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Galactic
Patrol. The Dauntless was in the vanguard, its automatic pilot fixed upon the
Page 148
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
sub-etheric
waves broadcast from the belly of the enemy warship. At first the Ranggi
system was
merely a wave reading on the screens of the Dauntless and a spot of light in
the larger
tank, an uninspiring representation of just another astronomical cluster to be
found in the
galaxy. But when the Dauntless shifted from free travel to inert, the unique
beauty of the
new sector instantly struck the eyes of Kinnison and his fellow Patrolmen.
Ordinary vision
could see the small bright discs in the star-sprinkled sky like variously
colored jewels, but
the telescopic augmentation was truly dazzling.
Nearly one half of the stars in the Milky Way are in multiple systems-three or
more
clustered together. Only one out of four stars are solitary, and one third
travel as double
stars, all in a rich variety of blues, yellows and reds, normal or giant,
pulsating or
exploding or dead. The Ranggi system was a stellar triplet consisting of a
normal white
star paired with an orange giant, around both of which orbited a yellow star.
Kinnison
was struck by its similarity to the familiar Zeta Cancri, in which the
interior pair revolve
every sixty years and the outer one orbits as their satellite every 1,150
years. There
were eight major planets and thirty-two minor ones. The battle zone was
shaping into an
oval area between the eccentric orbits of Ranggi planets IV and V as they
approached
conjunction.
When Kinnison sent out a line to Worsel, he instantly recognized the crisis in
its climax: a
wounded Kallatra was being strangled into oblivion by a super mentality. Only
the
bolstering powers of Worsel and Tong were staving off the titanic force
crushing the
young Lensman.
The renegade Lensman! Kinnison thought, imperfect in his impression, but close
enough
to the truth to have a basis for action. And he acted instantaneously.
Kimball Kinnison, at that moment the most powerful mind in two galaxies,
ground his
teeth and projected to the utmost of his will power. To the last microwatt of
his mental
energies he drove in behind Tong and Worsel like a fullback hitting the fine
of scrimmage
to break the opposition and drive the ball carrier forward. His sudden
presence was as
effective as a pinprick into an overinflated balloon. The alien entity simply
vanished, with
a mind-shattering bang.
Out of their disordered thoughts left by the sudden victory, their first
Page 149
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
concern was for
Kallatra. Her mind block freed her of her pain, but she needed immediate
medical
attention. Promptly and efficiently what had to be done was done.
The others were also somewhat the worse for wear, exhausted and too weak to
comment, but Kinnison had read their relief and the knowledge, with gratitude,
that it was
he who had so unexpectedly joined them.
"By Klono's claws!" Kinnison exclaimed, able now to take time to express his
feelings.
"By Klono's cantankerous claws, you fellows met something there!" He searched
their
minds. "You all right?" he asked again, although they had signaled that they
were.
"So," Kinnison said, summing up what was in everyone's mind, "there is a false
Lensman
on the prowl. Too bad, too bad; in fact, it's terrible! Still, I'm damned
pleased you haven't
uncovered a traitor, after all. I knew Mentor couldn't have made such an
error. No Lens
of Arisia, this. Boskone born and bred, eh? By all the purple hells of Palain,
it's far worse
than we imagined!" They had a mental picture of him sadly shaking his head.
"Of course,
Military Intelligence has always worried about such possibilities. My Kinnison
ancestor,
Rod the Rock, worried about Black Patrolmen. How much more awful he'd find
Black
Lensmen. Now that we know our enemy, we can take steps."
Kinnison was ready to turn to other problems, with the moment of adjustment
over, but
he felt moved to say something to Kallatra. "You were great, young 'un!" He
almost
added ". . . for a girl," for old attitudes died hard. Mentor had changed the
rules and he
would live up to them-he vowed henceforth to overcome his prejudices.
Again he asked them if they were all right, and when again he had been
reassured, he
asked about the ships they had been stalking, read the situation and said,
"How long can
you hold out? We've got a major enemy fleet blocking our way to you."
Worsel replied, "We're holding on indefinitely, but any moment something could
bust
loose. The sooner you get here the better is our chance of keeping these
prizes."
"There are," Kinnison informed him, "more than ten thousand fifty ships
organizing into a
three-D X-formation on a longitudinal axis. Are you going to be able to move
in closer and
run the show like the last time, Admiral? Or does this Black Lensman ... ?"
