Astounding Science Fiction (British Edition), April 1944 — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

38 “T wasn’t gonna send it till tother one got back, but I gotta hunch it’s time we start pullin’ down the caves between us and them Germans. You can go or not, any way it suits your play, but you better make up your mind fast. Now, come on, let’s get back to town.” There was a tight silence between them as they walked. Pendrake’s mind was seeth- ing. So Big Oaf was forcing issues, taking no chances. He studied the waddling creature out of the corner of his eye, trying to read in the heavy, brutish countenance something of the purpose behind it. But impassivity was a norm of that facial structure. Only the implacable physical strength of the man stabbed forth in every movement, every writhing muscle. Pendrake said finally: “How do you get up to the surface? There’s no air or warmth up there, is there?” He added before Big Oaf could speak: “What kind of quarters have the Germans made for themselves?” A minute. dragged. He thought: “He’s not going to answer.” But abruptly the other grunted: “It’s the lighted passages that’s warm and got air in ’em. A whole bunch of ’em got right to the surface, some of ’em hidden damn smart by doors that look like rock or dirt. That’s how we fooled the Germans so far. We just rush out of a new door and—” A shout cut off his words. A man burst over the near hill, and ran toward them. Pendrake recognized him as a Big Oaf hanger-on. The fellow came up breathing hard. “They’re back with women. The men are going wild.” “They'd better watch out!” Big Oaf growled. “They know what they'll get if they touch any of ’em before I see ’em.” There were about thirty women huddled, and the motley throng gathered around them set up a wild yelling as Big Oaf arrived; lusting voices squealed with de- mand and counterdemand: “I’ve only got one wife; I got a right to another.” “It’s my turn.” “Big Oaf, you gotta.” “I’ve earned—” “Shurrup!” The silence was instantaneous and deaf- ening, and was broken finally by a bull- necked man who came up to Big Oaf and said : “I guess that’s the last woman rustlin’ we ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION do, boss. Those blankety-blank Germans were ready for us, and they seem to have explored all the cave approaches to their place. They followed us like a bunch of vigilantes, and we escaped only by knock- ing down that narrow cut-off at—” “I know the one. How many dead?” “Twenty-seven.” Big Oaf was silent for a moment, frown- ing, finally: ‘Well, let’s get to the pes I’m takin’ one for myself and—”’ “Jim!” Pendrake had been listening grimly to the conversation. Now, he spun on his heel, and stared wildly at a lithely built young woman who was running toward him, cry- ing as she ran. She flung herself into his infolding arm, and lay against him in a dead faint. Over her limp, dark head, Pendrake gazed straight into Big Oaf’s grinning face. “Somebody you know?” the monster smirked. “My wife!” Pendrake said; and there was a terrible sinking sensation in him. He found himself looking around for Devlin, but the man didn’t seem to be in the crowd. “The Germans—” He was vaguely aware as he talked that Big Oaf was looking beyond him. Now, suddenly, the hideous head nodded; simul- taneously a warning voice yelled: “Watch out!” Pendrake came to, his head aching, and stared dizzily up at the heavy, anxious face of Devlin. “What happened?” he muttered; and then in a surge of returning consciousness : “Where is she?” Devlin said: “‘He’s just taken her inside the stockade. Look, Pendrake, we’re all ready to make the attack. Here’s a knife—” Pendrake grabbed it, and slipped it into his pocket. He said incisively: “Launch the attack when I’ve been inside the stockade about five minutes.” “But how are you going to get in?” Devlin gasped. “Don’t worry about that,” Pendrake flung over his shoulder. To the guards he said: “Tell Big Oaf that I’m ready to talk business—”’ Big Oaf came grinning out of his house. “I thought you’d see sense,” he said—and then he grunted as the knife Pendrake threw buried itself seven inches in his great chest. He tore the bloody thing out of his flesh, and grimacing, flung it to the ground. S oO conmicbooo CO