Astounding British Edition, Volume 8, No. 11 — page 62: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

60 chunky man in still unfaded clothes. He was hatless in the lingering warmth of the twilight and his wavy golden hair was neatly brushed. He wore a handsome purple jacket, but was apparently “rough- ing it” without a neck scarf. As his casual blue stare met Ferris’ dark gaze over the heads of the crowd, .he ran a finger along his blond mustache and looked away with no sign of recognition. “Well,” said Ferris, “he knows we're here. I guess working hours start now, instead of tomorrow.” He poured the last few drops of wine from his jug and nudged Taylor. “Get out among ’em, Gerry; an’ when it starts, you finish it! I'll cover in case things get serious.” He waited, sipping his wine unhurriedly, while Taylor bulled his way to the point in the crowd where the Terrans ended and the Lrymians began. Ferris took a careful look around to make sure he was unobserved. Then he hurled the jug past his partner . . . There were about fifty Terrans at the meeting the next morning. Those too late to find space on the benches covered the tables of the inn hall. Ferris and Taylor lounged on chairs tilted against the Terran-styled bar at one end of the chamber, while the beefy man. encountered on their arrival haranged the assemblage. Finally, the speaker hauled out a large handkerchief, mopped his ruddy face, and gestured to Ferris. The lean spaceman rose and surveyed the faces watching him. As a result of Taylor’s performance the evening before, they were uniformly friendly. “I admit,” he began, “that when I first met Ludman, we had words. But since last night, Gerry an’ me have been thinkin’ over what you guys are up against here.” Exclamations of satisfaction greeted the reference to the riot. “Now,” Ferris announced, “there’s only one thing to do.” His audience hunched forward. “You got to get together an’ kick those snakes out before any more pile in here. It’s a nice setup, but they’re gonna squeeze you out if they can!” “We know that,” called a voice above the growls. “What're we going to do?” “That’s easy,” Ferris retorted. “There’s fifty of you here now; that'll do to start with. All we need is a little organizing. As soon as we get the rest of the Terrans on Rerv IV in, we'll have a solid front. Then let them look out!” ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION He talked for a few minutes more, until he felt he had solidified the reputation he and Taylor were acquiring. When the ruddy Ludman rose once more to call for a vote, the two spacemen were unanimously ap- pointed heads of the “Terrans Protective Committee.” A crude document was hastily drawn up authorizing them to act for the planters, : It developed during the next few days, however, that communications were poor among the islands. Many of the outlying planters spent part of their time undersea supervising the native Rervites working the tohkine beds. Some had telephone lines, but those with bases on the smaller islands could be contacted by telescreen only at intervals. In all, about a Terran week passed while the planters gathered in New Honolulu, — dribbling in by boat, by rocket, or by air- car. Ferris wore a smug look the day he roused Taylor from an afternoon nap to tell him he had finally slipped into the building where Fuller had set up an office. “Good.” approved the other. “I was wondering when we'd get some definite orders. What’s he want?” “He says he’ll let us know pretty soon.” “T hope so,” grunted Taylor. “It ain’t so easy to keep these guys from charging over to the Lrymian settlement and start-. ing a massacre. I had to pop one of them yesterday to shut him up.” “I know, I know,” said Ferris. A shadow flickered in his dark eyes. “I hope that slicker hasn’t got any ideas about slippin’ the jets an’ leavin’ us to explain all his talk about inspectin’ Rerv IV for possible annexation.” : “Aw... 1 don’t think so,” said Taylor slowly. “What’s there in it for him that way?” “T- dunno. He wouldn't likely tell me, would he? Not him!” “Didn’t he say anything?” “Well,” explained Ferris, “he had this message from the Lrymians, he said, Seems they heard about his big inspection tour, an’ they don’t like the chances of the planet bein’ taken over by Terra any more’n the planters do.” “Taxes,” commented Taylor succinctly. “Right. The way things are now, the B. S. T. gets the tohkine shipped to Terra duty-free because it makes so much dif- ference in other deals. Anyway, Fuller wanted me to go see this Zrok-Tu that heads the Lrymians.” EoOmichdoo <S' , com