#42 - SOS: Spaceship Titan by Kurt Brand

Author:Kurt Brand [Kurt Brand]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction
Publisher: Ace Books
Published: 1973-01-15T08:00:00+00:00

* * * *

On board the Titan, Bell responded once more to a call from Rhodan. "Perry! What gives?" he grinned happily into the mike, while petting the little creature called Hannibal.

From the Gazelle,—Rhodan repeated his previous question. "Are you sure everything is alright there, Reggie?"

"Couldn’t be better!" chuckled Bell ecstatically. And like a broken record replay, he repeated his enthusiastic statement as before, with a reference again to everyone’s ‘having a ball.’

"What’s on the burner, Chief?" he asked.

"Nothing much, Reggie—nothing much…"

Bell, lounging in a seat by the communications console, turned his broad, laughing face up to John Marshall, the telepath. "Boy, will he be surprised when he gets here!" He chuckled and pushed Hannibal’s little pink paw away from his nose, which the little fellow seemed to be using as a drum. "Hannibal, you sweet little rascal, you leave my nose alone!" he gently chided the little bear. "Hey, John—what name did you give to your little guy?"

Marshall kept his pet under his coat. I call him Tannhauser."

"Hm-m… Sounds like the make of some car."

"Wagner’s Tannhauser, Reggie!" Marshall enlightened Rhodan’s chief deputy amicably with a broad smile—a smile that was weirdly foreign to the mutant’s nature.

Bell had supported his legs on the console and now Hannibal was using them for little gymnastics. "Oh sure! Wagner. How could I forget! But I never knew his son’s name was Tannhauser, John. You’ll have to tell me about that, man! Come on—to heck with the duty bit, pall The Titan’s sitting pretty here. If there’s any old thing to be done, Perry will take care of it. You can count on him. Yeah, and on us, tool Right, John?"

"Right, buddy! Now I think we’re getting into the swing! You know, I feel so good that I could hug the whole world!"

Bell made a grand, inviting gesture with a sweep of his hand. "You just be my guest, baby! But I get dibs on some when you’re through. Hey, did I ever tell you about my hobby, John? It’s a real ball, you’ll see when I—"

"Hello… Reggie," came a gentle whisper from the entrance to the Command Centre. It was Thora, who winked warmly at Bell.

"Thora my angel! What can I do for you?" Bell called. He tucked Hannibal under an arm and got leisurely to his feet.

Thora beamed her sweetest smile at him. "I was thinking, Chubby dear… how about having a big shipboard party, with singing and dancing? Wouldn’t you like that?"

Bell’s Hannibal was now on his master’s shoulder, from which vantage point he stuck his tongue out at Thora. Which seemed to be a signal for Marshall’s pet to emerge from under the latter’s coat and squeak like a parrot: "One, two and three, my dear… and who is going to bring the beer? One, two and three—"

Thora’s little female bear sat on her shoulder and squeaked its enthusiasm, while tumbling her hair-do loose. Bell sauntered over to her, still laughing. "They make a lot of racket but who cares?

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