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<v Speaker 1>Chapter three of The Vortex Master Makes War by E. E. Smith.

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<v Speaker 1>This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter three,

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<v Speaker 1>the Lamiters and Space Acts. Cloud wasted no time in swearing.

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<v Speaker 1>He could swear and act simultaneously. He flashed his cruiser

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<v Speaker 1>up near the lifeboat, went inert and began to match

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<v Speaker 1>velocities even before the uhalians heat beam expired. Since his

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<v Speaker 1>intrinsic was not very far off as such things go,

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<v Speaker 1>it wouldn't take him very long, and he'd need all

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<v Speaker 1>the time to get ready for what he had to do.

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<v Speaker 1>He conferred briefly with the boat's Chickladorian pilot upon his

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<v Speaker 1>visual then thought intensely. He would have to board the lifeboat.

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<v Speaker 1>He didn't see any other way out of it. Even

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<v Speaker 1>if he had anything to blast it with. He couldn't

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<v Speaker 1>without killing innocent people, and he didn't have much offensive stuff.

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<v Speaker 1>His crew was not a warship. She carried plenty of defense,

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<v Speaker 1>but no heavy offensive beams at all. He had two

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<v Speaker 1>suits of armor, a GP regulation and his Vortex Special,

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<v Speaker 1>which was even stronger. He had his lamiters. He had

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<v Speaker 1>four semi portables and two needle beams for excavating. He

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<v Speaker 1>had thousands of duo deck bombs, not one of which

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<v Speaker 1>could be detonated by anything less violent than the furious

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<v Speaker 1>heart of a loose atomic vortex. What else nothing? Oh, yes,

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<v Speaker 1>there was his sampler. He grinned as he looked at it,

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<v Speaker 1>About the size of a tack hammer, with a needle

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<v Speaker 1>point on one side and a razor blade on the other.

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<v Speaker 1>It had a handle three feet long, a deceptive little thing, truly,

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<v Speaker 1>for weighed fifteen pounds, and that tiny blade could shear

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<v Speaker 1>through neocarbloi as cleanly as a steel knife slices through cheese.

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<v Speaker 1>It was made of durium. That peculiar ure synthetic, which

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<v Speaker 1>designed primarily for use in hyperspatial tubes, had become of

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<v Speaker 1>wide utility. Considering what terrific damage a Valerian could do

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<v Speaker 1>with a space axe, he should be able to do

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<v Speaker 1>quite a bit with this. It ought to qualify at

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<v Speaker 1>least as a space hatchet. He put on his special armor,

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<v Speaker 1>set his dilameters to maximum intensity at minimum aperture, and

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<v Speaker 1>hung the hatchet upon a hook at his belt. He

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<v Speaker 1>eased off his blasts. There. The velocities matched a minute's

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<v Speaker 1>work with needlebeam, tractors and pressers sufficed to cut the

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<v Speaker 1>two smaller ships apart, and to dispose of the Uholian's

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<v Speaker 1>magnets and cables. Another minute of careful manipulation and the

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<v Speaker 1>cruiser had taken the Hoolian's place. He swung out, locked

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<v Speaker 1>the cruiser's outer portal behind him, and entered the lifeboat.

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<v Speaker 1>As Cloud stepped into the boat's saloon, he was met

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<v Speaker 1>by a legal high intensity beam. He had not really

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<v Speaker 1>expected such an instantaneous, undeclared war, but he was ready

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<v Speaker 1>for it. Every screen he had was full out, his

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<v Speaker 1>left hand held poised and ready at his hip a

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<v Speaker 1>screened dilameter. His return blast was practically a reflection of

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<v Speaker 1>Darjeeb's bolt, and it did vastly more damage, for the

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<v Speaker 1>Uhalian had made an error. The hand which held a

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<v Speaker 1>ray gun was the one which had been man handling

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<v Speaker 1>the pilot, and the Monster had not had time quite

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<v Speaker 1>to get it back inside his screens, and the fury

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<v Speaker 1>of clouds repost gun in hand disappeared, as did a

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<v Speaker 1>square foot of panel behind them. But Dharji p had

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<v Speaker 1>other hands and other guns, and for seconds, blinding rays

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<v Speaker 1>raved out against unyielding defensive screens. Neither screen went down.

