Mythmaster by Leo P. Kelley

Author:Leo P. Kelley [Kelley, Leo P.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: sf, fiction, Science Fiction
ISBN: 0340188324
Publisher: Coronet Books
Published: 1973-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

As Shannon and Reba came out of the lift on the lowest level and began to race across the broad expanse of the reception area, the girl who had greeted Shannon when he arrived earlier stopped them, her face pale.

‘Reba!’ she cried. ‘Did you see Oxon Kaedler? He…’

‘I saw him, Lenore.’

‘He claimed he owned Seventh Heaven. He had a contract to prove it. He insisted upon going up to Level Seven I couldn’t stop him. Reba, where are you going?’

Kaedler’s voice suddenly shrilled through the audiation system, silencing Lenore.

‘Close all exits. I want the man Shannon and the woman Charlo held!’

Lenore, alarmed, whispered, ‘What did you do to him?

‘Refused him,’ Reba replied. ‘Good-bye, Lenore.

Shannon and Reba entered the dock site and found Starson standing tensely beside the ship’s open lock sphincter. When he saw them coming. he moved forward to meet them ‘Reba,’ he said in surprise. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘Never mind that,’ Shannion muttered. ‘What about the crew?’

‘All aboard. What the hell’s going on? Will somebody tell me?’

Reba moved through the Sphincter.

Starson called after her, ‘Where do you think you’re going?’

She didn’t respond.

Shannon said, ‘Kaedler made her an offer which she found unsatisfactory. So she’s coming back to Earth with us.’

Starson studied Shannon’s face. ‘With us? Or with you?’

‘None of your business. Reba’s none of your business now. Neither am I. Get aboard.’

‘Reba Charlo!’

It was Kaedler’s voice booming through the empty reception area from the invisible audiation system. I give you one last opportunity to remain with me. And a warning. If you leave me now, I shall hunt you down wherever you go, herd you on, and ultimately destroy you. There will be no resting place for you. No haven in all the worlds. I will see to it that the planets close their doors to you. The stars will show you no light. Consider carefully. Charlo! you too, Shannon. The same fate awaits you, I guarantee it!

Shannon stepped through the lock sphincter and and beckoned to Starson, who entered behind him and then sealed the lock.

‘You’ll have to take the ship up,’ Shannon said to Starson. ‘Set course for Earth. Kaedler’s ship is in the docking area. It’s the one without identifying digits. Disable it. He placed his arm on Reba’s shoulder, and the two of them moved slowly down the corridor in the direction of Shannon’s cabin. A moment later, half-turning, Shannon called back to Starson, ‘Reduce acceleration during lift-off by point-nine-nine. I won’t have time for medical treatment before lift-off, and normal acceleration will cause additional blood loss.’

Starson turned and headed for the command cabin.

When Shannon reached his cabin with Reba’s help, he limped at once to the viewplate and looked out, waiting. Ninety seconds later he saw what he had been waiting to see — the thin needle of light that burst part of the plating on Kaedler’s ship and dissolved it, leaving a gaping hole just to the rear of the fin section. He strapped himself into an acceleration couch and ordered Reba to do the same.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.