open, broke to left and right.Vye looked below.Though thegrayness of the morning was still hardly more than dusk he could not miss those humps spaced at intervals on the land, just beyond theunseen line of the force barrier.The lights above, the beasts below, the safari camp was under guard.12"There is only one way they could be moving--toward the mountains." Hume stood in the open space among the bubble tents, facinghim the four men of the camp, the three civs and Rovald."You say it's been seven days, planet time, since I left here.They may havebeen five days on that trail.If possible we have to stop them before they reach that valley."Star Hunter 42/55 Star Hunter"A fantastic story." Chambriss wore the affronted expression of a man who expected no interference with his own concerns.Thencatching Hume's eye he added, "Not that we doubt you, Hunter.We have the evidence in those dumb brutes waiting out there.However, by your own story, this Wass is an outside-the-law Veep, on this planet secretly for criminal purposes.Surely there is noreason for us to risk our safety in his behalf.Are you certain he is in any danger at all? You and this young man here have, by yourtestimony, been into the enemies' territory and have been able to get out again.""Through a series of fortunate chances which might never occur again." Hume was patient, too patient, Rovald seemed to think.Hishand moved, he was holding a ray tube so that a simple movement of the wrist could send a crisping blast across all the rest of theparty."I say, stop this yapping and get out there and pick up the Veep!""I intend to--after I call the Patrol."Rovald's tube was now aimed directly at Hume."No Patrol!" he ordered."This wrangling has gone far enough." It was Yactisi who spoke with an authority which startled them all.And as their attentionswung to him, he was already in action.Rovald cried out, the weapon spun from his fingers, fingers which were slowly reddening.Yactisi nodded with satisfaction and he heldhis electo pole ready for a second attack.Vye scooped up the tube which had whirled across the ground to strike against his borrowedboot."I'll set the call for the Patrol, then I'll try to locate Wass," Hume stated [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]