Astounding British Edition, Vol. 9, No. 10 — page 49: what you’re looking at

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

MISSION OF GRAVITY 47 nothing of the sort happened, and it be- came evident that nothing would. Barlennan was an oportunist, as had been proved months ago by his unhesitat- ing decision to associate with the visitor from Earth and learn his language. This was something new, and obviously worth learning about; if ships could be made that would carry so much more weight for their size, the knowledge was ob- viously vastly important to a maritime nation. The logical thing to do was to acquire one of the canoes. ' As the chief and his three co-workers entered the craft, Barlennan followed. They delayed shoving off as they saw his approach, wondering what he might want. Barlennan himself knew what he wanted, but was not sure he could get away with what he planned to try. His people, how- ever, had a proverb substantially identi- cal in meaning with Earth’s “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” and he was no coward. Very carefully and respectfully he touched the radio, leaning across the half inch of open river surface between ship and canoe to do so. Then he spoke. “Charles, I’m going to get this little ship if I have to come back and steal it. When I’ve finished talking, please answer —it doesn’t matter what you say. I’m going to give these people the idga that the boat which carried the radio is too changed for ordinary use, and must take the radio’s place on my deck. All right?” “I was brought up to disapprove of racketeers—I’ll translate that word for you some time—but I admire your nerve. Get away with it if you can, Barl, but lease don’t stick the neck you don’t ave out too far.” He fell silent and watched the Mesklinite turn his few sentences to good account. As before, he employed practically no spoken language; but his actions were reasonably intelligible even to the human beings, and clear as crystal to his erst- while captors. First he inspected the canoe throughly, and plainly if reluctantly found it worthy. Then he waved away another canoe which had drifted close, and gestured several members of the river tribe who were still on the Bree’s deck away to a safe distance. He picked up a spear which one of the counselors had discarded to take up his new position, and made it clear that no one was to come within its length of the canoe. Then he measured the canoe itself in spear lengths, took the weapon over to where the radio had been, and osten- tatiously cleared away a spot large enough to take the craft; at his order, several of his own crew gently rearranged the re- maining radios to make room for their new property. More persuasion might have been attempted, but sunset cut the activity short. The river dwellers did not wait out the night; when the sun returned, the canoe with the radio was yards away, already drawn up on shore. Barlennan watched it with anxiety. Many of the other canoes had also landed, and only a few still drifted near the Bree. Many more natives had come to the edge of the bank and were looking over; but to Barlennan’s intense sasitfaction, none came any closer to the loaded canoe. He had apparently made some impression. The chief and his helpers carefully un- loaded their prize, the tribe maintaining its original distance. This was, incidentally, several times the spear’s length demanded by Barlennan. Up the bank the radio went, the crowd opening wide to let it through and disappearing after it; and for long minutes there was no more activity. The Bree could easily have pushed out of her cage at this time, the crews of the few canoes remaining on the river showing little interest in what she did, but her captain did not give up that easily. He waited, eyes on the shore; and at long last a number of long black- and-red bodies appeared over the bank. One of these proceeded toward the canoe; but Barlennan realized it was not the chief, and uttered a warning hoot. The native paused, and a brief discussion ensued, which terminated in a series of modulated calls fully as loud as any that Lackland had heard Barlennan utter. Moments later the chief appeared and went straight to the canoe; it was pushed off by two of the counselors who had helped carry the radio, and started at once toward the Bree. Another followed it at a respectful distance. [Continued on page 64 EOmichbooks.co AcAaNtE 4 rok Ps] - 5 Ie Rh hes Rd, tea e ons ye LY. BLT ee é4 NS, Diy Be AA De ae . CALA) 0 BO STRESS FON