Astounding Stories of Super-Science April 1930

  CHAPTER XIV

  _The Brigand Leader_

  The giant Miko stood confronting me. He slid my cubby door closed behindhim. He stood with his head towering close against my ceiling. His cloakwas discarded. In his leather clothes, and with his clankingsword-ornament, his aspect carried the swagger of a brigand of old. Hewas bareheaded; the light from one of my tubes fell upon his grinning,leering gray face.

  "So, Gregg Haljan? You have come to your senses at last. You do not wishme to write my name upon your chest? I would not have done that to Dean;he forced me. Sit back."

  I had been on my bunk. I sank back at the gesture of his huge hairy arm.His forearm was bare now; the sear of a burn on it was plain to be seen.He remarked my gaze.

  "True. You did that, Haljan, in Great-New York. But I bear you nomalice. I want to talk to you now."

  He cast about for a seat, and took the little stool which stood by mydesk. His hand held a small cylinder of the Martian paralyzing ray; herested it beside him on the desk.

  "Now we can talk."

  I remained silent. Alert. Yet my thoughts were whirling. Anita wasalive. Masquerading now as her brother. And, with the joy of it, came ashudder. Above everything, Miko must not know.

  "A great adventure we are upon, Haljan."

  * * * * *

  My thoughts came back. Miko was talking with an assumption of friendlycomradeship. "All is well--and we need you, as I have said before. I amno fool. I have been aware of everything that went on aboard this ship.You, of all the officers, are most clever at the routine mathematics. Isthat so?"

  "Perhaps," I said.

  "You are modest." He fumbled at a pocket of his jacket, produced ascroll-sheaf. I recognized it: Blackstone's figures; the calculationBlackstone roughly made of the elements of the asteroid we had passed.

  "I am interested in these," Miko went on. "I want you to verify them.And this." He held up another scroll. "This is the calculation of ourpresent position. And our course. Hahn claims he is a navigator. We haveset the ship's gravity plates--see, like this--"

  He handed me the scrolls; he watched me keenly as I glanced over them.

  "Well?" I said.

  "You are sparing of words, Haljan. By the devils of the airways, I couldmake you talk! But I want to be friendly."

  * * * * *

  I handed him back the scrolls. I stood up; I was almost within reach ofhis weapon, but with a sweep of his great arm he abruptly knocked meback to my bunk.

  "You dare?" Then he smiled. "Let us not come to blows!"

  "No," I said. I returned his smile. In truth, physical violence couldget me nothing in dealing with this fellow. I would have to try guile.And I saw now that his face was flushed and his eyes unnaturally bright.He had been drinking alcolite; not enough to befuddle him--but enough tomake him triumphantly talkative.

  "Hahn may not be much of a mathematician," I suggested. "But there isyour Sir Arthur Coniston." I managed a sarcastic grin. "Is that hisname?"

  "Almost. Haljan, will you verify these figures?"

  "Yes. But why? Where are we going?"

  He laughed. "You are afraid I will not tell you! Why should I not? Thisgreat adventure of mine is progressing perfectly. A tremendous stake,Haljan. A hundred millions of dollars in gold-leaf; there will befabulous riches for us all, when that radium ore is sold for a hundredmillion in gold-leaf."

  "But where are we going?"

  "To that asteroid," he said abruptly. "I must get rid of thesepassengers. I am no murderer."

  * * * * *

  With half a dozen killings in the recent fight this was hardlyconvincing. But he was obviously wholly serious. He seemed to read mythoughts.

  "I kill only when necessary. We will land upon the asteroid. A perfectplace to maroon the passengers. Is it not so? I will give them thenecessities of life. They will be able to signal. And in a month or so,when we are safely finished with our adventure, a police ship no doubtwill rescue them."

  "And then, from the asteroid," I suggested, "we are going--"

  "To the Moon, Haljan. What a clever guesser you are! Coniston and Hahnare calculating our course. But I have no great confidence in them. Andso I want you."

  "You have me."

  "Yes. I have you. I would have killed you long ago--I am an impulsivefellow--but my sister restrained me."

  He gazed at me slyly. "Moa seems strangely to like you, Haljan."

  "Thanks," I said. "I'm flattered."

  "She still hopes I may really win you to join us," he went on."Gold-leaf is a wonderful thing; there would be plenty for you in thisaffair. And to be rich, and have the love of a woman like Moa...."

  He paused. I was trying cautiously to gauge him, to get from him all theinformation I could. I said, with another smile, "That is premature, totalk of Moa. I will help you chart your course. But this venture, as youcall it, is dangerous. A police-ship--"

  "There are not many," he declared. "The chances of us encountering oneis very slim." He grinned at me. "You know that as well as I do. And wenow have those code pass-words--I forced Dean to tell me where he hadhidden them. If we should be challenged, our pass-word answer willrelieve suspicion."

  "The _Planetara_," I objected, "being overdue at Ferrok-Shahn, willcause alarm. You'll have a covey of patrol-ships after you."

  "That will be two weeks from now," he smiled. "I have a ship of my ownin Ferrok-Shahn. It lies there waiting now, manned and armed. I amhoping that, with Dean's help, we may be able to flash it a signal. Itwill join us on the Moon. Fear not for the danger, Haljan. I have greatinterests allied with me in this thing. Plenty of money. We have plannedcarefully."

  * * * * *

  He was idly fingering his cylinder; his gaze roved me as I sat docile onmy bunk. "Did you think George Prince was a leader of this? A mere boy.I engaged him a year ago--his knowledge of ores is valuable."

  My heart was pounding, but I strove not to show it. He went on calmly.