"I'll move in, Kinnison. I'll help in the strategy, but I'd better keep my
mind concentrated
Page 150
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
on the problem here. Kallatra's our watch dog. She knows now she has the
special ability
to warn us about a reappearance of the Black Lensman. But she'll need all the
help she
can get. These prize babies are just what we want, and the other side must
know it.
They'll try to take them back, one way or another, or attempt to destroy them.
There's
no doubt at all that you've got to pull us in, or defend us as soon as
possible."
"QX. I'll see what I can do." Kinnison hesitated for a moment. "Just one
thing, Worsel. I
read your mind clear as crystal. But Kallatra has a mind screen up. Now I know
she's a
peculiar one, and the situation's mighty touchy-but this Black Lensman seems
so damned
insidious. Is there any chance she's under his power-maybe even is the Black
Lensman?
I'm not questioning your competence, Worsel, old friend, I'm just seeking more
reassurance."
"Now that you ask-she's permanently blinded and has lost her left hand. But
mentally
she's QX-stronger than ever. I know you worry about these things, my human
friend, but
don't worry now-Lalla Kallatra's a real Lensman."
A shocked Kinnison swore and, to cover his emotions, curtly said, "I'll be
back." Ten
minutes later he was. "The fleet's not all here. Even then we'll be
outnumbered. We're
not properly organized for our most effective attack. The captains have not
al! been
briefed. Our reconnaissance hasn't been completed." Worsel could almost hear
Kinnison's big, frustrated sigh. "We will attack at once."
Worsel wasn't surprised. He said, "QX. Who's in command?"
"It will have to be me, Worsel. The Dauntless is going to lead the attack. My
job is to
secure the ships you're holding. Your job is to feed the Rigellians
information, and me
advice. QX? Clear ether."
Worsel literally girded himself for action. Around his hard belly, as much a
magnificent
example of physical power as the hard pectoral muscles of Kinnison, he
tightened his
leather-covered mesh-dureum belt from which hung his various items of
equipment,
including a hefty Velantian blaster. He hunkered down in his split-seat chair,
tail sticking
up behind him. The tail muscles were relaxed now, but when the situation got
tense they
would stiffen, the tip of his scimitar tail would swell to expose the horny,
razor-sharp
edge, and the entire length of it would sway and quiver and sometimes twitch.
He threw
a quick double examination by telepathy and perception on Kallatra; the girl
Page 151 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szkicerysunki.xlx.pl
Galactic
Patrol. The Dauntless was in the vanguard, its automatic pilot fixed upon the
Page 148
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
sub-etheric
waves broadcast from the belly of the enemy warship. At first the Ranggi
system was
merely a wave reading on the screens of the Dauntless and a spot of light in
the larger
tank, an uninspiring representation of just another astronomical cluster to be
found in the
galaxy. But when the Dauntless shifted from free travel to inert, the unique
beauty of the
new sector instantly struck the eyes of Kinnison and his fellow Patrolmen.
Ordinary vision
could see the small bright discs in the star-sprinkled sky like variously
colored jewels, but
the telescopic augmentation was truly dazzling.
Nearly one half of the stars in the Milky Way are in multiple systems-three or
more
clustered together. Only one out of four stars are solitary, and one third
travel as double
stars, all in a rich variety of blues, yellows and reds, normal or giant,
pulsating or
exploding or dead. The Ranggi system was a stellar triplet consisting of a
normal white
star paired with an orange giant, around both of which orbited a yellow star.
Kinnison
was struck by its similarity to the familiar Zeta Cancri, in which the
interior pair revolve
every sixty years and the outer one orbits as their satellite every 1,150
years. There
were eight major planets and thirty-two minor ones. The battle zone was
shaping into an
oval area between the eccentric orbits of Ranggi planets IV and V as they
approached
conjunction.
When Kinnison sent out a line to Worsel, he instantly recognized the crisis in
its climax: a
wounded Kallatra was being strangled into oblivion by a super mentality. Only
the
bolstering powers of Worsel and Tong were staving off the titanic force
crushing the
young Lensman.
The renegade Lensman! Kinnison thought, imperfect in his impression, but close
enough
to the truth to have a basis for action. And he acted instantaneously.
Kimball Kinnison, at that moment the most powerful mind in two galaxies,
ground his
teeth and projected to the utmost of his will power. To the last microwatt of
his mental
energies he drove in behind Tong and Worsel like a fullback hitting the fine
of scrimmage
to break the opposition and drive the ball carrier forward. His sudden
presence was as
effective as a pinprick into an overinflated balloon. The alien entity simply
vanished, with
a mind-shattering bang.
