in front of a crew of pirates! They would kill anyone for a fraction of that much wealth.
How was I going to do this? How could I fool Stabb?
I had to make this work!
My life depended upon it utterly.
No matter the risk, I was going to handle this.
But Gods, did I need an idea!
No sooner prayed for than received! Instant service from the celestial realm!
Like a bolt from the blue, the idea struck!
Chapter 3
All weariness was forgotten. The glow of the gold had entered into my soul. The yellow energy of it coursed like precious perfume through my nerves and lent power to my limbs.
Oh, but there were going to be some changes now!
I rushed down the ladders of the Blixo and leaped outside the battered ship. I sped to the guard office and grabbed the domestic telephone. I called the taxi driver.
"It's too early," he said sleepily. "What's the rush?"
"Money," I said.
"You got some?" he said, wide awake.
"Beyond your wildest dreams."
"I'll be right down instantly."
Oh, that proved it. There were really going to be some changes now.
He arrived with a screech of brakes that turned him halfway round.
"Follow that hospital!" I said.
He got it. As fast as that engine could turn, we churned the road to the entrance door.
I leaped out. I rushed right by Reception. I sped down the hall.
I burst into Prahd's room.
"Oh, NO!" screamed Nurse Bildirjin. "Not you!"
I gave a short barking laugh. Oh, but there were going to be some changes made!
"Prahd," I said, "you have a duty to perform."
"And then my pay starts," he said.
"You will do as you are told," I said.
I had the plan all worked out. The first of it was to get the Antimancos out of the way for the whole day. Oh, yes, I had the control star. But I wasn't taking any chances. I didn't need a line-jumper run by Antimancos in a hypnotic trance or shocked senseless with electric jolts. This gold was too precious to risk.
"I am going to bring a five-man crew here in the next few minutes," I said. "You are going to inoculate them against epizootics."
"There is no such disease," said Prahd.
"Then invent it," I snapped. "And while you are inoculating them, you are going to discover they have rabies. And all day long you are going to retain them here in a ward and under no circumstances let them go back to the base until I give the word."
"It would only take an hour to cure rabies," said Prahd.
"Then invent a cure that takes all day!" I snarled.
"And then my pay starts," said Prahd.
(Bleep) him, he was at THAT again! Didn't the idiot realize that he was officially dead? I couldn't start his pay without it appearing on the books that he was still alive.
"You will do what you are told!" I shouted.
"But it's hardly dawn, yet," he said.
"Well, Rome wasn't built in a day!" I howled at him.
I rushed out. It occurred to me he wouldn't do it. I rushed back. "If you don't, I'll burn the hospital down!"
That made it a sure thing. The hospital was nothing to me. I could get no money out of it. He could see I meant it. He raised his hands defensively and nodded wildly. "I'll do it!"
I raced back out to the cab.
We went shrieking down the road to the barracks. "Wait there," I said.
I ran down the tunnel.
I streaked across the hangar. I flashed up the passageway to the crew's quarters. I burst into the Antimancos' room.
Five blastguns were centered on me instantly. Unintimidated, I shouted, "On your feet, all of you, and fast!"
They lay right there in their bunks, sighting down the barrels of their blastguns.
"Captain Stabb!" I barked. "Come out in the hall. A matter of gravest urgency has reared its head."
Grumbling, he followed me out.
In a highly conspiratorial tone, I said, "Stabb, things are about to move. We are going to execute the greatest robbery this planet has ever heard of!"
Oh, man, did his pointed ears pick up! The triangular head moved close to me. The beady, close-set eyes came flaming alive. "Is this some trick?"
"Gods, no," I lied. "I cannot tell
How was I going to do this? How could I fool Stabb?
I had to make this work!
My life depended upon it utterly.
No matter the risk, I was going to handle this.
But Gods, did I need an idea!
No sooner prayed for than received! Instant service from the celestial realm!
Like a bolt from the blue, the idea struck!
Chapter 3
All weariness was forgotten. The glow of the gold had entered into my soul. The yellow energy of it coursed like precious perfume through my nerves and lent power to my limbs.
Oh, but there were going to be some changes now!
I rushed down the ladders of the Blixo and leaped outside the battered ship. I sped to the guard office and grabbed the domestic telephone. I called the taxi driver.
"It's too early," he said sleepily. "What's the rush?"
"Money," I said.
"You got some?" he said, wide awake.
"Beyond your wildest dreams."
"I'll be right down instantly."
Oh, that proved it. There were really going to be some changes now.
He arrived with a screech of brakes that turned him halfway round.
"Follow that hospital!" I said.
He got it. As fast as that engine could turn, we churned the road to the entrance door.
I leaped out. I rushed right by Reception. I sped down the hall.
I burst into Prahd's room.
"Oh, NO!" screamed Nurse Bildirjin. "Not you!"
I gave a short barking laugh. Oh, but there were going to be some changes made!
"Prahd," I said, "you have a duty to perform."
"And then my pay starts," he said.
"You will do as you are told," I said.
I had the plan all worked out. The first of it was to get the Antimancos out of the way for the whole day. Oh, yes, I had the control star. But I wasn't taking any chances. I didn't need a line-jumper run by Antimancos in a hypnotic trance or shocked senseless with electric jolts. This gold was too precious to risk.
"I am going to bring a five-man crew here in the next few minutes," I said. "You are going to inoculate them against epizootics."
"There is no such disease," said Prahd.
"Then invent it," I snapped. "And while you are inoculating them, you are going to discover they have rabies. And all day long you are going to retain them here in a ward and under no circumstances let them go back to the base until I give the word."
"It would only take an hour to cure rabies," said Prahd.
"Then invent a cure that takes all day!" I snarled.
"And then my pay starts," said Prahd.
(Bleep) him, he was at THAT again! Didn't the idiot realize that he was officially dead? I couldn't start his pay without it appearing on the books that he was still alive.
"You will do what you are told!" I shouted.
"But it's hardly dawn, yet," he said.
"Well, Rome wasn't built in a day!" I howled at him.
I rushed out. It occurred to me he wouldn't do it. I rushed back. "If you don't, I'll burn the hospital down!"
That made it a sure thing. The hospital was nothing to me. I could get no money out of it. He could see I meant it. He raised his hands defensively and nodded wildly. "I'll do it!"
I raced back out to the cab.
We went shrieking down the road to the barracks. "Wait there," I said.
I ran down the tunnel.
I streaked across the hangar. I flashed up the passageway to the crew's quarters. I burst into the Antimancos' room.
Five blastguns were centered on me instantly. Unintimidated, I shouted, "On your feet, all of you, and fast!"
They lay right there in their bunks, sighting down the barrels of their blastguns.
"Captain Stabb!" I barked. "Come out in the hall. A matter of gravest urgency has reared its head."
Grumbling, he followed me out.
In a highly conspiratorial tone, I said, "Stabb, things are about to move. We are going to execute the greatest robbery this planet has ever heard of!"
Oh, man, did his pointed ears pick up! The triangular head moved close to me. The beady, close-set eyes came flaming alive. "Is this some trick?"
"Gods, no," I lied. "I cannot tell
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