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21 - Galactic Patrol by E. E. Smith · Galactic Patrol

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty one of Galactic Patrol by E. E. Smith.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. But Blakesley,
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: the chief communications officer whose mind and body Kinnison was using,
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: was already armed. Kinnison had seen to that, and as
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: the base commander wrenched open the arms cabinet that happened
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: for which the lensman had been waiting. Helmuth's private lookout
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  Speaker 1: set began to draw current. That potentate himself was now
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: looking on, and the enslaved observer had already begun to
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: trace his beam. Therefore, as the raging commander of Boisa's
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: pirate base swung about with raised dilameiter, he faced one
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  Speaker 1: already ablaze, and in a matter of seconds there was
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  Speaker 1: only a charred and smoking heap where the commander had stood.
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  Speaker 1: Kinnison wondered that Helmuth's cold voice was not already snapping
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  Speaker 1: from the speaker, but he was soon to discover the
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  Speaker 1: reason for that silence. Unobserved by the lensman, one of
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  Speaker 1: the observers had recovered sufficiently from his shocked amazement to
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  Speaker 1: turn in a riot alarm to the guard room. Five
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  Speaker 1: armed men answered that call on the double stopped and
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: glanced around God's blast. Blakeslee down. Helmuth's unmistakable voice blared
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  Speaker 1: from his speaker. Obediently and manfly enough. The five guards tried,
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  Speaker 1: and had it actually been Blakesley confronting them so defiantly,
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  Speaker 1: they probably would have succeeded. It was the body of
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  Speaker 1: the communications officer, it is true, But the mind operating
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  Speaker 1: the muscles of that body was the mind of Kimbal
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  Speaker 1: Kinnison Gray Lensman, the fastest man with a rapistol Old
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  Speaker 1: Tellus had ever produced, keyed up expecting the move, and
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  Speaker 1: with two dilameters out and poised at hip. This was
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: the being whom Helmuth was so nonchalantly ordering his minions
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  Speaker 1: to slay. Faster than any watching eye could follow. Five
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  Speaker 1: bolts of lightning flicked from Blakesley's delameters. The last guard
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  Speaker 1: went down, his head a shriveled cinder before a single
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  Speaker 1: pirate bolt could be loosed. You see, Helmuth Kinnison spoke
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  Speaker 1: conversationally to the board, his voice dripping vitriol, playing it
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  Speaker 1: safe from a distance, making other men pull your chestnuts
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  Speaker 1: out of the fire. It's a very fine trick as
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: long as it works. But when it fails to work
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  Speaker 1: as now it puts your tail right into the ringer.
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  Speaker 1: I for one, have for a long time completely been
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  Speaker 1: fed up on taking orders from a mere voice, especially
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  Speaker 1: from the voice of one whose entire method of operation
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  Speaker 1: proves him to be the most pitifully errant coward in
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  Speaker 1: the galaxy. Observer, you at the board, snarled Helmoth, paying
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  Speaker 1: no attention to Kinnison's barbed shafts sound the assembly armed,
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  Speaker 1: no use helmouth, He's stone deaf, Kinnison explained, voice sweetly, venomous.
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  Speaker 1: I am the only man in this bass that you
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  Speaker 1: can talk to, and you won't be able to do
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  Speaker 1: even that very much longer. And you really think you
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: can get away with this mutiny, this bare faced insubordination,
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  Speaker 1: this defiance of my authority. Sure I can. That's what
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  Speaker 1: I've been explaining to you. If you were here in person,
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  Speaker 1: or ever had, if any of the boys had ever
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  Speaker 1: even seen you, or had ever even known you as
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  Speaker 1: anything accepted disembodied voice, maybe I couldn't. But since nobody's
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  Speaker 1: ever seen even your face, that gives me a chance.