Out of their disordered thoughts left by the sudden victory, their first
Page 149
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
concern was for
Kallatra. Her mind block freed her of her pain, but she needed immediate
medical
attention. Promptly and efficiently what had to be done was done.
The others were also somewhat the worse for wear, exhausted and too weak to
comment, but Kinnison had read their relief and the knowledge, with gratitude,
that it was
he who had so unexpectedly joined them.
"By Klono's claws!" Kinnison exclaimed, able now to take time to express his
feelings.
"By Klono's cantankerous claws, you fellows met something there!" He searched
their
minds. "You all right?" he asked again, although they had signaled that they
were.
"So," Kinnison said, summing up what was in everyone's mind, "there is a false
Lensman
on the prowl. Too bad, too bad; in fact, it's terrible! Still, I'm damned
pleased you haven't
uncovered a traitor, after all. I knew Mentor couldn't have made such an
error. No Lens
of Arisia, this. Boskone born and bred, eh? By all the purple hells of Palain,
it's far worse
than we imagined!" They had a mental picture of him sadly shaking his head.
"Of course,
Military Intelligence has always worried about such possibilities. My Kinnison
ancestor,
Rod the Rock, worried about Black Patrolmen. How much more awful he'd find
Black
Lensmen. Now that we know our enemy, we can take steps."
Kinnison was ready to turn to other problems, with the moment of adjustment
over, but
he felt moved to say something to Kallatra. "You were great, young 'un!" He
almost
added ". . . for a girl," for old attitudes died hard. Mentor had changed the
rules and he
would live up to them-he vowed henceforth to overcome his prejudices.
Again he asked them if they were all right, and when again he had been
reassured, he
asked about the ships they had been stalking, read the situation and said,
"How long can
you hold out? We've got a major enemy fleet blocking our way to you."
Worsel replied, "We're holding on indefinitely, but any moment something could
bust
loose. The sooner you get here the better is our chance of keeping these
prizes."
"There are," Kinnison informed him, "more than ten thousand fifty ships
organizing into a
three-D X-formation on a longitudinal axis. Are you going to be able to move
in closer and
run the show like the last time, Admiral? Or does this Black Lensman ... ?"
"I'll move in, Kinnison. I'll help in the strategy, but I'd better keep my
mind concentrated
Page 150
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
on the problem here. Kallatra's our watch dog. She knows now she has the
special ability
to warn us about a reappearance of the Black Lensman. But she'll need all the
help she
can get. These prize babies are just what we want, and the other side must
know it.
They'll try to take them back, one way or another, or attempt to destroy them.
There's
no doubt at all that you've got to pull us in, or defend us as soon as
possible."
"QX. I'll see what I can do." Kinnison hesitated for a moment. "Just one
thing, Worsel. I
read your mind clear as crystal. But Kallatra has a mind screen up. Now I know
she's a
peculiar one, and the situation's mighty touchy-but this Black Lensman seems
so damned
insidious. Is there any chance she's under his power-maybe even is the Black
Lensman?
I'm not questioning your competence, Worsel, old friend, I'm just seeking more
reassurance."
"Now that you ask-she's permanently blinded and has lost her left hand. But
mentally
she's QX-stronger than ever. I know you worry about these things, my human
friend, but
don't worry now-Lalla Kallatra's a real Lensman."
A shocked Kinnison swore and, to cover his emotions, curtly said, "I'll be
back." Ten
minutes later he was. "The fleet's not all here. Even then we'll be
outnumbered. We're
not properly organized for our most effective attack. The captains have not
al! been
briefed. Our reconnaissance hasn't been completed." Worsel could almost hear
Kinnison's big, frustrated sigh. "We will attack at once."
Worsel wasn't surprised. He said, "QX. Who's in command?"
"It will have to be me, Worsel. The Dauntless is going to lead the attack. My
job is to
secure the ships you're holding. Your job is to feed the Rigellians
information, and me
advice. QX? Clear ether."
Worsel literally girded himself for action. Around his hard belly, as much a
magnificent
example of physical power as the hard pectoral muscles of Kinnison, he
tightened his
leather-covered mesh-dureum belt from which hung his various items of
equipment,
including a hefty Velantian blaster. He hunkered down in his split-seat chair,
tail sticking
up behind him. The tail muscles were relaxed now, but when the situation got
tense they
would stiffen, the tip of his scimitar tail would swell to expose the horny,
razor-sharp
edge, and the entire length of it would sway and quiver and sometimes twitch.
He threw
a quick double examination by telepathy and perception on Kallatra; the girl
Page 151 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]