CHAPTER 18
Governor Hardy was not to be found. Strong made inquiries around theAdministration Building and among the colonists but he could find notrace of the governor. The only thing Strong learned was that Hardy hadspent the last two weeks wandering around in the outlying wildernessareas of the satellite, alone, apparently searching for something. Butthe Solar Guard captain realized that it would be a waste of time torace around the planet searching aimlessly for the governor. He becamemore and more convinced that Hardy was hiding. His suspicions wereincreased when he found Vidac waiting for him in the deserted lobby ofthe Administration Building with a warrant for his arrest. The warranthad been signed by Hardy.
"Before I place myself in your hands," said Strong, "I want to see thegovernor."
"Considering that you committed a crime by aiding the escape of theSpace Cadets," said Vidac, "that will not be possible."
"I demand to see the governor!"
Vidac turned to Winters who was standing by his side. "Take him," heordered.
Winters whipped out his paralo-ray gun, and before he could move, aparalyzing charge froze the Solar Guard captain in his tracks.
"Take him to my quarters," said Vidac. "And stay with him. I'm going toorganize a searching party and find those cadets."
"Right," said Winters.
As Vidac walked away, Winters picked up the paralyzed body of the SolarGuard officer and carried him awkwardly to the slidestairs. Though underthe effects of the paralo-ray, Strong's mind still continued tofunction. Even as Winters carried him across his shoulder like a stickof wood, Strong was planning his escape. He figured Winters wouldrelease him from the ray charge once inside Vidac's quarters and he wasready to go into action.
Winters opened the panel to Vidac's spacious office and carried Strongthrough to the other side where the lieutenant governor's sleepingquarters were located. He put the helpless man down on the bed, andstepping back to the panel, flipped on the neutralizer of the ray gun.He fired, releasing Strong from the frozen suspension.
Strong felt the jolts of the neutralizer charge but he clamped his teethtogether to keep them from chattering and stayed rigid. He had to remainstill, as if the neutralizer charge had not released him, in order tomake his plan work. Winters waited for Strong to move, and when hedidn't, stepped closer, prodding him with the barrel of the gun. In aflash Strong leaped up and grabbed the ray gun. Twisting it out of thesurprised man's hand, he brought the weapon down on the man's neck.Winters dropped to the floor like a stone.
Then Strong scrambled to his feet and cold-bloodedly turned the ray onWinters, blasting him into immobility. He turned grimly toward the paneland raced to the slidestairs. If Vidac had a warrant for his arrest,signed by Hardy, then Vidac knew where Hardy was. If he could follow thelieutenant governor, he might possibly learn just where the mystery ofRoald began and who was after what and why.
* * * * *
After leaving the jet car and climbing into the desolate hillssurrounding Roald City, Tom, Roger, and Astro watched from the safety ofa ridge the quick search Vidac and Winters had made to find them. Whenthe two men had returned to the superhighway and blasted back toward thecity, taking both jet cars, the three boys made their way slowly throughthe night down the opposite side of the hills and headed for the Loganfarm. When the sun star rose over the satellite's horizon, the threeboys were stretched out flat on their stomachs in a field, watching themorning activity of Jane, Billy, and Hyram Logan about the farm.
"Think we can get them to help us?" asked Roger.
"It's the only thing we can do," said Astro. "If they won't, we might aswell give ourselves up. I'm so hungry I could eat a whole cow!"
"What kind of a cow?" asked Roger. "There aren't any on Roald, remember?We drink synthetic milk."
"I could even eat a synthetic cow!" was Astro's grim rejoinder.
"Come on, you two," said Tom. "We might as well try it. You thinkthey're alone?"
"They don't act as though there's anyone around but themselves," saidRoger. "But I don't know--"
"I thought I saw a curtain move at that window on the left a while ago,"commented Astro, "and all three of them were outside."
"Probably a breeze," said Tom. "You cut over to the right, Astro. I'llgo straight in, and you take the left, Roger. That way, if anythinggoes wrong, one or two of us might get away."
"All set?" asked Roger.
"Ready," nodded Astro.
"Let's go."