  "I told you I am impulsive. Half a dozen times I have nearly killedGeorge Prince, and he knows it." He frowned. "I wish I had killed him,instead of his sister. That was an error."

  There was a note of real concern in his voice. Did he love Anita Prince?It seemed so.

  He added, "That is done--nothing can change it. George Prince is helpfulto me. Your friend Dean is another. I had trouble with him, but he isdocile now."

  I said abruptly, "I don't know whether your promise means anything ornot, Miko. But George Prince said you would use no more torture."

  "I won't. Not if you and Dean obey me."

  "You tell Dean I have agreed to that. You say he gave you the code-wordswe took from Johnson?"

  "Yes. There was a fool! That Johnson! You blame me, Haljan, for thekilling of Captain Carter? You need not. Johnson offered to try andcapture you. Take you alive. He killed Carter because he was angry athim. A stupid, vengeful fool! He is dead, and I am glad of it."

  * * * * *

  My mind was on Miko's plans. I ventured. "This treasure on the Moon--didyou say it was on the Moon?"

  "Don't be an idiot," he retorted. "I know as much about Grantline as youdo."

  "That's very little."

  "Perhaps."

  "Perhaps you know more, Miko. The Moon is a big place. Where, forinstance, is Grantline located?"

  I held my breath. Would he tell me that? A score of questions--vagueplans--were in my mind. How skilled at mathematics were these brigands?Miko, Hahn, Coniston--could I fool them? If I could learn Grantline'slocation on the Moon, and keep the _Planetara_ away from it. A pretendederror of charting. Time lost--and perhaps Snap could find an opportunityto signal Earth, get help.

  Miko answered my question as bluntly as I asked it. "I don't know whereGrantline is located. But we will find out. He will not suspect the_Planetara_. When we get close to the Moon, we will signal and ask him.We can t
rick him into telling us. You think I do not know what is onyour mind, Haljan? There is a secret code of signals arranged betweenDean and Grantline. I have forced Dean to confess it. Without torture!Prince helped me in that. He persuaded Dean not to defy me. A verypersuasive fellow, George Prince. More diplomatic than I am, I give himcredit."

  I strove to hold my voice calm. "If I should join you, Miko--my word, ifI ever gave it, you would find dependable--I would say George Prince isvery valuable to us. You should rein your temper. He is half yoursize--you might some time, without intention do him injury."

  * * * * *

  He laughed. "Moa says so. But have no fear--"

  "I was thinking," I persisted, "I'd like to have a talk with GeorgePrince."

  Ah, my pounding, tumultuous heart! But I was smiling calmly. And Itried to put into my voice a shrewd note of cupidity. "I really knowvery little about this treasure, Miko. If there were a million or two ofgold-leaf in it for me--"

  "Perhaps there would be."

  "I was thinking. Suppose you let me have a talk with Prince? I have someknowledge of radium ores. His skill and mine--a calculation of whatGrantline's treasure may really be. You don't know; you are onlyassuming."

  I paused. Whatever may have been in Miko's mind I cannot say. Butabruptly he stood up. I had left my bunk, but he waved me back.

  "Sit down. I am not like Moa. I would not trust you just because youprotested you would be loyal." He picked up his cylinder. "We will talkagain." He gestured to the scrolls he had left upon my desk. "Work onthose. I will judge you by the results."

  He was no fool, this brigand leader.

  "Yes," I agreed. "You want a true course now to the asteroid?"

  "Yes. I will get rid of these passengers. Then we will plan further. Doyour best, Haljan--no error! By the Gods, I warn you I can check up onyou!"

  I said meekly, "Very well. But you ask Prince if he wants mycalculations of Grantline's ore-body."

  I shot Miko a foxy look as he stood by my door. I added, "You think youare clever. There is plenty you don't know. Our first night out from theEarth--Grantline's signals--didn't it ever occur to you that I mighthave some figures on his treasure?"

  It startled him. "Where are they?"

  I tapped my forehead. "You don't suppose I was foolish enough to recordthem. You ask Prince if he wants to talk to me. A high thorium contentin ore--you ask Prince. A hundred millions, or two hundred. It wouldmake a big difference, Miko."

  "I will think about it." He backed out and sealed the door upon me onceagain.

  * * * * *

  But Anita did not come. I verified Hahn's figures, which were verynearly correct. I charted a course for the asteroid; it was almost theone which had been set.

  Coniston came for my results. "I say, we are not so bad as navigators,are we? I think we're jolly good, considering our inexperience. Not badat all, eh?"

  "No."

  I did not think it wise to ask him about Prince.

  "Are you hungry, Haljan?" he demanded.

  "Yes."

  A steward came with a meal. The saturnine Hahn stood at my door with aweapon upon me while I ate. They were taking no chances--and they werewise not to.

  The day passed. Day and night, all the same of aspect here in the starryvault of Space. But with the ship's routine it was day.

  And then another time of sleep. I slept, fitfully, worrying, trying toplan. Within a few hours we would be nearing the asteroid.

  The time of sleep was nearly passed. My chronometer marked five A. M. ofour original Earth starting time. The seal of my cubby door hissed. Thedoor slowly, opened.

  Anita!

  She stood there with her cloak around her. A distance away on theshadowed deck-space Coniston was loitering.

  "Anita!" I whispered it.

  "Gregg, dear!"

  She turned and gestured to the watching brigand. "I will not be long,Coniston."

  She came in and half closed the door upon us, leaving it open enough sothat we could make sure that Coniston did not advance.

  I stepped back where he could not see us.

  "Anita!"

  She flung herself into my opened arms.