CHAPTER XIII
_In Earth's Shadow_
Hour after hour and day after day, for a week the _Sandra_ tracked onthrough the boundless leagues, the waxing sunlight beating steadily onher starboard bow and her silent gravity-plates and singing generatorsbringing Earth ever nearer. Friday, who possessed an extensiveknowledge of all the practical sciences, did extra service in the roleof cook, and his regularly served meals disguised the undifferentiatedhours of space into Earth-mornings, noons and nights. Watch in andwatch out, and nothing to disturb the even routine.
As for the ever-feared pursuit, there was no sign of it.Systematically and carefully the men stationed at the electelscopeturned it through the region behind, but never did their watching eyesdiscern the bulk of the asteroid. Its disappearance, and the kindredmystery of who had been on it, remained unsolved.
Therefore peace came to Eliot Leithgow's face, and the tiredness lefthis eyes. The long, hunted years were beginning to be washed from him,and daily, to Carse, he appeared younger. Often in the control cabinor over a meal he talked of what lay ahead, and the happiness Earthheld waiting for him. There was his daughter, Sandra, whom he had seenlast as a girl of fourteen, and even then interested in his work. Shewould be matured now, and she would perhaps be eager to help him inthe work he intended to resume. There was so much of it! Discoveries,theories, evolved during his fugitive years--now he could completethem and give them to his old circles of brother scientists. All thiswas in his conversations; but secret and unworded in his thoughts wereanticipations of the old dear beauty of Earth, that beauty for whichhis ageing heart had pined so long....
And Earth was drawing nearer.
* * * * *
Another week passed.
Twice a day the door of Dr. Ku Sui's cabin was unlocked and he wasbrought out under guard for several turns through the ship. Though forsafety's sake they continued to dose him with the V-27, it wasapparent that the gas had less and less effect on him. Four, theneight, then twelve times a day they re-gassed him--as often as theydared, considering its ultimate destructive mental effect--but moreand more of the frankness and serenity foreign to his green eyesmelted away. Gradually the normal veil came to hide their depths andmake them enigmatic; and sometimes there was again on his face thehint of something strong and tigerish and cruel lying waiting. They nolonger trusted him to attend to the five patients. He spoke seldom. Atall, reserved figure in black silk, attended either by Ban Wilson orFriday, he strolled through the ship for fifteen minutes and wasreturned to his lonely cabin. Of all the marks his experience musthave left upon him, the only one apparent was his silence.
It was on the seventeenth day that he forsook that silence anddirectly accosted Carse. He had a request. The saffron face impassive,the long lashes lying low over the eyes, he said softly:
"I wonder, Captain Carse, if I might be permitted a glimpse of thesubjects of my transplantation?"
Leithgow and Wilson were at the time with Carse in the control cabin,and they regarded their friend intently, curious as to what the replywould be. They saw his steel-gray eyes meet Dr. Ku's gaze squarely;and the two men looked at each other: Hawk Carse, complete victor atlast, and Ku Sui, the vanquished.
The adventurer answered:
"Your request is only natural, Dr. Ku. Certainly you may see them, andperhaps offer an opinion on their progress, which has so far been inthe hands of your assistants. But I shall have to accompany you."
"You are kind."
"Take the controls, Ban," Carse directed, and together they left thecabin.
* * * * *
There was no visible change in the five bodies. They lay stretched outin cots, sheets drawn up to their necks, and it seemed almost as ifthey were quietly slumbering and would presently wake up; though inreality consciousness would not return to the fine brains in theirhideous, distorted bodies for many weeks, and then only if the healingprocesses were successful. Bandages swathed the heads, leaving eyesand nostrils alone visible. An assistant of Leithgow's, at present onwatch there, moved occasionally with instrument in hand to time thefevered pulses.
"I must ask you to stand back here, Dr. Ku," said the Hawk, indicatinga spot some five feet from the nearest cot. His left arm hung easilyby his side, the hand resting by the butt of his holstered raygun; andthe position was not accidental.
Ku Sui nodded and doubtless noted the gun, but his eyes were on thebodies. He stood regarding his own handiwork in silence, his faceinscrutable, and Carse did not disturb him. At last, in a low tone heasked the assistant:
"The food injections take successfully?"
The man nodded.
"I remember," the beautifully modulated voice went on. "I was not sureof one subject. Swanson's brain, was it not? Is his condition anybetter?"
"We are not sure."
"Ah, yes ... yes...." He appeared to muse, and no one disturbed him inthe minutes of silence that followed. Finally he looked away and said:
"It was a great feat. Thank you, Captain Carse. I am pleased by thisglimpse of the miracle my hands were made to perform. I am ready toreturn."
But at the door of his cabin he paused, and his eyes rested again onthe cold, firm face close to him. He said:
"I suppose, Captain Carse, you intend to bring me before Earth's WorldCourt of Justice?"
"Yes. Along with our living proof of your abduction of the fivescientists."
The Eurasian smiled. "I see. And since there is no questioning thatproof, it would appear that Earthlings will soon levy punishment onDr. Ku Sui.... So.... You know, Captain Carse, I find your caution agreat handicap. You keep gassing me; I am locked in; and since I haveobserved no excitement aboard the ship, apparently there are nofriends anywhere near me. You have stripped me of everything." Hiseyes lowered for a moment. "Everything save this ring."
On the forefinger of his right hand, set simply in a platinum band,was a large dark stone.
