by Ray Cummings
IX
"Good God, what was that?" Dr. Frank's face had gone white. Snap stoodlike a statue of horror.
The deck here was patched as always, with silver radiance from thedeck ports. The empty deck chairs stood about. The scream was stilled,but now we heard a commotion inside--the rasp of opening cabin doors;questions from frightened passengers.
I found my voice. "Anita! Anita Prince!"
"Come on!" shouted Snap. "In her stateroom, A22!" He was dashing forthe lounge archway.
Dr. Frank and I followed. I realized that we passed the deck door andwindow of A22. But they were dark, and evidently sealed on the inside.The dim lounge was in a turmoil; passengers standing at their cabindoors.
I shouted, "Go back to your rooms! We want order here--keep back!"
We came to the twin doors of A22 and A20. Both were closed. Dr. Frankwas in advance of Snap and me now. He paused at the sound of CaptainCarter's voice behind us.
"Was it from in there? Wait a moment!"
Carter dashed up. He had a large heat-ray projector in his hand. Heshoved us aside. "Let me in first. Is the door sealed? Gregg, keepthose passengers back!"
The door was not sealed. Carter burst into the room. I heard him gasp,"Good God!"
Snap and I shoved back three or four passengers. And in that instantDr. Frank had been in the room and out again.
"There's been an accident! Get back, Gregg! Snap, help me keep thecrowd away." He shoved me forcibly.
From within, Carter was shouting, "Keep them out! Where are you,Frank? Come back here! Send a flash for Balch!"
Dr. Frank went back into the room and banged the cabin door upon Snapand me. I was unarmed. Weapon in hand, Snap forced the panic-strickenpassengers back to their rooms.
Snap reassured them glibly; but he knew no more about the facts thanI. Moa, with a nightrobe drawn tight around her thin, tall figure,edged up to me.
"What has happened, _Set_ Haljan?"
I gazed around for her brother Miko, but did not see him.
"An accident," I said shortly. "Go back to your room. Captain'sorders."
She eyed me and then retreated. Snap was threatening everybody withhis cylinder. Balch dashed up. "What in hell! Where is Carter?"
"In there." I pounded on A22. It opened cautiously. I could see onlyCarter, but I heard the murmuring voice of Dr. Frank through theinterior connecting door to A20.
The Captain rasped, "Get out, Haljan! Oh, is that you, Balch? Comein." He admitted the older officer and slammed the door upon me again.And immediately reopened it.
"Gregg, keep the passengers quieted. Tell them everything's all right.Miss Prince got frightened--that's all. Then go to the turret. TellBlackstone what's happened."
"But I don't know what's happened."
Carter was grim and white. He whispered, "I think it may turn out tobe murder, Gregg! No, not dead yet.... Dr. Frank is trying ... don'tstand there like an ass, man. Get to the turret! Verify ourtrajectory--no--wait...."
The Captain was almost incoherent. "Wait a minute. I don't mean that!Tell Snap to watch his radio room. Arm yourselves and guard ourweapons."
I stammered, "If ... if she dies ... will you flash us word?"
He stared at me strangely. "I'll be there presently, Gregg."
He slammed the door upon me.
I followed his orders but it was like a dream of horror. The turmoilof the ship gradually quieted. Snap went to the radio room; Blackstoneand I sat in the tiny chart room; how much time passed, I do not know.I was confused. Anita hurt! She might die ... murdered.... But why? Bywhom? Had George Prince been in his own room when the attack came? Ithought now I recalled hearing the low murmur of his voice in therewith Dr. Frank.
Where was Miko? It stabbed at me. I had not seen him among thepassengers in the lounge.
Carter came into the chart room. "Gregg, you get to bed. You look likea ghost."
"But--"
"She's not dead. She may live. Dr. Frank and her brother are withher. They're doing all they can." He told us what had happened. Anitaand George Prince had both been asleep, each in his respective room.Someone unknown had opened Anita's corridor door.
"Wasn't it sealed?"
"Yes. But the intruder opened it."
"Burst it? I didn't think it was broken."
"It wasn't broken. The assailant opened it somehow, and assaulted MissPrince--shot her in the chest with a heat ray. Her left lung."
"Shot her?"
"Yes. But she did not see who did it. Nor did Prince. Her screamawakened him, but the intruder evidently fled out the corridor door ofA22, the way he entered."
