Free Space For Hire (Seven For Space) by William F Nolan Page B

Kid Smiley favors a .20-40 Vickers Stemline Special with automatic side load. And they all know what to do with what they carry. They're bad news, Sam."
    "They used a .45 microlaser Siddley-Armstrong heavyweight for the first hit in Bubble City," I said.
    "That's off-Luna equipment. Here they stick with the lighter stuff. But they can handle just about anything. Kane's a careful picker."
    "What else should I know?"
    "Nothin' — except when you show don't mention my name. I'm dead if any of them Loonies ever gets the idea I'd finger 'em."
    "You worry too much," I said, handing him a cup. "Drink up, Gimp."
    He backhanded the empty coffee cup away from him, grabbed a bottle of Moonjuice and poured. "That coffee'll rot my gut," he said. I turned to TeTe. She hadn't moved. "You need a new man, sister.
    This one's a juicehead who's all out of future."She didn't say anything, just glared at me from the corner. Gimp was still shaking when I went for the sandcar.

Thirteen
     
    I was never any good at spinkas. It's strictly a Moon game utilizing spinkas balls, the big fat round kind, and the idea is to catch your opponent off-guard and knock him down with a solidly-pitched ball to the chest. Head and stomach shots are fouls. Three knockdowns and you win a round.
    Under the Moon's lesser gravity such a game is possible; on Earth it would be too exhausting. Even here, you need to have the build for it.
    Loonies come light and dark, tall or short, bearded or clean-shaven — but they all have one thing in common: they are muscled like pro wrestlers. Spinkas lets them work off steam between jobs.
    When I got to the Jet Juicer in Rim City a game was in progress. The wet solid thwack of a spinkas ball to the chest and a gruff burst of lewd shouting told me somebody had connected.
    I beamed in on three beefy types tossing the balls at each other near the back of the room.
    Ordering a Venus fizz, I asked the divekeep about the trio. "I'm looking for Fruit, Spider and Kid Smiley," I said. "Would that be them?"
    "It sure would, buddy." The keep set my fizz on the drink bar. He'd lost an arm on the jets and had never bothered to replace it. It was his badge of service. He waved his stump at me. "They don't like strangers bustin' into their game. If I was you, I'd stay clear of them right now."
    "But you're not me," I said, downing the fizz in three quick swallows.
    It was liquid fire, and I needed some heat for what I was going to do.
    I walked over to the short, lumpy guy — who had to be Spider — and grabbed his spinkas before he could do anything about it. Then I swung around and whacked the ball, full-tilt, into the chest of the sour-faced Loonie who nicked as Kid Smiley. He wasn't expecting a play like this and went down hard on his butt. The third goon, Fruit — with plum stains all over his shirt — made a snake lunge toward his belt for what I guessed was his custom .3-70 quickfire sleevebreech Rugby-Powell but I had my .38 out and pointed before he could make the draw.
    I disarmed all three of them. Spider tried for the skinner in his boot but I barrel-chopped it out of his hand. He looked dismayed, sucking at a cut knuckle.
    The divekeep was watching the action with a hanging jaw; he'd never seen these boys roughed before.
    I nodded toward the back rooms. "Start walking."
    "Wait, bo, we —" began Fruit.
    "Hop it!" I rib-tapped him with the .38, which he didn't appreciate. And he walked. They all walked.
    A short halflit passageway led into a back gamble-room. I herded them inside, kicked the door shut.
    Then I waited for their angry questions.
    "What kinda heist is this?" from Spider.
    "Why the fancy play?" from Kid Smiley.
    "Who are you anyway?" from Fruit.
    I gave them my coldest grin. "I'm here from Kane. He's not very happy with the way you three creeps handled the girl's kidnap."
    "How come he isn't?" demanded Spider. He was dark and hunched and hairy. "We done a good clean job!"
    "He wants to know where you've taken