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<v Speaker 1>The Tellurian holstered his dilameter. It would not take much

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<v Speaker 1>of this stuff, he reflected. To kill some of the

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<v Speaker 1>passagers remaining in the saloon, he go in with his hatchet.

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<v Speaker 1>He lugged it up and leaped, driving straight forward at

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<v Speaker 1>the flaming projectors with all of his mass and strength

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<v Speaker 1>going into the swing of his weapon. The enemy did

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<v Speaker 1>not dodge, merely threw up a hand to flick aside

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<v Speaker 1>with his gun barrel the descending toy. Cloud grinned fleetingly

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<v Speaker 1>as he realized what the other must be, thinking that

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<v Speaker 1>the man must be puny, indeed to be making such

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<v Speaker 1>ado in wielding such a tiny, trifling thing. For to

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<v Speaker 1>anyone not familiar with Duriam, it is surely unbelievable that

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<v Speaker 1>so much mass and momentum can possibly reside in so

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<v Speaker 1>small a bulk. Thus, when fiercely driven cutting edge met

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<v Speaker 1>opposing ray gun, it did not waver or deflect. It

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<v Speaker 1>scarcely even flowed through the metal of the gun. That

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<v Speaker 1>vicious blades sliced resistlessly, shearing off fingers as it sped

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<v Speaker 1>and on down. Urged by everything, Cloud's powerful frame could

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<v Speaker 1>deliver through armor. It punched through the bony plating covering

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<v Speaker 1>the tremendous double shoulder, deep into the flesh and bone

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<v Speaker 1>of the shoulder itself, so deep that its penetration was

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<v Speaker 1>stopped only by the impact of the hatchets halft against

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<v Speaker 1>the armor. Under the impetus of the man's furious attack,

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<v Speaker 1>both battlers went down. The unwounded Tillurian, however, was the

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<v Speaker 1>first to recover control. Cloud's mailed hands were still clamped

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<v Speaker 1>to the sampler's grips, and using his weapon as a staff,

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<v Speaker 1>he scrambled to his feet. He planted one steel boot

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<v Speaker 1>against the helmet's dome, got a momentary stance with the

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<v Speaker 1>other thrust into the angle between barrel body and flating leg,

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<v Speaker 1>bent his burly back, and heaved. The deeply embedded blade

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<v Speaker 1>tore out through bone and flesh and metal, and as

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<v Speaker 1>it did so, the two rear cabled arms dropped limp useless.

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<v Speaker 1>That mighty rear shoulder and its appurtances were thoroughly awed

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<v Speaker 1>to combat. The monster still had one good hand, however,

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<v Speaker 1>and he was still in the fight. That hand flashed

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<v Speaker 1>out to seize the hatchet and to wield it against

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<v Speaker 1>its owner. It was fast too, but not quite fast enough.

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<v Speaker 1>The man strongly braced yanked backwards. The weapon's needle pointed

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<v Speaker 1>keen blade, tearing through flesh and snicking off clutching fingers

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<v Speaker 1>as it was hauled away. Then Cloud swung his axe

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<v Speaker 1>aloft and poised, making it abundantly clear that the next

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<v Speaker 1>stroke would be straight down into the top of the

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<v Speaker 1>Uhalian's head. That was enough, the monster backed away, every

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<v Speaker 1>eye a glare, and Cloud stepped warily over to the

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<v Speaker 1>captive Luda. A couple of strokes of his trenchant sampler

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<v Speaker 1>Game gave him a length of chain. Then, working carefully

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<v Speaker 1>to keep his wounded foe threatened at every instant, he

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<v Speaker 1>worked the chain into a tight loop around Darjeeb's deck,

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<v Speaker 1>pulled it unmercifully taut around a stanchion, and welded it

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<v Speaker 1>there with his dilameter. Nor did he trust the other

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<v Speaker 1>monster unreservedly bound though she was. In fact, he did

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<v Speaker 1>not trust her at all. In spite of family. Rouse

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<v Speaker 1>Lake has a tendency to fight with like against a

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<v Speaker 1>common foe, but since she was not wearing armor, she

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<v Speaker 1>didn't stand a chance against a dilameter. Hence he could

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<v Speaker 1>now take time to look around the saloon. The pilot,

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<v Speaker 1>lying flat upon the floor, was beginning to come to

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<v Speaker 1>not quite flat either, for a shapely Chickladorian girl wearing

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<v Speaker 1>the forty one square inches of covering which was derri

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<v Speaker 1>gere in her eyes, had his head cushioned upon one

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<v Speaker 1>bare leg and was sobbing gibberish over him. That wouldn't help.

