The Star Kings (jg-1) by Edmond Hamilton

Author:Edmond Hamilton [Hamilton, Edmond]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: sf_action, sf_space
ISBN: 0446301094
Publisher: Warner Books
Published: 1981-08-19T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter XVI. Sabotage in Space

WHEN Gordon and Lianna had entered the Dendra, the phantom-cruiser that was to bear them on the mission, they were led to the mid-deck corridor by Durk Undis.

The fanatic young Cloudman bowed stiffly to them and gestured toward the door of a small suite of two tiny cabins.

“These cabins will be your quarters. You will remain in them until we reach Earth.”

“We will not remain in them!” Gordon flared. “The princess Lianna is already suffering from the confinement of the voyage here. We'll not stay cooped up in those tiny rooms for days more.”

Durk Undis' lean face hardened. “The commander gave orders that you were to be strictly guarded.”

“Did Shorr Kan say we were to be prisoned in two tiny rooms every minute?” Gordon demanded, He saw the slight uncertainty in Durk Undis' face, and pressed his attack. “Unless we have a chance to get a little exercise, we'll refuse to carry out this whole plan.”

The fanatic Cloudman hesitated. Gordon had guessed rightly that Durk Undis did not want to go back to his superior and report the mission aborted by such a slight difficulty.

Finally, Durk Undis said grudgingly, “Very well, you will be permitted to walk in this corridor twice each day. But you will not be allowed in it any other time, or when we're running 'dark'.”

The concession was not as much as Gordon had wanted but he guessed that it was the most he could obtain. So, with anger still assumed, he followed Lianna into the cabin-suite and heard the lock click after them.

As the Dendra rose from Thallarna and started arrowing out at high speed through the gloomy hazes of the Cloud, Lianna looked inquiringly at Gordon.

“The confinement does not really bother me, Zarth. You have some plan?”

“No more than the plan I already mentioned, of somehow drawing the attention of an Empire patrol to this ship so that it'll be discovered and captured,” he admitted.

He added determinedly, “I don't know yet how it can be done but there must be a way.”

Lianna looked doubtful. “This phantom undoubtedly has super-sensitive radar equipment, and will be able to spot ordinary patrols long before they spot us. It will dark-out till we're past them.”

The steady drone of big drive-generators building up velocity became an unwavering background, in the following hours.

The Dendra plunged through hails of tiny meteor-particles, through dust-currents that made it pitch and toss roughly. It often changed direction as it threaded its way out through the Cloud.

It was the middle of the following day before they emerged from the gloomy haze into the vast, clear vault of star-gemmed space. At once, the phantom-cruiser picked up still greater speed.

Gordon and Lianna looked from the window at the brilliant galactic spectacle ahead. To their astonishment, the distant spark of Canopus lay out of sight far on their left. Ahead of the Dendra glittered a vault of strange stars in which Orion Nebula glowed in flaming glory.

“We're not heading straight back into the Empire,” Lianna said.

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