M HM cod down for blast off X minus five four three two x minus
one Fire from the far horizons of the unknown come transcribed tales of new dimensions
in time and space. These are stories of the future adventures in which you'll
live in a million, could be years, on a thousand, maybe worlds.
The National Broadcasting Company, in cooperation with Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine, presents
minus one Tonight The Lungamina by Gordon R. Dixon. Blame Clay hard Bank
if you like, or what happened at Station five sixty three, or blame
Bill Peterborough, the one we call the kid. I blame no one.
I'm a door sie man. That means I was brought up in one of
those tiny planets a million light years from nowhere. Being a door siren man
is quite a responsibility. We are a very polite people. We have to
be, because when we get angry, we fight to the death. It
all began that evening Clay Harbang began reminiscing about his home planet Lu Lungomina.
We were sitting around the recreation room of five sixty three. There was a
card game going on in one corner. Lu lung go Mina, the very
name sounds like music, doesn't it more? You know me, Clay,
I'm a doorside man. I've been in the doorside planets. I've seen them
all knocking around this universe for thirty five years. But when it comes to
sheer beauty, lu lung go mina. How long since you've been home?
Clay? Home? Twenty years more? Twenty stinking miserable years. Well that'll
be over soon, another ten days. You're gonna miss all five sixty three,
miss this scott forsaken little asteroid. Not for a minute. We'll miss
your ugly face around here, at least I will. I'm gonna miss your
gloomy doorsy puss too. Lord, Why don't you get out of it?
You've had more years in space service than any of us. You've probably got
enough credits to get out too. He I wouldn't know what to do with
myself. Couldn't you go home? You should know better than that, the
Dnebrian trouble, the d Nebrian trouble. You could go to Earth? What
four ever been there? Never once? And I've never wanted to. I've
seen too many earthmen like the kid over there. He's green in service,
he's full of greed and stupid hate like the rest of them. That's not
for me. Looks if the game's breaking up here he comes. Well,
if this is the big gambler from the windy planet, what's its name?
Lu lung Gomina? Yeah, how's the piggy bank coming? Dad? The
piggy is a gentleman kid. He never overeats, so he won't ever get
into gestion sour grapes. You see this water credits five hundred? How long
you have to work for five hundred credits? Dad? How many trips you
have to make around this? How much closer to fall in your grave?
You have to come? You look as if you made a killing. I
always make a killing. I'm a natural born gambler, and I don't just
talk about it like some I think I'll go out and take a turn around
the station. More fine, I'll go with you. It's stuffy in here.
Don't bother. I'd rather be alone. A big chet knocked around the
planets for thirty five years. He used to have a reputation as the hottest
gambler in the systems. Comes from the most beautiful planet in the universe.
Why don't you lay off him? Kid? Let me give you a piece
of sound advice. Go ahead, lay off Clay Harbank. He's been around
the systems a lot longer than you have. He may not be any chicken,
but he's a tough baby when the situation calls for it. You're trying
to scare me more. I thought you doorside guys were smarter than that.
I'm beginning. No, no, look, no fads moat. I mean,
I wasn't trying to insault the door side people or anything. I gotta
go to a flight check. I'll see. We were in bad shape.
The twenty of us at Frontier Station five sixty three, on the very edge
of the human area had gone sour. Half the man had applications or transfer
in already. But I told the kid about Clay being tough. Well,
that was a bluff to keep him off. Nobody knew better than I did
that Clay was burned out inside like I used up rocket. I put on
a spacesuit and went out to join him. Oh high, maud II,
beautiful night. Huh nice back on lu Lungo Mina. On a night like
this, the rack eash flowers open up and you can hear them singing.
There are six moons, and every one of them is like a yellow lant.
My mom and dad and I used to live on the edge of a
lotus pool. Here I go talking about home again. Figures a guy who's
been saving up for ten years to get home is bound to start thinking about
it when the time comes. I wish you could come with me more play
tell me something? Yes? Do you ever get the urge to gamble again?
