The Salukan Gambit by Sean Dalton

Author:Sean Dalton [Dalton, Sean]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780441635825
Google: 59fiAAAACAAJ
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 84271
Publisher: Ace
Published: 1992-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

To hunt well, know when to attack and when to lie in wait.

—Saluk proverb

After jump was safely made, and the Sabre was set at a cruising speed of TD 9, Segatha ordered everything set upon full automateds and dismissed Kelly and Siggerson from the bridge. Siggerson tried to protest, but the Jostic guards hit him, and after that he gave no more trouble as they were hustled down to deck two and left there.

Surprised at being released, Kelly left Siggerson, who still looked shaken, and did some exploration. He found the hatch to the emergency ladder had been crudely welded shut. A Jostic stood on guard in the main ladder well. That left them prisoners; contained, but not in need of close supervision.

Although the whole situation made Kelly seethe with frustration, he was grateful that they had some freedom. That gave them a chance, however slim, to figure out a way to escape this mess.

Returning to the lounge, he found that the others had all been revived. Melaethia and the children weren’t in sight. He hoped they were being held separately and had not already been executed. Caesar and Phila looked groggy, but all right. Beaulieu, however, had 41 sitting on one of the tables and was grimly digging a bullet out of his leg.

Kelly went over to watch. The light was poor in here for surgery, but Beaulieu was wearing her surgical goggles. 41, his face stained with dried blood from a nasty gash over one eye, sat quietly, his trouser leg slit open to above his knee. He glanced at Kelly, but did not speak. Despite the number of anesthetic patches around the wound, he flinched when Beaulieu dug too hard.

She swore and tossed down her probe for another one. “Not so close, Kelly. I don’t have a sterilization field going, and this is bad enough.”

Kelly frowned in concern. It looked more like butchery than surgery. 41 was very pale at the mouth. “Why aren’t you in sickbay, doing this properly?”

Beaulieu glared at him through the goggles. Before she could answer, Kelly grimaced in apology.

“Sorry, Doctor. I didn’t mean it quite that way.”

“Those damned brutes won’t let me use it,” she said angrily. “All I can have is my field medikit, and I had to damned near fight them for that. Idiotic baboons, they must have three brain cells among the lot. There’s not even blood plasma for—”

“Beaulieu,” said 41 in a strained voice.

She looked at him sharply and plucked off one of the patches that had turned dark blue on top to show that its dosage had expired. “Hold this,” she said to Kelly, and slapped it into his palm. “41, I don’t think you should have any more localized. Can you stand five more minutes?”

41 nodded. Beaulieu went back to work. This time when 41 flinched, Kelly put a quick hand on his shoulder. 41’s muscles were roped up tight. Perspiration had soaked his hairline.

“Well, 41,” said Kelly, keeping his own voice steady, “when I

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