Lensman 07 Smith, E E 'Doc' Masters of the Vortex (The Vortex Blaster)

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.''I got a question to ask, boss,' Thlaskin put in, before Cloud said anything.'You got a license to be sore as hell, no argument about that, but I askyou-are you sore mostly because we took the stuff or because we didn't let youin on it? We couldn't do that, boss, and you know why.'Cloud did know why.The pilot had put his finger right on the sore spot, andthe Blaster was honest enough to admit it.'That's it, I guess.' He grinned wryly.Tommie, who had been whispering to Vesta, asked: 'You got back here while wewere still sucking juice, didn't you?''Yes, and as Nadine will undoubtedly point out if I don't, that fact makes mean accomplice for not pulling the switches on you.So, already being anaccessory during and after the fact, I may as well go the route.If any of usgets hauled up, we all do.''No fear of that,' Tommie assured him.'One thing Tomin-gans are good at iskeeping their mouths shut.Maluleme and Vesta will spill everything they know,and brag about it sooner or later,' The Vegian did not relish translating thispassage, but she did so, and accurately, nevertheless, 'but that won't do anyharm.It's you that's in the driver's seat.You could've nailed us all to thecross if you liked, and I for one didn't expect to get off easy.Thanks.I'llremember this.So will everybody else who knows.You're washing me out, ofcourse?''Not unless you want to stay here on Tominga.You're a good engineer, and Ican't picture this as happening again, can you?'98'Hardly.I like this better than stationary work.Thanks again,, chief.Mybrother wants to thank you, too.'After the sincerely grateful and appreciative Tomingan had gone, Cloud said:'Vesta and Maluleme-if Tommie was right about you two having to talk, make anote of this.Don't do it as long as you're members of this crew.If you do,I'll fire you the second I find out about it.Now everybody-as far as I'mconcerned none of this ever happened.We came here to blow out vortices andthat's all we did.We'll go back to the hotel, get a few hours sleep and.'The long-range communicator, silent for weeks, came suddenly to life inEnglish.'Calling space-ship Vortex Blaster One, Commander Neal Cloud.Acknowledge,please.Calling space-ship Vortex Blaster One.:'Space-ship Vortex Blaster One acknowledging.' The detector-coupled projectorPage 52ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlhad swung into exact alignment.'Commander Cloud speaking.''Space-ship YB216P9, of First Continent, Tominga, relaying message from PhilipStrong of Tellus.Will you accept message?"'Will accept message.Ready.''Begin message.Report in person as soon as convenient.Answer expected.Endmessage.Signed Philip Strong.Repeat, please.We will relay reply.'Cloud repeated.Then: 'Reply.To Philip Strong, Vortex Control Laboratory,Tellus.Begin message.Remess.Will leave Manarka fourteenth Sol for Tellus.End of message.Signed Neal Cloud.Repeat, please."That done, he turned to his crew.'Now we'll have to go to work!'With Vesta to translate, two days sufficed to rid Tominga of her loose atomicvortices; and no one so much as suspected that the Patrol ship or any of itscrew had had anything to do with the upheaval in Mingia.The trip to Manarka, a two-day flit, was uneventful.So was the extinguishmentof Manarka's vortices.When the job was done, Nadine's mind and Cloud's met briefly.No directreference was made to the unpleasantness on Tominga, nor to their somewhatvariant ideas concerning it.Nadine wanted to stay on.She liked the job andshe liked99Cloud.He was somewhat impractical and visionary, a bit too idealistic in hisoutlook at times; but a strong and able man and a top-bracket commander,nevertheless.And the Manarkan, in Cloud's mind, was not only a top-bracket medico, but alsoa very handy hand to have around.On the fourteenth of Sol, then, the good ship Vortex Blaster I took off forTellus, with Cloud wondering more than a little as to what was in the wind.Hewasn't the type to be unduly perturbed about being called up on the carpet perse; but Phil didn't go in for mystery much-he explained things.He couldn'tpossibly know anything about that Mingian business so soon.and he wasgoing to tell him all about it anyway.There was plenty of Laboratory business that shouldn't be relayed all overspace, and this was undoubtedly some of it.Whatever it was, it'd have to keepuntil he got to Tellus, anyway, so he'd forget it until then.But he didn't.10010: JanowickBack on Tellus, Cloud took a fast copter to the Vortex Control Laboratory,still wondering what it was all about.'Go right in, Dr Cloud," Strong's secretary told him, even before he stoppedat her desk.'He's been gnawing his nails ever since you landed.'Cloud went in.The Lensman was not alone; a woman who had been seated besidethe desk was now standing, studying him eagerly.'Hi, Phil,' the Blaster said.'Why all the haste, and why so cryptic? I'vebeen wondering if you found where I hid the body-and which body it was.''Hi, Storm.Nothing like that!' Strong laughed.'Doctor Janowick, DoctorCloud-or rather, Joan, this is Storm.You know all about him that anybodydoes [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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