Do I get the urge to gamble? What you ever watch a man
who's been on pon for a while when he's broken the habit. You can't
get him near the stuff he despises it, and yet the same man is
liable to go back on with no provocation. Well that's the way it is
when you've gambled all your life. I figured maybe that's why I keep talking
about home. Every time I hear the kid flipping those cards in the recreation
room, I start talking about home. Have you noticed? I've noticed?
But this time I'm going to make it more. I tried three times before.
This time I've got the dough, and I know I'm gonna make it.
I think you will claim you know what did it? Lu Lungo Mina,
That's what saved me this time, the thought of that beautiful planet.
Well, when you get there, you can send me a phototape. At
the rate we get visitors, it should reach me in five or six years.
You will be out. By then you'll be home. I'll never go
home. Claim never. Well, that's red four screens must have picked up
a ship in the galaxy. Maybe we'll get a visit. Eh, keep
us from going logo anyway? Coming in? No, I think I'll stay
out. Awhile, Well, I'm going to check the screen, see you
later. Red four meant simply that a ship was entering the galaxy. The
chances of it touching down on five sixty three were pretty remote, unless it
happened to need a clearance for Earth or Mars. The screen was black by
the time I got there, but the kid was filing a report. Oh
hi boy, Hey, what's a hicks Abrod? Like? Why we're having
one for a visitor? You don't say, I just came in over the
receiver. What'll he be like? A hicks Obrod? Stiff as a poker,
proud as lucifer, honest as sunlight, and tied as a camel on
his way through the eye of a needle. What do they look like?
Oh, they're kind of humanoid, but they have a dead pan face that
never changes like a mask. Oh they were a little scary, I hear.
That's a green skin and the scales. Also, they run about eight
feet tall. I wouldn't tangle with one if I were you. Back on
Danebria. Once I saw a Hickserbrod rip a Manda Ribbons with its claws.
Why the man made the mistake of insulting HICKSA that's one of the twin planets
they come from. Pretty touchy, aren't they Not? Really? They are
a very level headed race. You know. The hicks a broad reputation,
don't you. No, you didn't hear much about him on Earth. Well
are the first and only mercenary political arbitrators in the known universe. A Hickserbrod
can be hired, but he's absolutely incapable of being influenced or bribed. He
tells a cold truth and nothing but the cold truth. And brother, when
a hicks Abrod tells you the truth, it's plenty cold. It really lets
you have it. Huh. They are a small race and very much in
demand if some kind of political dispute comes up from planetary to inter alien.
Both sides hire a Hickserbrod to represent him. That way they know the other
side is being completely honest. Oh that's very interesting, you know, very
interesting. I could tell there was something on the kid's mind, but of
course I didn't know what it was. Most of the talk in the recreation
room that night centered around the arrival of the hicks Abrod. Landing beacons were
turned on and we waited for another radio communication. Hey, anybody want to
sit in on this next hand? What? No? Thanks? Well,
I know better than to ask the galaxy's foremost gambler. That's right, kid,
Well, maybe when this Hicks of Brod gets here, we'll be able
to work out a decent game. Do Hicks of Rod's gamble? No,
kid, they don't gamble. That's too bad. Well, we can always
sit and listen to you lying about what a beautiful place the lung gamina is.
Kid, you just went too far. Yeah, you're gonna do something
about it. That's right. I'm gonna punch a little note, break it
up. Play you all right, I'm okay. You better get to the
infirmary, have your mouth taken care of. Kid, You get to your
quarters. Since one of you giving orders, I'm telling you to get to
your quarters, you better do what he says. Kid, he's a door
sign man. That's all I've been here, and since I got here,
when big gamblers come from the loungamina, and how dorsign men are killing so
far, I've seen nothing, but I heard a lot of time. Get
to your quarters. I'll give you a five seconds to start moving. You
better go ahead, kid, Okay, okay, one, I'm letting you
bluff me out of the game this time. Just remember there's gonna be other
games next time. I won't be bluffed. He left the recreation room.
