[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Jugg.
 And now it s hurry, is it? roared Jugg.  I ll have you know, young fellow,
there s only one captain aboard the
Australian Star
, and that s me.
 But the Basilisk doesn t have your course; he just knows you re leaving the
moon for Venus at a certain time, and that means he s got to attack early or
else take the risk of losing you!
 Dick, my boy, said Captain Jugg,  you get some rest. You need it. I don t
see how you made it out here on that ramshackle old raft 
Dr. Murdock shook his head grimly, put his arm around Dick s shoulder.
  but it s taken a lot out of you. We ve got a nice relaxing voyage ahead of
us, and you ll be right as rain in a week or so.
Dr. Murdock spoke in a harsh voice:  Captain Jugg, I insist that you put
about. You possibly are willing to risk 
Jugg took a step forward. His legs were thick and heavy, the same width from
thigh to ankle like the legs of an elephant.  Look here, Doc, he said
roughly, his tiny nose twitching,  there s one thing I don t stand for, and
that s passengers telling me how to run my ship!
Calkins, the dark mate, slipped down from the bridge.  Ship s on steady one
gravity, sir; I m stepping down to check boat stowage.
Captain Jugg ignored him.  I ve traveled space, man and boy, for thirty years,
and I ain t gonna be told my business now by some overeducated eye doctor!
Dr. Murdock stood back, his eyes glittering; Dick thought that never had he
seen his father so angry. With tremendous effort he choked back his wrath and
said in a strained voice,  I realize, Captain Jugg, that this is a very
unusual request, and under ordinary circumstances I would not expect you to
pay any heed to a passenger who asked you to change course 
 Doc, you can talk till you re blue in the face 
  but let me put the facts in front of you. As my son told you, we have very
little time 
 Doc, I got work to do.
Dick went to the port, looked around the sky: stars, the great globe of Earth,
the darkling bulk of the moon. He turned. His father and Captain Jugg were
still arguing, and Captain Jugg was clearly enjoying the use of his authority.
Dick went quietly to the door, closed it, pulled down the heavy bolt. Captain
Jugg and his father were locked away from the rest of the ship.
He raced up the spiral staircase, into the bridge, which as he expected was
temporarily deserted.
He slammed the door, turned the key.
The controls were the same as those aboard the
African Star
. There the repeater to the engine room; there the automatic pilot, now aimed
at Venus. He switched off the automatic pilot, seized the control knobs,
twisted. The orientation sphere which showed the ship s direction in space
slowly turned. Through the window Dick saw the Sun, Earth, Moon sweep across
the sky. With the ship still turning he reached, jerked down the repeater,
from single-gravity acceleration to two and a half gravities.
The sudden added weight pressed him to the deck; his muscles, accustomed to
weak lunar gravity, quivered. Somewhere below he felt a jar, heard an angry
shout.
Page 63
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Dick grinned. If the Basilisk attacked them now, at least he had done
everything he possibly could.
The ship was still turning on its axis fifty degrees
sixty seventy eighty ninety. Now two and a half gravities were accelerating
them at right angles to their former course. Dick let the nose of the ship
swing still further, aimed it almost back toward the moon. There was an angry
pounding on the door.
 Open up in there! came Captain Jugg s voice in a bull-like roar.  Open this
door!
Dick said nothing.
 Open up, or I ll break in!
The door rattled furiously.
Dick thought, go ahead, break it down; it s your own door.
Grunting and mumbling, Captain Jugg banged at the door.
The frail metal bent and strained. The sound ceased. Dick heard Captain Jugg
panting; the more than double gravity was a great hardship.  When I lay my
hands on you, you young scoundrel 
his threats died off in a spasm of cursing, and he renewed his attack.
The lock burst, the door flew open. Framed for an instant was the great red
shape of Captain
Jugg, with Calkins the mate smiling expectantly at his back. Then Captain Jugg
lumbered forward.
 You ll go to jail for this, you young criminal. He swung his great arms.
Dick ducked, backed away from the controls.
 I ll take care of you later, grunted Jugg. He jerked up the repeater, back
to single gravity; a moment later normal weight returned to them.  Now  he
twisted the control knobs   it s back on course, and then you make the rest of
the trip in irons.
 Captain, said Calkins in a strange, breathless Voice.
 Well, what do you want?
 Look.
Captain Jugg twisted, stared at the radar screen, slowly crossed the bridge.
 Two ships, crossing our bow, He ran to the rack, took his binoculars,
scrutinized space.  Two ships, he muttered.  I
see  em plain. What are they doing out here?
 What do they look like, Captain? said Calkins.
 Sisters to this one.
 The
Canopus
 the
Capella
, said Calkins under his breath.
 Looks like they were on our course, right enough, said Captain Jugg in a
subdued voice.  Now they re sliding past but they seem to be putting about.
He gave a sudden froglike hop to the repeater, yanked it to three gravities.
Staggering under the tremendous acceleration, he made for the wall telephone.
He bellowed,  Sparks, send out an SOS! It s pirates! Lucky I saw  em in time.
Dr. Murdock came staggering into the bridge. He laughed harshly.  You mean
it s lucky that
Dick had enterprise enough to lock you up, and take matters into his own
hands!
 Don t crow, muttered Jugg, watching the radar screen.
Dr. Murdock had only just started. Dick had never seen him so angry. His voice
rang like a bell.
 In my opinion you re not fit to be trusted with a spaceship. And as soon as I
have the chance, I ll make my opinion known where it will do the most good!
Jugg s face was red as raw beef.  If those are pirates, as you seem to think,
you ll never have the chance to squeal. Because they re coming around as fast
as they can come.
Page 64
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Chapter 14
Crazy Sam s Notebook
Dick went to the window, looked through Jugg s binoculars. He saw two great
ships studded with gun ports slewing sideways through space in an angry
attempt to come about.  Looks like we ve got a race on our hands, said
Calkins, grinning his inane grin.
Dick said rather shortly,  If we lose we lose our lives. He put the
binoculars down; the effort of holding them to his eyes under three gravities [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]