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<v Speaker 1>Started toward the first aid cabinet, but stopped. A white

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<v Speaker 1>wrapped figure was already bending over the injured man, administering

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<v Speaker 1>something out of a black bottle. He knew what it was, goodieselin.

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<v Speaker 1>That was what he had been going after himself, but

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<v Speaker 1>he would not have dared to give a hippopotamus such

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<v Speaker 1>a terrific jolt as she was pouring into him. She

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<v Speaker 1>must be a nurse and a top ranker, but Cloud

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<v Speaker 1>shivered in sympathy. The pilots stiffened convulsively, then relaxed. His

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<v Speaker 1>eyes rolled. He gasped and shuddered, but he came to

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<v Speaker 1>life and sat up groggily. What goes on here? Cloud

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<v Speaker 1>demanded urgently in spaciol The Chickladorian's wounds had already been bandaged.

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<v Speaker 1>Nothing more could be done for him until they could

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<v Speaker 1>get him to a hospital, and he had to report

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<v Speaker 1>before he blocked out entirely. I don't know. The pink

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<v Speaker 1>man made answer, recovering by the minute. All the ape said,

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<v Speaker 1>as near as I could get it was that I

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<v Speaker 1>had to show him all about inertilessness. Then he spoke

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<v Speaker 1>rapidly to the girl, his wife Cloud guest, who was

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<v Speaker 1>still holding him fervently. The pink girl nodded, then, catching

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<v Speaker 1>Cloud's eye, she pointed at the two monstrosities, then at

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<v Speaker 1>the monarch and nurse standing calmly near by. Startlingly slim

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<v Speaker 1>swathed to the eyes and billows of glamoret she looked

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<v Speaker 1>as fragile as a reed, but Cloud knew that appearances

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<v Speaker 1>were highly deceptive in that case. She too nodded at

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<v Speaker 1>the Tellurian, then talked rapidly in sign language to a short,

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<v Speaker 1>thick muscled woman of some race and entirely strange to

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<v Speaker 1>the blaster. She was used to going naked, that was

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<v Speaker 1>very evident. She had been wearing a light robe of convention,

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<v Speaker 1>but it had been pretty well demolished in the Malay,

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<v Speaker 1>and she did not realize that what was left of

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<v Speaker 1>it was hanging in tatters. Down her brought back the

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<v Speaker 1>squatty eyed, the gesticulating monarchan, and spoke in a beautifully

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<v Speaker 1>modulated deep bass voice to the cickladorian Eiffel, who in

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<v Speaker 1>turn passed the message along to her husband. The bonehead

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<v Speaker 1>you had the argument with, says, to hell with you.

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<v Speaker 1>The pilot, translated finally into Spasil, says his mob will

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<v Speaker 1>be out here after him directly, and if you don't

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<v Speaker 1>cut him loose and give him all the dope on

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<v Speaker 1>our bergs, he'll give us all the beam plenty. Luda

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<v Speaker 1>was meanwhile trying to attract attention. She was bouncing up

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<v Speaker 1>and down, rattling her chains, rolling her eyes, and in

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<v Speaker 1>general demanding notice of all. More communication ensued, culminating in

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<v Speaker 1>the one with a fancy work skull. She's a frail,

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<v Speaker 1>but not the other bonehead's frail, I guess, says, pay

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<v Speaker 1>no attention to the ape. He's a murderer, a pirate,

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<v Speaker 1>a bum allows so forth, she says, says, to take

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<v Speaker 1>your axe and cut his damn head clean off, chuck

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<v Speaker 1>his carcass out the port, and get the hell out

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<v Speaker 1>of here. As fast as you can. Blast Cloud figured

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<v Speaker 1>that that might be sound advice at that, but he

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<v Speaker 1>didn't want to take such drastic steps without more comprehensive data, why,

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<v Speaker 1>he asked, But this was too much for the communication's

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<v Speaker 1>relay to handle. Cloud realized that he did not know