"A black opal," said Dr. Ku. "I have worn it for years and I prize ithighly. Perhaps at the last I will give it to you as a memento ofthese past years, Captain Carse." And he went into the cabin, wherethey gassed him again.
* * * * *
The third week passed.
Crossing the orbit of Mars, now approximately in opposition toJupiter, the _Sandra_ streaked on into the last leg of her longvoyage. The sun was a vast, flame-belching disk on her starboard side,and ahead lay Earth, growing each hour. Cheerfulness pervaded theship, nerves were relaxing, faces lightening. Carse could not rememberwhen Eliot Leithgow had worn a smile so constantly. It was onlynatural, for to the old scientist and his personal assistants Earthwas home, the fulfillment of every desire, the reality and symbol ofnormal life and love of man.
But to Hawk Carse the Green Planet was not home. He was theadventurer, and wanderer, the seeker of new places with the alluringlustre of peril. Earth was to him little more than a port of call, andit brought him sadness to see how eagerly Leithgow stared at hergrowing face. Their parting was not far away now.
The _Sandra_ logged off the miles. Then came the day when only tenthousand were left, and, soon after, five thousand. Deceleration hadlong since been begun. Slightly but unvaryingly the ship's momentumslackened until she arrived at the two thousand mile mark, where thegreat curving stretch of the planet filled her bow windows, and thewell-remembered continents and seas stood out as clearly as on atilted classroom globe.
Carse leaned musing in a corner of the control cabin, oblivious to thewell-meaning but toneless voice with which Ban Wilson, at theelectelscope was butchering a song. A gentle tap on the shouldersummoned him out of his study.
He turned and saw that Leithgow had come to him. Carse smiled at theold scientist, and said:
"Well, Eliot, we'll be in soon now. Apparently we've made it safely,and there's nothing to stand between you and the day you've waited forso long."
* * * * *
/> "Yes. But Carse--what of you? How long will you stay? I only wish Icould persuade you--"
"To retire, Eliot? Settle down? Become a humdrum landlockedEarthling?" He chuckled, and shook his head. "No, no, old friend. Oh,I'll stay on Earth for a few weeks; I suppose I'll have to, to testifybefore the World Court of Justice when it takes up your case; butafter that's settled, I'll be going back. You know me, Eliot: I'llnever change. There are a number of things I must attend to at once.My ship, the _Star Devil_, is still on Iapetus, remember; I must findher and get her tuned up again. She's the fastest craft in space, barnone. Then I must make the round of my ranches and see that things arerunning smoothly. I've a lot of work on the Iapetus ranch,particularly. Then, there's that Pool of Radium--not that I need thewealth, if it really exists; but the job has killed so many who havesought for it that I'd like to take a crack at it myself. Oh, plentyto do!"
Leithgow looked at him, and there was all affection in his eyes, andfriendship as close as it can be between men.
"No, Carse," said Leithgow softly. "I suppose Earth will never get hergravity on you for keeps. But I hope you will come down occasionallyto see me, and perhaps once a year, say, spend a month with Sandra andme in our--"
"Carse!"
Ban shouted the name out. His face, turned from the electelscope, wasalive with excitement.
"Here! Look!"
"What is it?"
"The asteroid! It's close!"
In two strides Carse was at the eyepiece of the infra-red glassattached to the instrument. One look through it served to verify Ban'sreport. The asteroid of Dr. Ku Sui had at last appeared.
* * * * *
It was not more than fifty miles from the _Sandra_, a craggy fragmentof rock, peanut-shaped, and tipped by its gleaming dome. Its speedseemed the same as theirs, but its course was different; and to Carse,that fact immediately explained its sudden appearance. He turned fromthe eyepiece with a face grown hard and cold.
"Well, it's happened," he said. "Instead of a stern chase, which wouldgive us some chance of spotting them, they at once got off to the sideand have all this time been flanking us. Now they're cutting in,straight behind, no doubt ready for business. All right. Ban, soundthe alarm."
Like a gladiator about to step sword in hand into the arena, the_Sandra_, though a ship never designed for space duels, girded herloins and made herself ready for what at its best could only be anunequal struggle. She was outclassed in weapons, weight and speed--inall save pilots. She had Hawk Carse at her helm.
The harsh alarm bell at once rang through the ship, an emergency callto stations. Carse, at the controls, rapped out another order.
"Defensive web on, Ban, and build up power for the ray batteries."
As the echoes of the bell died, a piercing whine grew amidships, andshreds of blue light swiftly scattered by the _Sandra's_ ports. Theywere quickly gone, but they left behind an almost invisible envelopeof blue which enwrapped the ship completely. The defensive web againstattacking rays was on.
Friday tumbled into the control cabin, and on his heels two ofLeithgow's assistants, the third being on duty with the patients.Carse briefly explained what had happened. "Friday," he ordered, "youtake the stern ray batteries. Ban--"
But Ban Wilson had returned to the electelscope, and it had given himmore news. Interrupting, he cried out:
"They must be attacking! A light just flashed in the dome!"
With his words they all saw the light. The visi-screen, though it didnot reveal the asteroid, showed the first weapon with which itstruck--a lustrous ray of purple which in a blink had leaped out tothe _Sandra_ and enfolded her. A shower of sparks crackled out fromthe ship's defensive web, but the purple ray continued.
"I don't know that ray, Eliot." Carse said. "What's on our speedindicator?"
The scientist's gasp was plainly audible as he read the dial. "Why,it--it's dropping! Much faster than our deceleration accounts for!That ray--why, it must have magnetic properties! Carse, the asteroid'sstopping us!"