Astounding British Edition, Volume 8, No. 11 — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

62 back to the delegation, they all stiffened to the sound of running footsteps in the corridor. A second later, a ginger-haired Terran with splotchy freckles thrust his head through the curtains. Seeing the other planters, he was emboldened to enter “He’s down in the hall right now, eat- ing!” he panted. “One of the Rervites out- side the hall told me he just came back.” The four looked at each other, then at Taylor, who suppressed a sigh of relief at | the Rervite’s upstairs. “All right, Tim,” Ludman began, turning to the bony-faced man, “you cover the back door and—” Taylor interrupted before the strategy could become too elaborate. “I want to see him face to face right away! You fellows got guns?” Ludman looked aggrieved. “You guys made us turn them in so’s there wouldn’t be any premature accidents.” “Well, I’ve got mine,” said Taylor. As an afterthought, he added, “Even if Ferris is a lot faster than me!” The thing to do, he thought as they tramped down the stairs, is let him know right off that they’re wise to him. That way, maybe he can get out without queering the whole deal. Accordingly, he stamped over to the door of the dining hall in a fashion he knew would alert Ferris. He saw the latter rising ignorance of Ferris’ trip from his table with one hand adjusting his neck scarf. “The boys tell me you’ve been making friends with the snakes!” Taylor challenged loudly. “What’s the idea? Why didn’t you let me in on it?” Ferris stared at him intently, and the big man saw the understanding dawn rapidly in the dark eyes. The planters crowding behind him must have made the situation only too clear. 7 “None of your business, sucker!” Ferris snarled as he whipped out his dart pistol. Taylor dropped to the floor, tossing the planters aside with a mighty outward thrust of his arms. He heard them thudding down beside him as the string of needles went pok-pok-pok-pok through the woven cane jamb that decorated the doorway. He looked up and saw that the holes were a good two feet above him; and it was with an effort that he suppressed a grin. “Let’s rush him!” grunted the man called Tim. ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION Taylor kicked his feet from under him as he started to rise and reached under his jacket for his own pistol. “Stay down; he'll kill you!” he warned. When he thought Ferris’ pattering foot- steps must have reached the rear doorway, | he raised himself on one elbow and shot at the wall beside it. As the gun vibrated in his hand, he saw the curtain drop loosely over the exit, so he shifted his aim to make a few holes for show. The group rose as one and scrambled past tables and benches to the alley exit, There, however, Taylor restrained them. “Careful how you stick your head out there!” he warned. Ludman. dropped the curtain abruptly, “But we can’t just let him get away!” he complained. “Why not?” demanded Taylor, scowling like one betrayed. “Let him go over to the men i as ae ; ae * snakes! We still control all the force—if we | can get out to my ship in time!” It took perhaps three seconds for the implication to sink in, whereupon Taylor was swept out the front entrance of the inn with the rush. In response to Ludman’s — bawled commands, a light truck was pro- cured in a matter of a minute and they piled in. The freckled planter drove, Taylor clung — to the seat beside him, and the other three bumped around in the back. Now I gotta think quick of a reason for not handing out the guns! Taylor told him- self as the ship came into view. When they slithered to a halt beneath its ladder, however, he discovered that he had ,been relieved of that problem. The bland features of agent Fuller peered down from the open port. Over the B. S. T. man’s shoulder gleamed the big teeth and eyes of a pair of Rervites. “T thought you gentlemen might possibly be along,” remarked Fuller. “That is why I decided to impound this rocket and its collection of weapons.” ? He’s not ready for the showdown, then, thought Taylor. As he watched Fuller narrowly for some kind of hint, a nudge from behind reminded him that he must make a showing. a “You can’t do that!” he retorted, feeling asinine but unable to produce any better comment in view of his relations with Fuller. | To carry the bluff through, he reached for his dart pistol, being carefully obvious about it, To his relief, Fuller moved before the weapon cleared Taylor’s jacket. Gomicbooks (Eo) S)