The World with a Thousand Moons Page 10

"It meant your life if Ididn't."

  "Of course," Murdock agreed ironically. "What importance are we,compared to saving your young brother's life?"

  Kenniston spoke slowly, to Murdock and Gloria and the others. "Itwasn't merely Ricky's life at stake that made me sacrifice you all. Itwas more than that. I tried to tell you before, but you wouldn'tlisten."

  * * * * *

  Kenniston went across the hut and brought back the square blackmedicine-case of his young physician-brother. He opened it, and out ofthe vials and instruments inside he took a square bottle of milkyfluid.

  "This is what I sacrificed everything to save," Kenniston said simply.

  They all stared. "What is it?" Gloria asked, puzzled.

  "It's Ricky's discovery," Kenniston said. "It's a preventative andcure for gravitation-paralysis."

  Captain Walls, himself an old-time space-man, was first of the groupto appreciate the significance of the statement. The captain gasped.

  "A preventative for gravitation-paralysis? Kenniston, are you _sure_?"

  Kenniston nodded gravely. "Yes. Ricky had been working on the problema long time, back in the Institute of Planetary Medicine. He thoughthe'd found a way to prevent gravitation-paralysis, the most awfulscourge of all the outer System, the thing that's doomed so manyspace-men. But his formula required rare elements found only in theouter planets.

  "Ricky and I," he continued, "went out there and secured those elements.He made up this formula, and tried it on a gravitation-paralysis case--aspace-man who's lain paralyzed for years. The formula was designed tostrengthen the human nervous system against the shock of varyinggravitations, to re-establish an already damaged nerve-web. And itworked."

  Kenniston's voice was husky as he concluded. "It worked, and thatliving log became a man again. The formula was a success. Ricky and Istarted back for Earth, where he intended to announce the discoveryand arrange for its manufacture on a big scale. But, on the way back,Dark's pirates captured us."

  Kenniston flung out his hand in a tortured gesture. "_That's_ why Iwent to any lengths to save Ricky's life! It's because Ricky is theonly person who knows the intricate formula of this serum. If he wereto die, the secret of the cure would die with him. And that would meanthat thousands on thousands more of space-men would be stricken intoliving death by gravitation-paralysis in the future, just as so manythousands of old friends and shipmates of mine have been stricken inthe past!"

  Captain Walls was the first to speak. Quietly, the plump master of the_Sunsprite_ extended his hand.

  "Kenniston, will you shake hands with me? And will you forgive me foreverything? You did absolutely right. I'm an old space-man and I_know_ what gravitation-paralysis is."

  Gloria's dark eyes were glimmering with tears. "If we'd only known,"she murmured to Kenniston. "No one could blame you for sacrificing alot of worthless idlers like us, for a thing like this."

  "But you're going to be all right--all of you," Kenniston assured her."John Dark will make you pay a big ransom, but you can afford that andyou'll get back safely to Earth."

  "Thank Heaven for that!" exclaimed Mrs. Milsom. "I can't understandall this scientific talk of yours, but I do know that that piratechief means no good to me. Didn't you see the lustful looks he gaveme?"

  The laugh that greeted this lessened the tension. Kenniston turned asRicky plucked at his arm.

  "What about ourselves, Lance?" Ricky asked quietly. "Dark still won'tlet us go, you know. He still needs me as a doctor."

  Hugh Murdock stepped forward. "Dark would let you both go, for a bigenough ransom. I'd like to pay it for you."

  The handsomeness of Murdock's gesture moved Kenniston. He was onlyable to mutter his thanks.

  * * * * *

  While Ricky was treating Captain Walls' burned arm, the officer keptlooking fascinatedly at that square bottle of milky fluid.

  He said hesitantly, "I've a son--back on Earth. For five years he'slain in a cot from the gravitation-paralysis that hit him out onJupiter. Do you suppose--"

  Ricky nodded. "Yes, Captain. I'm sure that we can cure him, now."

  There was an uproar out in the clearing. Kenniston went to the doorand looked out.