I stood weak and shaken at the chart room entrance. Anita--dying,perhaps; and all my dreams were fading into a memory of what mighthave been.
I was glad enough to get away. I would lie down for an hour and thengo to Anita's stateroom. I'd demand that Dr. Frank let me see her.
I went to the stern deck where my cubby was located. My mind wasconfused but some instinct within me made me verify the seals of mydoor and window. They were intact. I entered cautiously, switched onthe dimmer of the tube lights, and searched the room. It had only abunk, my tiny desk, a chair and clothes robe. There was no evidence ofany intruder here. I set my door and window alarm. Then I audiphonedto the radio room.
"Snap?"
"Yes."
I told him about Anita. Carter cut in on us from the chart room. "Stopthat, you fools!"
We cut off. Fully dressed, I flung myself on my bed. Anita mightdie....
I must have fallen into a tortured sleep, I was awakened by the soundof my alarm buzzer. Someone was tampering with my door! Then thebuzzer ceased; the marauder outside must have found a way ofsilencing it. But it had done its work--awakened me.
I had switched off the light; my cubby was Stygian black. A heatcylinder was in the bunk-bracket over my head. I searched for it,pried it loose softly.
I was fully awake. Alert. I could hear a faint sizzling--someoneoutside trying to unseal the door. In the darkness, cylinder in hand,I crept softly from the bunk. Crouched at the door. This time I wouldcapture or kill this night prowler.
The sizzling was faintly audible. My door seal was breaking. Uponimpulse I reached for the door, jerked it open.
No one there! The starlit segment of deck was empty. But I leaped andstruck a solid body, crouching in the doorway. A giant man. Miko!
His electronized metallic robe burned my hands. I lunged againsthim--I was almost as surprised as he. I shot, but the stab of heatevidently missed him. The shock of my encounter, short-circuited hisrobe; he materialized in the starlight. A brief, savage encounter. Hestruck the weapon from my hand. He had dropped his hydrogen torch, andtried to grip me. But I twisted away from his hold.
"So it's you!"
"Quiet, Gregg Haljan! I only want to talk."
Without warning, a stab of radiance shot from a weapon in his hand. Itcaught me. Ran like ice through my veins. Seized and numbed my limbs.
I fell helpless to the deck. Nerves and muscles paralyzed. My tonguewas thick and inert. I could not speak, nor move. But I could see Mikobending over me, and hear him:
"I don't want to kill you, Haljan. We need you."
He gathered me up like a bundle in his huge arms; carried me swiftlyacross the deserted deck.
Snap's radio room in the network under the dome was diagonallyoverhead. A white actinic light shot from it--caught us, bathed us.Snap had been awake; had heard the commotion of our encounter.
His voice rang shrilly: "Stop! I'll shoot!" His warning siren rang outto alert the ship. His spotlight clung to us.
Miko ran with me a few steps. Then he cursed and dropped me; fledaway. I fell like a sack of carbide to the deck. My senses faded intoblackness....
"He's all right now."
I was in the chart room with Captain Carter, Snap and Dr. Frankbending over me. The surgeon said,
"Can you speak now, Gregg?"
I tried it. My tongue was thick, but it m
oved. "Yes." I was soonrevived. I sat up, with Dr. Frank vigorously rubbing me.
"I'm all right." I told them what had happened.
Captain Carter said, "Yes, we know that. And it was Miko also whokilled Anita Prince. She told us before she died."
"Died!..." I leaped to my feet. "She ... died...."
"Yes, Gregg. An hour ago. Miko got into her stateroom and tried toforce his love upon her. She repulsed him. He killed her...."
It struck me blank. And then with a rush came the thought, "He saysMiko killed her"....
I heard myself stammering, "Why--why we must get him!" I gathered mywits; a surge of hate swept me; a wild desire for vengeance.
"Why, by God, where is he? Why don't you go get him? I'll gethim--I'll kill him!"
"Easy, Gregg!" Dr. Frank gripped me.
The Captain said gently. "We know how you feel, Gregg. She told usbefore she died."
"I'll bring him in here to you! But I'll kill him, I tell you!"
"No you won't, lad. We don't want him killed, not attacked, even. Notyet. We'll explain later."
They sat me down, calming me....
Anita dead. The door of the shining garden was closed. A brief glimpsegiven to me and to her of what might have been. And now she wasdead....