I felt a slight and not unpleasant shiver run down between my shoulder blades and
my eyes were still hot. I'd almost lost my control that time, and
my senses told me i'd better be careful for the next three days. The
tension of five sixty three was almost unbearable. Play Hardbank seemed to age twenty
years after the kid knocked him down. Now hear this, all personnel,
Now hear this, all personnel. A ship is approaching for flight check.
A ship is approaching for flight check. Report to central, Report to central,
Well this is Clay. We're getting the Hicks abroad. Seems almost like
home, having a Hicks abroad with us. They're all over the Tazian system.
You know you speak Hicks abroad, you have to on lu lungomina.
I don't know that. I picked it up during the Third Exploration a long
time ago. Huh, we're not getting younger Clay. Yeah, I found
that out. I don't take it so big. He's just a punk kid,
sure, and I'm just a dumb old man offered. Ah, that's
touchdown. You ought to be here in a minute. That does it.
He's down. Look at that ship. Huh, let's go. You'll need
some help with his baggage. The ship was a silvery, one man job,
the kind that have taken the Hicks of Brod's all over the universe.
The cabin door slid back and the Hicks have stepped out. He was as
green and scaly as a lizard, but there was a certain unmistakable dignity in
his bearing. Since I spoke the language, I was the first to greet
him, felt the Hutch and Hicks abrod. Welcome to this place. I
greet you, dorsy man. My name is mort Byansky. I am called
dor Lasses. Come, I'll show you to your quarters. Thank you?
How long will you remain here? Only for one night? I wish clearance
for Mars, and I'm sure it can be handled this way. I wondered
how he knew I was a Dorsey man, and then it seemed obvious.
My broken nose, the scars, the lined face. Nobody could mistake a
human from the doorside planets. Still it scared me a little. I kept
wondering if he had anything to do with interplanetary police. I tried to put
it out of my mom. There was no use. Mind. If I
come in, Clay, sit down, have a smoke. Thanks. Where's
the Hicks Abroad in his room getting cleaned up for dinner? Strange guys,
aren't they? There's something even stranger going on? What's that the kids in
there with him with the Hicks and what are you supposed they're talking about?
I don't know. I wish I did. Kids probably trying to get the
Hicks into a dice game. What's on your mind? Mart Clay? You've
been around? Are there any Hicks Abroads in interplanetary police? A few?
Why? I don't know. I just had a feeling. You know,
you're dreaming up bogey Man. Maybe. Besides, you're not in any trouble
outside the doors. I says I killed a human clay, not deliberately,
no rage, and all the time on door side, doesn't it not to
an officer of intergalactic Besides, that was twenty five years ago. There's no
statue of limitations in the systems. Nobody knows but me. Right, you
don't have to be clairvoyant to wonder why a man hasn't been back to his
home planet for twenty five years. You think the kid, I don't know.
He's got no love for me. Still, he doesn't know anything.
How would he know this hicks Abroad is an agent. If he is,
couldn't say where are you going? I think I'll take a look at that
message the kid filed, the one we got when we first picked up the
hicks Abrod on the screens. Let me know what you find, if anything.
I walked through the empty corridors to the communications center. I went directly
to the files where incoming messages are kept, and flicked the tab until I
got to notices of arrivals. There two days before was a report of the
arrival of door losses. I ran my finger down the statistics until I came
to the line that said point of origin of flight. It read Tarzian Galaxy.
That was where Clay Harbank's l longamina was. I read further where it
said nature of business. My blood ran cold as I spelled out the words
criminal. Come in, felt the Hutch and Hicks abroad. I greet you,
dorsay man. Is there anything you require? Nothing? Thank you.
I came to tell you that we'll have dinner to night at eight hundred hours.
The young Earthman has already informed me there's a shortage of raw meat here.
I've brought my own food, Thank you. I see you came in
from the Tarzian planets. Yes, you didn't happen to be in the Doorside
planets before then? No, I thought perhaps you might have some news.
I came from intergalactic headquarters. Yes I am. I saw your flight check.
Then you know my mission? Yes? Good? How long do I
have to pack? I will be leaving at seven hundred hours tomorrow morning?