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<v Speaker 1>spaceiol at all well, since he had not been out

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<v Speaker 1>in deep space very long. He knew that spaceiowl was

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<v Speaker 1>a simple language, not well adapted to the accurate expression

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<v Speaker 1>of subtle nuances of meaning, and all those intermediate translations

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<v Speaker 1>were garbling things terrifically. He was not surprised that nothing

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<v Speaker 1>much was coming through, even though the prettied up monster

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<v Speaker 1>was by this time practically throwing a fit. She's quit

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<v Speaker 1>trying to spin her yarn, the Cickladorian said. Finally, she

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<v Speaker 1>says she's been trying to talk to you direct, but

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<v Speaker 1>she can't get through. Says to unseal your ports, cut

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<v Speaker 1>your screens, let down your barrier, something like that. Don't

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<v Speaker 1>know what she does mean exactly, not of us does,

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<v Speaker 1>except maybe the monarchin and she can't get it across

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<v Speaker 1>on her fingers. Oh my thoughts, screen Cloud exclaimed, and

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<v Speaker 1>cut it forthwith more. Yet the pilot went on after

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<v Speaker 1>her time, she says, there's another one just as bad

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<v Speaker 1>or worse. On your head, she says, No, on your headbone,

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<v Speaker 1>what the hell skull? No inside your skull, she says, now,

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<v Speaker 1>hell's bells. I don't know what she wants. Maybe I

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<v Speaker 1>do keep still a minute. A telepath, undoubtedly like the monarchans.

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<v Speaker 1>That was why she had to talk to her first.

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<v Speaker 1>He'd never been around telepaths, much never tried it. He

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<v Speaker 1>walked a few steps and stared directly into one pair

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<v Speaker 1>of Luda's eyes, large expressive eyes. Soft, now and gentle,

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<v Speaker 1>that's it, chief, now, blest, easy, baffle your jets. Relax,

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<v Speaker 1>she means, open your locks and let her in. Cloud

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<v Speaker 1>did relax, but gingerly he did not like this mind

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<v Speaker 1>to mind stuff at all, particularly when the other mind

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<v Speaker 1>belonged to such a monster. He lowered his mental barriers, skittishly,

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<v Speaker 1>ready to revolt at any instant. But as soon as

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<v Speaker 1>he began to understand the meaning of her thoughts, he

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<v Speaker 1>forgot utterly that he was not talking man to man.

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<v Speaker 1>The interchange was not as specific nor as facile as

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<v Speaker 1>is here to be indicated, of course, but every detail

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<v Speaker 1>was eventually made perfectly clear, I demand dar Jeeves's life,

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<v Speaker 1>was her first intelligible thought. Not because he is my

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<v Speaker 1>enemy and the enemy of all my race. That would

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<v Speaker 1>not weigh with you. Because he has done what no

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<v Speaker 1>one else, However, base has ever been so lost to

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<v Speaker 1>shame as to do in the very capital of our city,

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<v Speaker 1>upon Loon, he kindled an atomic flame, which is killing

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<v Speaker 1>us in multitudes. In case you did not know about

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<v Speaker 1>atomic flames, they can never be I know we call

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<v Speaker 1>them loose atomic vort dises. But they can be extinguished.

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<v Speaker 1>That is my business putting them out. Oh, incredible but

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<v Speaker 1>glorious news. Ludas's thoughts seed became incomprehensible. Then, after a

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<v Speaker 1>space to win your help for my race, I perceive

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<v Speaker 1>that I must be completely frank with you, she went on.

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<v Speaker 1>Observed my mind closely, please, so that you may see

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<v Speaker 1>for yourself that I am withholding nothing. DORJIEB wants at

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<v Speaker 1>any cost the secret of your vessel. Speed with it.

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<v Speaker 1>His race will destroy mine utterly. I wanted too. Of course,

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<v Speaker 1>if I could obtain it, we would wipe out the Ouhullians. However,

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<v Speaker 1>since you are so much more powerful than could be

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<v Speaker 1>believed possible, I realize that I am helpless. I tell

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<v Speaker 1>you therefore, that both d'arjib and I have long since

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<v Speaker 1>summoned help. Warships of both sides are approaching to capture

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<v Speaker 1>one or both of these vessels. Dharjieb's are nearest, and

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<v Speaker 1>these secrets must not, under any conditions go to Uhal.