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: In his distant bass, Helmuth's mind had flashed over every
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  Speaker 1: aspect of this unheard of situation, he decided to play
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  Speaker 1: for time. Therefore, even as his hands darted to buttons
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  Speaker 1: here and there, he spoke, do you want to see
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  Speaker 1: my face? If you do see it, no power in
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  Speaker 1: the galaxy? Skip it, chief, Don't try to kid me
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  Speaker 1: into believing that you wouldn't kill me now under any
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  Speaker 1: conditions if you possibly could. As for your face, it
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  Speaker 1: makes no difference whatever to me now whether I ever
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  Speaker 1: see your ugly pan or not, well you shall, and
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: Helmuth's visage appeared, concentrating upon the rebellious officer, a glare
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  Speaker 1: of such fury and such power that any ordinary man
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  Speaker 1: must have quailed, But not Blakeslee Kinnison. Well, not so
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  Speaker 1: bad at that. The guy looks almost human, Kinnison exclaimed,
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  Speaker 1: in the tone most carefully designed to drive even more
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  Speaker 1: frantic the helpless and inwardly raging pirate chieftain. But I've
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  Speaker 1: got things to do. You can guess at what goes
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  Speaker 1: on around here from now on, And in the blaze
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  Speaker 1: of a dilameter, Helmut's plate set and eye disappeared. Kinnison
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  Speaker 1: had also been playing for time, and his enslaved observer
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  Speaker 1: had checked and rechecked this second highly important line. To
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  Speaker 1: Helmuth's ultra secret base. Then throughout the fortress there blared
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  Speaker 1: out the urgent assembly call, to which the lensman added verbally,
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  Speaker 1: this is a one hundred percent call out, including crews
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  Speaker 1: of ships in dock as well as regular base personnel.
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  Speaker 1: Bring also the patrol nurses. Come as you are, and
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  Speaker 1: come fast. The doors of the auditorium will be locked
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  Speaker 1: in five minutes, and any man outside those doors will
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  Speaker 1: be given ample reason to wish that he had been
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  Speaker 1: on time. The auditorium was right off the control room,
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  Speaker 1: and was so arranged that when a petition was rolled back,
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  Speaker 1: the control room became its stage. All Basconian bases were
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  Speaker 1: arranged thus in order that the supervising officers at Grand
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  Speaker 1: Base could oversee through their instruments upon the main panel
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  Speaker 1: just such assemblies as this one was supposed to be.
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  Speaker 1: Every man hearing that call assumed that it came from
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  Speaker 1: Grand Base, and every man hurried to obey it. Kinnison
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  Speaker 1: rolled back the partition between the two rooms and watched
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  Speaker 1: for ray pistols as the men came streaming into the auditorium.
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  Speaker 1: Ordinarily only the guards went armed. Three of them were left,
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  Speaker 1: but possibly a few of the ship's officers would be
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  Speaker 1: wearing their dilameters four, five, six, The captain and the
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  Speaker 1: pilot of the battleship that had captured the nurses, and
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  Speaker 1: a vice commander of another besides the three guards, knives,
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  Speaker 1: billies and such did not count times up lock the doors,
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  Speaker 1: bring the keys and the nurses up here, he ordered
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  Speaker 1: the six armed men, calling each by name. You women,
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  Speaker 1: take these chairs over here. You men sit there, And
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  Speaker 1: then when all were seated, Kennison touched a button and
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  Speaker 1: the steel partition slid smoothly into place. What's coming off here,
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  Speaker 1: demanded a guard. Where's the commander? How about Grand Base? Hey,
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  Speaker 1: look at that board, Sit tight, hands on knees. I'll
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  Speaker 1: burn any or all of you that make a move.
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  Speaker 1: I have already burned the old man and five guards,
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  Speaker 1: and have put Grand Base out of the picture. Now
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  Speaker 1: I want to find out just how we seven stand.
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  Speaker 1: The lensman already knew, but he was not tipping his hand.
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  Speaker 1: Why we seven, because we are the only ones who
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  Speaker 1: happened to be wearing guns. Every one else of the
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  Speaker 1: entire personnel is unarmed and is now locked in the auditorium.
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  Speaker 1: You know how apt they are to get out until
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: one of us lets them out. But but Helmuth, he'll
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  Speaker 1: have you blasted for this hardly. My plans were not
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  Speaker 1: made yesterday. So how many of you fellows are with me?
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  Speaker 1: What's your scheme? Demanded the vice commander. To take these
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  Speaker 1: nurses to some patrol base and surrender. I'm sick of
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  Speaker 1: this whole game, and since none of them have been hurt,
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  Speaker 1: I figure they'll bring us a pardon in a fresh start,
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  Speaker 1: a light sentence at least. Oh so that's the reason,
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  Speaker 1: growled the captain. Exactly, But I don't want anyone with
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  Speaker 1: me whose only thought would be to burn me down
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  Speaker 1: at the first opportunity. Count me in, declared the pilot.
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  Speaker 1: I've got a strong stomach, but enough of these jobbies
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  Speaker 1: is altogether too much. If you can wangle anything short
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  Speaker 1: of a life's sentence for me, I'll go back. But
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  Speaker 1: I'm bloody well. Won't help you against the sure, sure
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  Speaker 1: not not until after we're out in space. I don't
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  Speaker 1: need any help here. Do you want my dilameitter, No,
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  Speaker 1: keep it, you won't use it on me anybody else.
