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Updated: May 19, 2025
"A report of an alien attack will bring in the Patrol quickly enough." "You forget Rovald," Wass corrected. "The chance that one of your civs can activate and transmit from the spacer is remote, and Rovald will see that it is impossible. You have picked up Brodie, I see." "Yes." "No!" What had possessed him at that moment to contradict?
"Through a series of fortunate chances which might never occur again." Hume was patient, too patient, Rovald seemed to think. His hand moved, he was holding a ray tube so that a simple movement of the wrist could send a crisping blast across all the rest of the party. "I say, stop this yapping and get out there and pick up the Veep!" "I intend to after I call the Patrol."
Hume walked slowly back to the fire, when he saw Rovald going up the ramp into the spacer. He smiled. Did Wass think he was stupid enough not to guess that the Veep's man would be in com touch with his employer? Rovald was about to report along some channel of the shadow world that they had landed and that the play was about to begin.
And he planted Rovald on me as a check. But I didn't know Yactisi was a plant, also." The Patrol officer smiled. "Insurance," he waved the viv-root, "just insurance." "What we didn't foresee was this complicating alien trouble. You were to be collected as the castaway, brought back to the Center and then, once Wass was firmly enmeshed, the Patrol would blow the thing wide open.
"Too long a wait might run us into trouble. Wass doesn't like trouble." Hume spun around. In the half light of the fire his features were set, his mouth grim. "Neither do I, Rovald, neither do I!" he said softly, but with an icy promise beneath the words. Rovald was not to be intimidated. He grinned. "Set your fins down, fly-boy. You need Wass and I'm here to hold his stakes for him.
There were two clumps of brush. It could have holed up in either, waiting to attack any trailer but why? It had not been wounded, nor frightened by their party, there was no reason for it to set an ambush on its back trail. Starns and Yactisi dropped back, though Starns was fussing with his tri-dee. Rovald caught up. He had drawn his ray tube in answer to Hume's hand wave.
The ex-pilot deduced there would be little cooperation in exploration from that client until he was satisfied in his own quest. Rovald, Wass' man, lingered by the fire until the three civs were safe in their bubbles. "River range tomorrow?" he asked. "Yes. We can't rush the deal." "Agreed." Rovald spoke with a curtness he did not use when the civs were present. "Only don't delay too long.
Rovald's tube was now aimed directly at Hume. "No Patrol!" he ordered. "This wrangling has gone far enough." It was Yactisi who spoke with an authority which startled them all. And as their attention swung to him, he was already in action. Rovald cried out, the weapon spun from his fingers, fingers which were slowly reddening.
Starns indicated Rovald, who was nursing his numb hand. "Since he, too, is one of these criminals, he's not to be trusted!" Chambriss shot back. "Hunter, I demand that you take us off planet at once! And it is only fair to inform you that I also intend to prefer charges against you and against the Guild. Empty world! Just how empty have we found this world?"
They had rested briefly after their return to the safari camp, and Vye had been supplied with clothing from Hume's bags, so that now he wore the uniform of the Guild. He went armed, too, with the equipment belt taken from Rovald and that other's weapons, needler and tube. At least they started on their dubious rescue mission with every aid the safari camp could muster.
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