Free Captain Future 25 - Moon of the Unforgotten (January 1951) by Edmond Hamilton Page B

here had simply dropped out of sight. The Europans themselves refused to talk to us. But Ezra wouldn’t give up and finally got a lead. He found that the missing folk had hired native mounts at an inn called the Three Red Moons and had ridden out of the city.
    “Ezra planned to follow that lead out into the hills. He made me wait here — he said he had to have a contact here. I waited many days before Ezra got in touch with me through our micro-wave audio. He spoke briefly to me and switched off — and I’ve never heard from him since.”
    “His message?” asked Curt tensely.
    Joan took out a slip of paper. “I wrote it down word for word.”
    Curt read aloud. “Listen carefully, Joan! I’m all right — safe, well and happy. But I’m not coming back, not for a while. Now this is an order, Joan — drop the investigation, and go back to Earth. I’ll follow you later!”
    That was all.
    Otho said sharply, “He was forced to make that call!”
    “No.” Joan shook her head. “We have a secret code. He could have said the same words and yet could have let me know that he spoke under duress merely by a certain inflection. No, Ezra was talking of his own free will.”
    “Maybe he fell for this rejuvenation process, whatever it is?” suggested Grag.
    “No,” said Simon decisively. “Ezra would not do anything so foolish.”
    Curt nodded agreement. “Ezra has had plenty of tragedy in his life that few people know anything about. It’s why he’s always a little grim. He wouldn’t want to live a second life.”
    “Second Life?” murmured Otho. “The name tells nothing. Yet there must be a clue in it.”
    Captain Future stood up. “This isn’t a case for cleverness or subtlety. Ezra may be in danger and we’re going to work fast. We’ll go into Europolis and make those who know something talk.”
    Otho, his eyes sparkling, sprang to his feet. Grag took a clanking step toward the door.
    “Wait, Curt.” Joan’s face was worried. “You know the Patrol can’t legally arrest Europan citizens on their own world —”
    He smiled without much mirth. “We’re not Patrol. We’ll take the consequences if any.”
    “It’s not that,” she cried. “I have a feeling that since Ezra’s vanishing you Futuremen have been expected — and prepared for.”
    Curt Newton nodded gravely. “Very likely. However, we’re not exactly unprepared ourselves.” He turned to the others. “Simon, will you stay here and go over Joan’s data on the case till we return? And you, Grag — you’ll remain to guard them both.”
    Grag looked and sounded as upset as his physical structure would permit. “But there’s no telling what kind of trouble you’ll run into! You’ll need me with you!”
    “Joan needs you worse. She’s in every bit as much danger as we are.”
    That was partly true. It was also true that Grag’s seven-foot-high clanking bulk was somewhat too conspicuous for what Curt Newton had in mind. Otho started to say so and Curt stopped him by saying, “Let’s go.”
    He went out and Otho followed him, chuckling.
    “Save your humor,” said Curt dryly. “We may wish we had old Bone-crusher with us before we’re through.”
    They walked swiftly toward the slope of the low ridge beyond which lay the city. The thin dust blew beneath their feet and the old wind sang of danger out of its long long memories of blood and death.
     

     
    Chapter 2: The Inn of the Three Red Moons
     
    THE city lay in a shallow bowl between two spurs of a range so worn by the scuffing ages that it was now little more than a line of hills. Under the red glow of Jupiter the lordly towers slept in a sanguine mist that softened the scars of the broken stone. The cool light filled the roofless colonnades, the grand and empty avenues, and touched with a casual pity the faceless monuments that had long outlasted their forgotten victories.
    Curt Newton stood in a still and shadowy street and listened to the silence.
    On the near side