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  Speaker 1: One guard joined the pilot, standing aside the other four wavered.
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  Speaker 1: Time's up now, you, four fellas, either go for your
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  Speaker 1: guns or else turn your back and do it right now.
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  Speaker 1: They elected to turn their backs, and Kinnison collected their
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  Speaker 1: weapons one by one. Having disarmed them, he again rolled
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  Speaker 1: back the petition and ordered them to join the wondering
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  Speaker 1: throng in the auditorium. He then addressed the assemblage, telling
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  Speaker 1: them what he had done and what he had it
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  Speaker 1: in mind to do a good Many of you must
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  Speaker 1: be fed up on this lawless game of piracy, and
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  Speaker 1: anxious to resume association with decent men, if you can
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  Speaker 1: do so without incurring too great a punishment. I feel
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  Speaker 1: quite certain that those of us who manned the hospital
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  Speaker 1: ship in order to return these nurses to the patrol
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  Speaker 1: will get light sentences at most. Miss mc dougall has
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  Speaker 1: head nurse, will ask her what she thinks better than that,
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  Speaker 1: mac replied clearly. I am not merely quite certain either.
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  Speaker 1: I am absolutely sure that whatever men mister Blakesley selects
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  Speaker 1: for his crew will not be given any sentences at all.
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  Speaker 1: They will be pardoned and will be given chances at
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  Speaker 1: jobs in the merchant service. How do you know, miss,
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  Speaker 1: we're a black clawed, asked one. I know you are
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: she replied serenely. I won't say how I know, but
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  Speaker 1: you can take my word for it that I do know.
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  Speaker 1: Those of you who want to take a chance with us,
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  Speaker 1: line up over here, Kinnison directed, and walking rapidly down
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  Speaker 1: the line, reading the mind of each man in turn.
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  Speaker 1: Many of them he waved back into the main group
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  Speaker 1: as he found thoughts of treachery or signs of inherent criminality.
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  Speaker 1: Those he selected were those who were really sincere in
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  Speaker 1: their desire to quit forever the ranks of Bascon, those
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  Speaker 1: who were in those ranks because of some press of
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  Speaker 1: circumstance rather than because of a mental taint. As each
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  Speaker 1: man passed inspection, he armed himself from the cabinet and
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  Speaker 1: stood at ease before the group of women. Having selected
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  Speaker 1: his crew, the lensman operated the controls that opened the
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  Speaker 1: exit nearest the hospital ship, blasted away the panel so
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  Speaker 1: that the exit could not be closed, unlocked a door,
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  Speaker 1: and turned to the Pirates Vice commander Krimsky, as senior officer,
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  Speaker 1: you are now in command of this base, he remarked.
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  Speaker 1: While I'm in no sense giving you orders, there are
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  Speaker 1: a few matters about which you should be informed. First,
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  Speaker 1: I set no definite time as to when you may
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  Speaker 1: leave this room. I merely state that you will find
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  Speaker 1: it decidedly unhealthy to follow us at all closely as
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  Speaker 1: we go from here to the hospital ship. Second, you
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  Speaker 1: haven't a ship fit to take the ether, as your
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: blast levers have all been broken off at the pivots.
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  Speaker 1: If your mechanics work at top speed, new ones can
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  Speaker 1: be put on in exactly two hours. Third, there is
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  Speaker 1: going to be a very severe earthquake, and precisely two
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  Speaker 1: hours and thirty minutes, one of which should make this
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  Speaker 1: base merely a memory an earthquake. Don't bluff, Blakesley, you
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: couldn't do that well. Perhaps not a regular earthquake, but
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: something that will do just as well. If you think
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: I'm bluffing, wait and find out. But common sense should
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  Speaker 1: give you the answer to that. I know exactly what
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: Helmth is doing now, whether you do or not. At first,
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: I intended to wipe you out without warning, but I
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: changed my mind. I decided that I'd rather leave you
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  Speaker 1: alive so that you could report to Helme with exactly
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  Speaker 1: what happened. I wish I could be watching him when
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: he finds out how badly one man rooked him, and
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: how far from fool proof his system is. But we
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: can't have everything. Let's go, folks. As the group hurried away,
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  Speaker 1: mac loitered until she was near the form of Blakesley,
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: who was bringing up the rear. Where are you, Kim,
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: she whispered urgently. I'll join up at the next corridor.
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  Speaker 1: Keep further ahead, and get ready to run when we do.