The three boys separated, and a moment later, when his unit mates werein position, Tom stood up and walked across the clearing, exposinghimself to the house. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Astro andRoger moving in on the left and right. Billy was working in the frontyard with his father, mixing chemicals. Jane was standing by the doorwayof the house digging in a bed of flowers. Tom continued to walk rightthrough the front yard and was only ten feet away from Billy before theyoungster looked up.
"Tom!"
Logan turned and saw the cadet walking toward him. He stared. After anight scrambling around the hills, Tom looked as if he had beenshoveling coal.
"Hello, Mr. Logan," said Tom, looking around. "Are you alone?"
"Yes," Logan replied. "Where are the other boys?"
"They're coming," said Tom, waving his arm toward his friends.
Astro and Roger rose from their places of concealment and dartedforward.
"Get in the house, quick!" ordered Logan. "Vidac and his flunky Winterswere out here last night and--" He didn't finish. The unmistakable roarof a jet car approaching rapidly was heard. The cadets raced for thehouse, following Jane into the farmer's bedroom, where they hid in acloset. Jane returned to the front of the house and stood with herfather and Billy to watch the cloud of dust kicked up by the jet car asit raced along the dirt road toward them.
"If it's them space crawlers again," said Logan to his children, "let medo the talking."
"Who else could it be?" asked Jane.
"I don't know," said Logan. "But remember, if it is Vidac, we might bethe only thing between those three boys inside and a long term on aprison rock!"
The jet car entered the cleared area in front of the house and stoppedin a cloud of dust. Logan, grim-faced, followed by Billy and Jane walkedacross the yard to the car and waited. The door opened and a man in theuniform of an enlisted spaceman climbed out.
"Jeff Marshall!" yelled Billy.
"Hello, Mr. Logan, Jane, Billy." Jeff noticed the sudden look of reliefthat passed over Logan's face. "Is there something wrong?"
"Not a thing, Jeff," said Logan. "Come on in the house. We've got asurprise for you."
"Thank you, sir," said Jeff. "But I'm afraid I'm not in the mood forsurprises. The cadets have escaped and the whole countryside is crawlingwith Vidac's men looking for them. There's a reward of a thousandcredits for their capture--dead or alive!"
Logan patted the sergeant on the shoulder. "Stop worrying, Jeff. Thecadets are in the house."
"What?"
Logan nodded his head. "Come on inside." He paused and spoke to his son."Billy, you scoot down the road to the bend and watch the main highway.If anyone turns off into our road, you let me know right away!"
"Yes, sir," replied Billy and dashed down the road. Jeff followed Janeand Logan into the house, and a few moments later, after exchangingenthusiastic greetings, he and the cadets waited hungrily for Jane toprepare breakfast.
Finishing the hearty meal in short order and sipping hot bracing coffee,the three cadets took turns in telling Jeff of their conversations withStrong, their escape, and their near encounter with Vidac on the highwaythe night before.
"What made you come out here, Jeff?" Tom finally asked.
"Well, when I discovered that you had escaped, I knew you'd head for oneof two places, the spaceport or here. I hung around the spaceport allnight waiting for you to show up, and when you didn't, I came here."
"That's dangerous," said Logan. "If you figured it that way,
Vidac cando the same thing. I wouldn't want him to find you boys here. Not that Idon't want to help you, but Vidac might try to connect me with you andthe missing professor. I couldn't take a risk like that with Billy andJane. We're in enough trouble."
The farmer then told them how Vidac had forced him to sign a release onhis land while threatening Jane with a ray gun.
"We have to get to the bottom of this mess," said Tom. "The only troubleis we don't know what he's after or why he's trying to frame us."
"Well," said Roger, glancing at his watch, "whatever we decide, we'dbetter do it quickly. It's almost noon."
"Noon!" exclaimed Logan. "Why it can't be more than nine at the most!"He pulled out a large gold watch from his coverall pocket. "Sure--it's aquarter to nine!"
Jeff looked at his watch. "Same here!" He smiled. "You must be wrong,Roger."
"You probably forgot to wind it," said Tom. He glanced casually at hisown watch and suddenly exclaimed. "Say, my watch has three-thirty!"
"And mine says four twenty-two!" cried Astro.
Roger and Tom looked at each other, eyes widening.
"You don't think--?" began Tom, hardly daring to breathe.
"Yes, I do!" said Roger. "Remember what happened to the instruments?"