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<v Speaker 1>Dash out into space with both of these vessels, so

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<v Speaker 1>that we can plan at leisure. First, however, kill that

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<v Speaker 1>unspeakable murderer you have scarcely injured him the way it is,

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<v Speaker 1>or free me give me that so deceptive little axe,

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<v Speaker 1>and I will be only too glad. A chain snapped ringingly,

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<v Speaker 1>and metal clanged against metal. Only two of Dhartjieb's major

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<v Speaker 1>arms had been incapacitated, his other two had lost only

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<v Speaker 1>a few fingers a piece from their respected hands. His

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<v Speaker 1>immense bodily strength was almost unimpaired. His feeding hand was untouched.

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<v Speaker 1>He could have broken free at any time, but he

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<v Speaker 1>had waited, hoping that he could take cloud by surprise,

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<v Speaker 1>or that some opportunity would arise for him to regain

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<v Speaker 1>control of this lifeboat. But now deeming it certain that

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<v Speaker 1>the armored biped would follow Luda's eminently sensible advice. He

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<v Speaker 1>decided to let innercilessness go for the time being in

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<v Speaker 1>the interest of saving his own life kill him Ludas

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<v Speaker 1>shrieked the thought, and Cloud swung his weapon aloft, but

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<v Speaker 1>Darjy was not attacking. Instead, he was rushing into the

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<v Speaker 1>airlock escaping go free pilot. Cloud commanded and leaped, but

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<v Speaker 1>the heavy valve swung shut before he could reach it.

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<v Speaker 1>As soon as the lock could be operated, the Tellurian

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<v Speaker 1>went through it. He knew that Darjeeb could not have

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<v Speaker 1>boarded the cruiser since every port was locked. He hurried

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<v Speaker 1>to his control room and scanned space. There, the Ahalian

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<v Speaker 1>was falling like a plummet under the combined forces of

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<v Speaker 1>his own drive and the gravitations of two worlds. There

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<v Speaker 1>also were a dozen or so spaceships too close for comfort,

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<v Speaker 1>blasting upward. Cloud cut in his bergen Holme, kicked on

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<v Speaker 1>his driving glass cut off and went back into the lifeboat.

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<v Speaker 1>Safe enough now, he announced, they'll never get out here

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<v Speaker 1>inert I'm surprised that he jumped. Didn't think he was

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<v Speaker 1>the type to kill himself. He isn't. He didn't, Luda

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<v Speaker 1>said dryly, huh, he must have. That was a mighty

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<v Speaker 1>long flit he took, and his suit wouldn't hold air.

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<v Speaker 1>He would stuff something into the holes if necessary. He

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<v Speaker 1>could make it the whole distance without either air or armor.

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<v Speaker 1>He is tough, he still lives. Curse him, but it

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<v Speaker 1>is of no use for me to bewail that fact.

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<v Speaker 1>Now let us make plans. You must extinguish that flame,

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<v Speaker 1>and the leaders of our people will have to convince

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<v Speaker 1>you that just a sec. Quite a few things we've

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<v Speaker 1>got to do first, he fell silent. First of all,

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<v Speaker 1>he had to report to the patrol so that they

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<v Speaker 1>could get lensman and a battle fleet out here to

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<v Speaker 1>straighten up this mess. With his short range communicators, that

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<v Speaker 1>would take some doing. But wait, he had a double

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<v Speaker 1>ended tight beam to the laboratory. He could get through

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<v Speaker 1>on that. Probably even from here. He'd have to mark

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<v Speaker 1>the lifeboat as a derelict and get those folks aboard

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<v Speaker 1>his cruiser. No space tube. He had an extra suit,

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<v Speaker 1>so he could transfer the women easily enough. But this

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<v Speaker 1>louda don't worry about me, entity cut in sharply. You

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<v Speaker 1>saw how I came aboard here, didn't you. I do

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<v Speaker 1>not particularly enjoy breathing a vacuum, but I can stand it.

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<v Speaker 1>I am as tough as Dargy Biz. So hurry, please, hurry.

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<v Speaker 1>During every moment we delay, more of my people are dying.

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<v Speaker 1>End of Chapter three,