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: As they passed that corridor, a figure in gray leather
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: carrying an extremely heavy object stepped out of it. Kinnison
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  Speaker 1: himself set his burden down, yanked a lever, and ran,
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  Speaker 1: and as he ran, fountains of intolerable heat erupted and
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: cascaded from the mechanism that he had left upon the floor.
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  Speaker 1: Just ahead of him, but at some distance behind the others,
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  Speaker 1: ran Blakesley and mac Gosh. I'm glad to see you, kim,
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: she panted, as the lensmen caught up with them and
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: all three slowed down. What is that thing back there?
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: Nothing much, just a kJ four z hotshop. Won't do
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  Speaker 1: any real damage. It'll just melt this tunnel down so
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: they can't interfere with our getaway. Then you were bluffing
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  Speaker 1: about the earthquake, She asked, a shade of disappointment in
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: her tone. Hardly, that isn't due for two hours and
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: a half yet, but it'll happen on scheduled time. How
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: you remember about the Curious Cat, don't you? However, no
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: particular secret about it. Ten duo deck bombs placed where
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: they'll do the most good, and timed for exactly simultaneous detonation.
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: Here we are. Don't tell anybody that I'm here Aboard
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  Speaker 1: the vessel, Kinnison disappeared into a stateroom while Blakesley continued
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  Speaker 1: in charge. Men were divided into watches, duties were assigned,
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: inspections were made, and the ship shot into the air.
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  Speaker 1: There was a brief halt to pick up Kennison speeds
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: her and then again on the way. Blakesley turned the
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  Speaker 1: board over to Crandall the pilot, and went into Kinnison's room.
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: The Lensman withdrew his control, leaving intact the memory of
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  Speaker 1: everything that had happened. For minutes. Blakesley was almost in
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: a daze, but struggled through it and held out his hand.
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  Speaker 1: Mighty glad to meet you, Lensman. Thanks. All I can
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: say is that after I got sucked in I couldn't
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: sure I know all about it. That was one of
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: the reasons I picked you out. Your subconsciousness didn't fight
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: back a bit at any time. You're to be in
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: charge from here to tell us, please go chase everybody
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  Speaker 1: out of the control room except crandall. Say. I just
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: thought of something, exclaimed Blakesley, when Kinnison joined the two
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: officers at the board. You must be that particular lensman
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: who's been getting in Helmet's hair so much lately. Probably
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: that's my chief aim in life. I'd like to see
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: Helmet's face when he gets the report of this. I've
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: said that before, haven't I. But I mean it now
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: even more than I did before. I'm thinking of helm
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: If too, but not that way. The pilot had been
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: scowling at his plate and now turned to Blake's lee
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: and the lensman glancing curiously from one to the other. Oh,
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: I say, a lensman, what bit of good old light
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: begins to dawn? But that can wait. Look, Helmuth is
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: after us. Footholes and marines. Look at that plate, four
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: of them already, exclaimed Blakesley. Oh there's another, and we
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: haven't got a beam hot enough to light a cigarette,
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: nor a screen strong enough to stop a firecracker. We've
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: got legs, but not as many as Helmuth's flyers. You
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: knew all about that though, of course before we started.
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: And from what you pulled off so far, you've got
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: something left on the hooks. What is it? What's the answer? Indetectability,
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: replied Kinnison. We can detect them, but they can't detect us.
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: All you have to do is stay out of range
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: of their electroes and drill for tell us. That's hard
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: to believe, but it must be true. There are nine
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: ships on the plates now, all Basconians, all certainly looking
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: for us, but no one of them has paid any
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: attention to us, nor will they. And by the way,
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: who or what is Boscone? Nobody knows Helmuth speaks for Mooscone.
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: Nobody else ever, does not even Boscone himself. If there
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: is such a person, nobody can prove it. But everybody
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: knows that Helmuth and Boscone are simply two names for
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: the same man. Helmuth, you know, is only a voice.
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: Nobody ever even saw his face until to day, and
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: I'm beginning to think so myself and Kennison Strode away
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: to call at the office of head Nurse McDougall mac
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: Here's a small but highly important box, he told her,
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: taking the neutralizer from his pocket and handing it to her.
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: Put it in your locker until you get to tell us,
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: and then take it yourself and give it to Haines
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: himself in person and to nobody else. Just tell him
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: I sent it. He'll know all about it. But why
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: not keep it and give it to him yourself. You're
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: coming with us, aren't you? Probably not all the way.
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: I imagine I'll have to shove off before we get
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: to tell us. But I want to talk to you. Why.