Can you be ready by then? Yes? I guess so good. I
don't suppose there's any point in appealing to you. Higsbrods are supposed to be
totally without emotion. There's no point in appealing funny thing. I've been running
away from this moment for twenty five years. Now that it's come, I'm
glad we'll be going back to the Dorsise. Yes, to Intergalactic headquarters for
all these years home. I don't suppose a Hixbrod knows what that feeling is
like. I will expect you at seven hundred hours now, if you don't
mind, I wish to prepare my one thing. Yes, did the young
Earthman tip you off about me? No? Funny, I could have sworn
it was him. That was that when a Hicks abroad tells you no,
you can bet your life. He isn't lying. I began to wonder how
they located me. I began to wonder what he and the kid had talked
about. I began to wonder a lot of things. Well, he's an
agent for Intergalactic. Oh that doesn't prove he's after you. He is?
How do you know? I just talked to him Lord in Heaven. Ah,
it isn't so bad. Really, Just think I'll be going home.
I'm going to kill that kid. I'm going to kill him. Play listen
to me. The kid didn't turn me in, you said, I said
he was talking to the Hicks. I just asked him, and the Hicks
told me it wasn't the kid. They don't lie, so don't go blow
going off. It's going to be hard. Ten days doesn't have to be
ten days. What do you mean? How many credits do you need to
buy your way out? Another five hundred next payday? Don't wait, don't
wait. I have over nine hundred credits. I'll turn them over to you
more. Listen, I don't need them. You can pay off tomorrow and
fly as far as the Tarzan chain with me in the Hicks. It's a
very nice thing, mort will you do it? I'll think about it.
Let you know after dinner. I thought of running away, but there was
really no place to run once they tracked you down. And the hicks Abrods
were utterly relentless once they had agreed to bring a man in. Since they
had no feelings, they made no judgments. They were absolutely certain that a
man would get a fair trial. I packed my stuff and went in to
dinner. The Hicks Abroad was at the head of the table eating his raw
chinsuo meat past the gravy place, do Alosses, Yes, they tell me
that the Hicks Abroad home planet is a very beautiful place. It is true.
I'm from Earth myself. Yes, I'm curious to know what there's beautiful
planet of yours looks like the kid's pretty talkative tonight. What's cooking? I
don't know, but I don't trust it to Flora and fauna maintained in excellent
natural balance. No local sur plus has exceeded one percent of the normal population
for the last sixty thousand years. Life on Hicks is predictable. The weather
is controlled within the greatest limits of feasibility. The symmetry of the landscape is
without parallel in the universe. Very pretty picture, very attractive home world.
What I regret to inform you to Olysses that I've been given to understand that
it pales into insignificance when compared with another beauty spot in our universe, your
Earth. I wish I could say yes, no, no, this place
is so wonderful. I doubt if an earth Man like me could get in.
In fact, I've never seen it, but I've been hearing about it
for some months now, and either it's the most wonderful place in the universe,
or the man who's been telling me about it is a rotten liar.
Get your gun, kid, get your gun. Why guns? You call
me a liar? Why use guns when it's possible to prove the thing one
way or another with complete certainty. For months now, you've been telling me
two things, One that you used to be a gambler. Two your precious
little lungamina is the most wonderful place in the universe. The question is is
he the statement true? They're both true. You'll back them up with my
life. I'm not asking it a back then with your life. Just back
then with that nice little hoarde you've been accumulating all these years. Well,
you've said you were a gambler. Bet with me and prove it. Suppose
I do. How do we prove my statement about the lungomina. That's easy.
We have with us at this table at hicks Abroad, in a conversation
with him, I found out that he's just visited every planet Natazian Shane.
Now is everyone no, it's a hicks Abrod never lies. Do you think
you could judge this point? Do olyossis the point can be Judd Well gambler,
Hey, it's a trick. Don't bet. How much will you bet?
Kid? All I got the equivalent of ten years? Pay? Well,
you're on do olyassis? Okay? If I question him, proceed.
You've been to the planet Nitazian Shaine, which this man calls his home.