"Uranium!" exclaimed Astro.
The word echoed in the kitchen like the blast of a bomb. The boys lookedat each other, too startled to explain to Logan and Jane, who, thoughthey were listening intently, were unable to fathom the boys' reasoning.
"Where were you last night?" asked Jeff quickly.
Roger described as nearly as he could remember the exact route that theyhad traveled in making their way to the Logan farm.
"Hey, I think I've got the answer, fellows!" Tom suddenly exclaimed."If Vidac came out here last night and took over Mr. Logan's farm, andwe're falsely accused of getting rid of the professor, and the professoris missing, there must be something to tie it all together. Vidacwouldn't do the things he's done, unless he's got a rocket-blasting goodreason!"
Roger quickly added, "And he wouldn't try to buck Captain Strong unlesshe was playing for high stakes!"
"Right," said Tom. "The only thing that could have caused our watches togo haywire, like the ships instruments, would be uranium. Lots ofuranium. And uranium is the only thing valuable enough to make Vidactake such long chances."
"But how can you tell it's uranium?" asked Logan.
"Our watches are not ordinary timepieces, sir," explained Tom. "They arespecially constructed for use in space travel. Each watch iselectrically controlled and highly sensitive."
"Electric?" repeated Logan in amazement. "Electric wrist watches? Thatsmall thing?"
Tom smiled. "Each is charged by a miniature power pack, sir."
"The uranium deposits out in the hills affected these watches,"continued Astro, "the same way they affected the electronic instrumentson the spaceships coming in to Roald."
"I'll tell you what," said Jeff. "I'll make a check."
"Wait a minute," said Logan. "I just remembered something--"
"What, sir?" asked Tom.
"Professor Sykes! He was out here poking around in my fields and up inthe hills from dawn till dark. Said he was making some soil tests. Iyelled at him for stepping all over some baby fruit trees."
"That's it, then," said Roger grimly. "This area is jumping withuranium and Vidac now has title to the land!"
"Don't be so sure," said Tom. "We still need proof."
"Isn't using force to take the land away proof enough?" snapped Logan.
"Wait a minute!" said Jeff. "If you want proof, I know where to get it."
"Where?" asked Tom.
"The professor's work journal!"
"Think he'd record it in there?" asked Tom. "It's pretty valuableinformation."
"Yes," said Jeff. "He even logs the amount of coffee he drinks in themorning! He puts down everything!"
"You think the journal is still in the lab?" asked Tom.
"Sure it is. I saw it before I left."
"Then we've got Vidac right where we want him!" exclaimed Roger.
"No, we haven't," said Tom. "We haven't got the professor to prove it!Vidac's still the boss on this hunk of space rock, and we're stillwanted for murder!"
The door burst open and Billy raced into the room. "A jet car justturned off the highway! It's coming here!"
"We've got to get out of here!" said Tom. He turned to Jeff. "If it'sVidac, tell him you've come to take Jane out on a date. That shouldexplain your presence. Then get the professor's journal and give it toCaptain Strong. He'll know what to do!"
Roger and Astro were cramming food in their pockets. "Come on, Tom,"said Roger. "I can hear the jets."
"What are you boys going to do?" asked Jane.
"Try to get to the _Polaris_," replied Tom. "Then we'll hunt for theprofessor. If we don't find him, we're sunk. He's the key to the wholething."
Astro and Roger had tumbled out the window and were racing toward thesafety of the near-by hills. Tom gave Jeff a final handshake and divedout the window after them. Running toward the clump of bushes whereAstro and Roger had just disappeared, he dived for cover, just asVidac's car roared into the clearing. The boys saw Vidac and Bush getout of the car, and after inspecting Jeff's, turn and stride into thehouse.
"Come on," said Tom. "We've got to get to the _Polaris!_"
The three boys turned away and hurried from the farm. In a few minutes,after scrambling to the top of the nearest hill, they turned back tolook down on the farmhouse and saw Jeff escorting Jane to his car.
"So far so good," said Tom. "Let's go."
They walked off and were soon lost in the tangle of scrub grass and drygullies, their destination the _Polaris_ and the solution to the mysteryof Professor Sykes's disappearance.
The Space Pioneers Page 18