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: I've got a million questions to ask you. That would
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: take a long time, he grinned at her. And time
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: is just what we don't have right now, either of us,
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: and he strode back to the board. He labored for
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: hours at a calculating machine in the tank, finally to
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: squat down upon his heels, staring at two needlelike rays
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: of light in the tank and whistling softly between his
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: teeth for those two lines, while exactly in the same plane,
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: did not intersect in the tank at all, estimating as
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: carefully as he could the point of intersection of the lines.
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: He punched the cancil key to wipe out all traces
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: of his work, and went to the chart room. Charred
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: after chart he hauled down, and for many minutes he
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: worked with calipers, compass, goniometer, and a carefully set adjustable triangle.
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: Finally he marked a point exactly upon a small plane
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: dot already upon the chart, and again he whistled. Huh,
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: he grunted. He rechecked all his figures and retraversed the chart,
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: only to have his needle pierce again the same tiny,
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: unmarked dot. He stared at at it for a full minute,
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: studying the map all around his marker star cluster AC
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: two fifty seven forty seven thirty six. He ruminated, the smallest,
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: most insignificant, least known star cluster he could find, and
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: my largest possible error. Can't put it anywhere else. Kind
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: of thought it might be in a cluster, but I
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: never would have looked there, No wonder. It took a
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: lot of stuff to trace his beam. It would have
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: to be four numbers brenelle, harder than a diamond drill
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: to work from there. Again, whistling tunelessly to himself, he
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: rolled up the chart upon which he'd been at work,
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: stuck it under his arm, replaced the others in their compartments,
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: and went back to the control room. How's tricks, fellows,
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: he asked, q X replied Blakesley, were threw them into
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: clear ether, not a ship on the plate, and nobody
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: gave us even a tumble. Well, that's fine, you won't
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: have any trouble then from here on in to Prime Base.
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: Glad of it too. I've got a flit that'll mean
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: long watches for you two, but can't very well be helped.
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: But I say, old bird, I don't mind the watches,
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: but don't worry about that either. This crew can be
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: trusted to a man. Not one of you joined the
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: Pirates of your own free will, and not one of
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: you has ever taken an active part. What are you
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: a mind reader or something? Crandell burst out something like that,
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: Kennison assented with a grin. Blakesley put in more than that,
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: You mean something like hypnosis, only more so. You think
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: that I had something to do with this, But I didn't.
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: That Lensman did it all himself. Hm hm No. Crandell
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: stared at Kinnison new respect in his eyes. I knew
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: that unattached lensmen were good, but I had no idea
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: they were that good. No wonder Hellmuth has been getting
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: his wind up about you. I'll string along with anyone
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: who can take a whole base single handed and make
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: such a bally ass to boot out of such a
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: keen old bird as Hellmuth is. But I'm in a
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: bit of a divva, not to say a funk doubt
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: what is going to happen when we pop into prime
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: base without you? Every man jack of us, you know,
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: is slated for the lethal chamber without trial. Miss MacDougall
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: will do her bit, of course, But what I mean
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: is has she enough jets to swing it? I think
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: she has, But to avoid all argument, I've fixed that
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: up too. Here's a tape telling all about what happened,
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: and it ends with my recommendation for a full pardon
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: for each of you, and for a job at whatever
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: he has found best fitted for. It's signed with my thumbprint.
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: Give it or send it to port Admiral Haynes as
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: soon as you land. I've got enough jets, I think
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: so that it will go as it lays jets, You right,
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: ho you've got jets enough to lift fourteen freighters off
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: the north pole of Valeria. What next stores and supplies
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: for my speedster? I'm doing a long flit and this
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: ship has supplies to burn, so I'd like to have
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: my little can loaded plimsuled down. The speedster was stalked forthwith. Then,
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: with nothing more than a casually waved salute in the
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: way off fair Well, Kinnison boarded his tiny spaceship and
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: shot away toward his distant goal. Crandell the pilot sought
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: his bunk, while Blakesley started his long trick at the board.
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: In an hour or so, the head nurse strolled in him.
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: She queried, doubtfully, no, miss mc dougall, it's Blakesley. Sorry, Oh,
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: I'm glad of that. That means everything's settled. Where is
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: the lensman in bed? He has gone, miss, gone without
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: a word where he didn't say he wouldn't. Of course,
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: the nurse turned away, exclaiming, inaudibly, gone, I'd like to
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: cuff him for that. The lug gone? Why the great
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: big lobsterly clunker. End of chapter twenty one