I must ascertain the position of the planet, the fourth planet, Yes,
the one with six moons. That's it. I've been there recently, as
you well know, since we spoke of it only this afternoon we did speak.
If it that's true? Now would you tell me you know the planet?
Yes, you know it's geography. I do not repeat myself. Is
it a large planet? No? Is it a rich planet? No?
Was there not a rain of radioactive fallout from an explosion of a nearby star
only five months ago? There was? It did not destroy every piece of
vegetation and leave this planet a gutted, smoking ruins, chod and ugly.
It did well, Gambler, you haven't asked him the main question yet,
kid, Would you like to ask him? All right, Hicks abroad,
the question to be judged is this is lu lung Goomina, the most beautiful
and the most wonderful place in the universe. Yes, it is what well,
kid, that's a trick. It's a rotten trick. I don't believe
it. The hexes the eyes of the hicks Aprod are narrow and baleful.
As he pushed back his chair, you could almost feel them burning. As
he dragged his scaly feet over toward the kid. He stopped about six inches
from the kid and held both his hands up, palms near the kid's eyes.
There was a clicking sound, and we watched eleven sets of gleaming razorlike
claws showed up from the tips of the Hicksibrod's fingers. Their points were almost
against the kid's eyes. Look at my hands, earth men, are they
not clean? Yes? Do you doubt that I have told the truth?
Not? Know? Then there is nothing further to discuss. I bow to
you, gentlemen. I thank you for your hospitality. You will excuse me.
We stood around and watched that proud, frightening figure drag itself out of
the room. The kid was trembling like a leaf as he drew a bank
draft for ten years pay and handed it to Clay Harbag. The next morning,
Clay and I boarded the Hicks Abroad ship and four days later, we
touched down at the outer planet of the Tarjan Chain. Well, this is
where I get off more. I I don't know what to say. Really,
I guess you know how I feel. I think I do play.
Let's just say so long. There will be no need for goodbyers. Both
of you are leaving the ship here. But I thought I intend to return
to intergalactic headquarters empty hand, empty handed. But they'll question you. What
will you tell them the truth? Of course, But you have told me
nothing. But I assume I am not interested in your assumption. You asked
me my mission. I told you it was a criminal investigation. You said
you assumed you would go back with me, and I told you when my
ship was departing. There is nothing more to be said. But surely you
know what. Don't say anything. A exerbrod deals only with facts, what
is absolutely known. They're the most literal beings in the universe. Let it
go with that. Goodbye, gentlemen. I am grateful for the pleasure of
your company. Five minutes later, Clay Harbank and I shook hands at the
exit of the spaceport on Tarsa's ten. But before we parted, there was
one thing I had to know, Clay one thing before you go. Yes,
How did you know the hicks Abrod would lie about lu lungamina? He
didn't lie. Moor A hicks Abrod never lies. But lulonga mina mort Let
me tell you something. Lulungo mina is a word in use throughout the Tarsian
planets. Actually it's a hicks Abrod. Would it means home? All I
did was as the hickserbrod if home was beautiful? He simply said yes.
And a hicks Abroad, as everybody knows, doesn't lie. You have just
heard X minus one, presented by the National Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Galaxy
Science Fiction Magazine, which this month features the finn O'Donovan novelette Bad Medicine,
the story of a robot therapist that never failed to effect a cure, even
if it had to convert itself into a typhoid Mary to do so. Galaxy
Magazine on your new stand today tonight. By transcription. X minus one has
brought you Lungemina, a story from the pages of Galaxy written by Gordon R.
Dixon that adapted for radio by George Lefferts. Featured in the cast were
Ralph Camargo, Net Weaver, Jack Grimes, Bob Hastings, and Kermit Murdoch.
You're announcer Fred Collins. X minus one was directed by Daniel Sutter and
is an NBC Radio Network production. X minus one came to you from our
Radio City studios in New York. Next week, listen to Project Mastodon Clifford
Seamac story on X minus one. Follow the News with Chet Huntley to night
on the n b C Radio Network