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"You can't take your fleet back to Weald," said Calhoun gently, "if you believe its crews have been exposed to carriers of the Dara plague. You wouldn't be allowed to land, anyhow." The admiral said through stiff lips; "I'll blast " "No," said Calhoun, again gently. "When you ordered all ships alerted for action, the Darians on each ship released panic-gas.
They only needed tiny, pocket-sized containers of the gas for the job. They had them. They only needed to use air-tanks from their sag-suits to protect themselves against the gas. They kept them handy. On nearly all your ships aloft your crews are crazy from panic-gas. They'll stay that way until the air is changed.
They used panic-gas on a herd of cattle and it made them crazy and they charged the settlement like the four-footed lunatics they are! And the blueskins used panic-gas on the settlement itself as the cattle went through. It should have settled the whole business nicely.
"Unfortunately, when the miners panicked, they stampeded into the ship. Also unfortunately, panic-gas got into the ship with them. So they stayed panicked while the astrogator in panic! took off and headed for Weald and threw on the overdrive which would be set for Weald anyhow because that would be the fastest way to run away from whatever he imagined he feared.
But he and all the men on the ship were still crazy with panic from the gas they were re-breathing until they died!" Silence. After a long interval, Maril asked; "You don't think the Darians intended to kill?" "I think they were stupid!" said Calhoun angrily. "Somebody's always urging the police to use panic-gas in case of public tumult. But it's too dangerous.
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