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Updated: May 15, 2025
You've been on the drift too long among those thieving humans! It's time you got back to live among decent folk again. Well, go along." The sting of the words stiffened Bart as he took his leave. The color of the badge seemed deeper orange.... When it's red, you're dead. It's true. The Lhari don't steal. They don't even seem to understand dishonesty. But they lied lied to us all....
Bart saw the slow, inexorable deepening of his badge he had to get away. He tensed, impatient; gripped by fists of panic. Somewhere on this world, Montano and his men were setting up their lethal radiations.... Think of this: a Lhari ship of our own to study, to know how it works, to see the catalyst and find out where it comes from, to read their records and star routes.
And my eyes can stand Lhari lights. You said yourself, it's going to be a dangerous job just calling off all the arrangements. So let's not call them off. Just let me take Dad's place!" "Bart, you're only a boy " "What was Dave Briscoe? No, Raynor. Dad left me a lot more than Vega Interplanet, and you know it. I'll finish what he started, and then maybe I'll begin to deserve what he left me."
The others were given an inert sedative they believed to be the cold-sleep drug. How are you feeling, Bart?" "Fine but wondering what's going to happen." "You won't be hurt," Vorongil said, quickly. Then: "You don't believe me, do you?" "I don't, sir. David Briscoe did what I did, and he's dead. So are three other men." "Men do strange things from fear men and Lhari.
A warning siren went off in the ship, rising to hysterical intensity. Bart thought, incredulously, this is really happening. It felt like a nightmare. His father a fugitive from the Lhari. Briscoe dead. He himself traveling, with forged papers, to a star he'd never seen. He braced himself, knowing the siren was the last warning before takeoff.
"Catch hold of his feet, Bartol. Here ease him out of his chair. No sense bothering the medics this time. Think you can manage to help me carry him down to the deck?" "Sure," Bart said, finding his feet and his voice. He felt better as they moved along the hallway, the limp, muttering form of the old Lhari insensible in their arms.
He was beginning to feel hungry, and realized that he could not go into an ordinary restaurant without attracting attention. There were refreshment stands all over the spaceport, and he briefly considered getting a snack at one of these. No, that was just putting it off. The time had to come when he must face his fear and test his disguise among the Lhari themselves.
"If they'd killed him right away " The soaring staircase swooped up to the top level; the two Lhari stepped off and mingled swiftly with the crowd, being lost to sight. Bart whistled in dismay as he got off and turned toward the information desk. A Vegan! Some poor guy from his own planet was in trouble with the Lhari. He felt a cold, crawling chill down his insides.
Then Bart realized that the little fat man was staring straight at him. He returned the man's smile, rather hesitantly; then blinked, for the fat man was coming straight toward him. "Hello, Son," the fat man said loudly. Then, as two of the Lhari started toward him, the strange man did an incredible thing. He reached out his two hands and grabbed Bart.
"Wait till we get to my place," Raynor Three said, taking the controls and putting the machine in the air. "Just lean back and enjoy the trip, huh?" Bart relaxed against the cushions, but he still felt apprehensive. Where was his father? If he was a fugitive from the Lhari, he might by now be at the other end of the galaxy.
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