The Greatest Works of E. E. Smith. E. E. Smith

and was so arranged that when a partition was rolled back the control room became its stage. All Boskonian bases were arranged thus, in order that the supervising officers at Grand Base could oversee through their instruments upon the main panel just such assemblies as this one was supposed to be. Every man hearing that call assumed that it came from Grand Base, and every man hurried to obey it.

      Kinnison rolled back the partition between the two rooms and watched for weapons as the men came streaming into the auditorium. Ordinarily only the guards went armed, but possibly a few of the ships’ officers would be wearing their DeLameters . four—five—six. The captain and the pilot of the battleship that had taken the hospital ship, Vice-Commander Krimsky of the base, and three guards. Knives, billies, and such did not count.

      “Time’s up. Lock the doors. Bring the keys and the nurses up here,” he ordered the six armed men, calling each by name. “You women take these chairs over here, you men sit there.”

      Then, when all were seated, Kinnison touched a button and the steel partition slid smoothly into place.

      “What’s coming off here?” demanded one of the officers. “Where’s the commander? How about Grand Base? Look at that board!”

      “Sit tight.” Kinnison directed. “Hands on knees—I’ll burn any or all of you that make a move. I have already burned the old man and five guards, and have put Grand Base out of the picture. Now I want to find out just how us seven stand.” The Lensman already knew, but he was not tipping his hand.

      “Why us seven?”

      “Because we are the only ones who happened to be wearing side-arms. Everyone else of the entire personnel is unarmed and is now locked in the auditorium. You know how apt they are to get out until one of us lets them out.”

      “But Helmuth—he’ll have you blasted for this!”

      “Hardly—my plans were not made yesterday. How many of you fellows are with me?”

      “What’s your scheme?”

      “To take these nurses to some Patrol base and surrender. I’m sick of this whole game; and, since none of them have been hurt, I figure they’re good for a pardon and a fresh start—a light sentence at least.”

      “Oh, so that’s the reason .” growled the captain.

      “Exactly—but I don’t want anyone with me whose only thought would be to burn me down at the first opportunity.”

      “Count me in,” declared the pilot. “I’ve got a strong stomach, but enough of these jobbies is altogether too much. If you wangle anything short of a life sentence for me I’ll go along, but I bloody well won’t help you against .”

      “Sure not. Not until after we’re out in space. I don’t need any help here.”

      “Do you want my DeLameter?”

      “No, keep it. You won’t use it on me. Anybody else?”

      One guard joined the pilot, standing aside; the other four wavered.

      “Time’s up!” Kinnison snapped. “Now, you four fellows, either go for your DeLameters or turn your backs, and do it right now!”

      They elected to turn their backs and Kinnison collected their weapons, one by one. Having disarmed them, he again rolled back the partition and ordered them to join the wondering throng in the auditorium. He then addressed the assemblage, telling them what he had done and what he had it in mind to do.

      “A good many of you must be fed up on this lawless game of piracy and anxious to resume association with decent men, if you can do so without incurring too great a punishment,” he concluded. “I feel quite certain that those of us who man the hospital ship in order to return these nurses to the Patrol will get light sentences, at most. Miss MacDougall is a head nurse—a commissioned officer of the Patrol. We will ask her what she thinks.”

      “I can say more than that,” she replied clearly. “I am not ‘quite certain,’ either—I am absolutely sure that whatever men Mr. Blakeslee selects for his crew will not be given any sentences at all. They will be pardoned, and will be given whatever jobs they can do best.”

      “How do you know, Miss?” asked one. “We’re a black lot.”

      “I know you are.” The head nurse’s voice was serenely positive. “I won’t say how I know, but you can take my word for it that I do know.”

      “Those of you who want to take a chance with us line up over here,” Kinnison directed, and walked rapidly down the line, reading the mind of each man in turn. Many of them he waved back into the main group, as he found thoughts of treachery or signs of inherent criminality. Those he selected were those who were really sincere in their desire to quit forever the ranks of Boskone, those who were in those ranks because of some press of circumstance rather than because of a mental taint. As each man passed inspection he armed himself from the cabinet and stood at ease before the group of women.

      Having selected his crew, the Lensman operated the controls that opened the exit nearest the hospital ship, blasted away the panel, so that that exit could not be closed, unlocked a door, and turned to the pirates.

      “Vice-Commander Krimsky, as senior officer, you are now in command of this base,” he remarked. “While I am in no sense giving you orders, there are a few matters about which you should be informed. First, I set no definite time as to when you may leave this room—I merely state that you will find it decidedly unhealthy to follow us at all closely as we go from here to the hospital ship. Second, you haven’t a ship fit to take the ether; your main injector toggles have all been broken off at the pivots. If your mechanics work at top speed, new ones can be put on in exactly two hours. Third, there is going to be a severe earthquake in precisely two hours and thirty minutes, one which should make this base merely a memory.”

      “An earthquake! Don’t bluff, Blakeslee—you couldn’t do that!”

      “Well, perhaps not a regular earthquake, but something that will do just as well. If you think I’m bluffing, wait and find out. But common sense should give you the answer to that—I know exactly what Helmuth is doing now, whether you do or not. At first I intended to wipe you all out without warning, but I changed my mind. I decided to leave you alive, so that you could report to Helmuth exactly what happened. I wish I could be watching him when he finds out how easily one man took him, and how far from foolproof his system is—but we can’t have everything. Let’s go!”

      As the group hurried away, Mac loitered until she was near Blakeslee, who was bringing up the rear.

      “Where are you, Kim?” she whispered urgently.

      “I’ll join up at the next corridor. Keep farther ahead, and get ready to run when we do!”

      As they passed that corridor a figure in gray leather, carrying an extremely heavy object, stepped out of it. Kinnison himself set his burden down, yanked a lever, and ran—and as he ran fountains of intolerable heat erupted and cascaded from the mechanism he had left upon the floor. Just ahead of him, but at some distance behind the others, ran Blakeslee and the girl.

      “Gosh, I’m glad to see you, Kim!” she panted as the Lensman caught up with them and all three slowed down. “What is that thing back there?”

      “Nothing much—just a KJ4Z hot-shot. Won’t do any real damage—just melt this tunnel down so they can’t interfere with our get-away.”

      “Then you were bluffing about the earthquake?” she asked, a shade of disappointment in her tone.

      “Hardly,” he reproved her. “That isn’t due for two hours and a half yet, but it’ll happen on scheduled time.”

      “How?”

      “You remember about the curious cat, don’t you? However, no particular secret about it, I guess—three lithium-hydride bombs placed where they’ll do the most good and timed for exactly simultaneous detonation. Here we are—don’t tell anybody