  The electric wall had temporarily been dropped, and Kin Ibo and themain body of the pirates were hastily entering the camp with theirimprovised power-sledges that bore heavy loads of machinery andmaterials.

  Kenniston heard Kin Ibo reporting shrilly to John Dark, "We lost twomen to the Vestans on the way here--and nearly lost two more! All thisactivity has drawn them from all over the asteroid! Look at that!"

  Outside the electric wall, which had been hastily re-raised, could beglimpsed the shapes of lurking asteroidal animals. Meteor-rats, bigstriped cats, flame-birds--and every one of those lurking animals boreattached to its neck one of the little gray Vestan parasites.

  John Dark was saying harshly, "We've got to have the rest of thosematerials to repair the _Falcon_."

  "I tell you, it'd be suicide to try another trip through thosejungles!" expostulated the Martian. "Those Vestans are devils!"

  "Bah, you Martians are all alike--no good when your superstitions getaroused," snorted Dark contemptuously. "I'll take the men down myself.Come on, men--unload those sledges and we'll go back to the wreck."

  His indomitable personality drove the scared, unwilling pirates intothe task. Again the electric wall was faded out for a moment to letthem out.

  When they returned some time toward morning, Kenniston heard the crashof atom-guns heralding their approach. And when the wall wasmomentarily dropped, John Dark and his men stumbled into the camp withtheir loaded sledges in sweating haste.

  "Turn on the wall again--quick!" bellowed Dark's bull voice. "Thejungle's swarming with the gray devils now--they got five of us on theway back!"

  Ricky, looking over Kenniston's shoulder, spoke appalledly. "Good God,Lance--look at them! I didn't know there _were_ so many Vestans!"

  Outside the barrier of shimmering electricity, scores of animals andbirds dominated by the dreaded little gray parasitical creatures werenow swarming. And their number seemed growing every minute.

  "All this activity of the night has drawn the Vestans from far andwide," Kenniston muttered. "I don't like it. If that electric wallshould fail, the creatures would be in on us in a moment."

  Dark himself seemed to feel something of the same apprehension, forhe was shouting urgent orders. "Hook up those atomic welders, andstart putting the new plates into the _Falcon's_ tail. Kin Ibo, haveyour gang fit in the new rocket-tubes. I'll see to installing the newcycs. If we work, we can get the job done by tomorrow night and getout of here."

  Through the day, the pirates toiled with an energy that showed theirearnest desire to leave the asteroid. That desire was reinforced bythe ever-larger number of Vestans that now swarmed outside the wall.

  There were literally hundreds of the gray parasites now outside thebarrier. To have tried going outside the wall now would have beensheer suicide. The creatures were apparently driven by unholyeagerness to possess themselves of human bodies.

  Gloria, looking out with Kenniston, shuddered deeply. "This horribleworld! It's like a nightmare."

  "We'll soon be away from it," Kenniston reassured. "See, they'vealmost finished repairing the _Falcon_."

  * * * * *

  The urgent toil of the pirates was showing results. By the time nightcame again, and the meteor-moonlets blazed forth with magic beauty inthe dark heavens, the task of repair was almost done.

  Kenniston and his companions had not ventured forth from the hut.Pirates were everywhere in the clearing, and all had heard John Dark'sstrict order to blast down the captives if they left their prison.

  But from the hut, Kenniston and the others could see that the horde ofVestan-dominated animals around the camp had further increased. Withghastly avidity, they kept circling the shimmering, electric wall.

  Ke
nniston turned in alarm at a ripping sound from the back of the loghut. Two of the logs were being torn out bodily. The battered greenface and giant shoulders of Holk Or came through the opening.

  "Kenniston, I came in this way because I didn't dare let Dark see metalking to you!" the Jovian exclaimed. His face was urgent inexpression. "I've found out that Dark doesn't mean to let your friendshere get away from Vesta alive."

  "What?" exclaimed Kenniston. "That's impossible! Dark said he wasgoing to hold Gloria and the others for ransom."

  Holk Or nodded hastily.