thought of his wife once Djorj had the helmet on.
“Good morning.” He went into the kitchen of their cottage. “Rained all night. I doubt my traps will have caught much of anything.”
His wife pointed at a radio which sat on the oaken table in the room’s center. “There was a train wreck not far from us.”
“I’m not interested in other people’s troubles this early in the morning.” He made his way to the wood stove, holding his blue hands over it.
“It could turn into trouble for us.”
Frowning, the trapper went to the table and put on the earphones of the portable radio.
“We repeat the announcement,” came the message. “These animals are dangerous. It is believed that at least a half-dozen of them, or perhaps more, escaped from the wrecked circus train. They are all highly dangerous alien creatures. The government and the militia advise you to stay inside if you live anywhere in the vicinity of the crash. Lock your doors and do not venture forth until these vicious creatures have been recaptured. Captain Suell of the National Militia promises that all escaped beasts will soon be caught.”
Djorj removed the earphones, leaning back in his wooden chair, “Did they say anything about a reward?”
“I don’t know,” said his wife, turning anxiously to him. “You’re not thinking of—?”
“If I could catch even one, there should be something in it for us. Surely more than a month’s hides bring us.” He nodded to himself. “These are rare creatures, after all. I’ve heard some have sold for as much as fifteen hundred harlans in the capital. Yes, fifteen hundred.”
“But they’re dangerous,” his wife told him. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Suppose I could catch all six.” Djorj stood up. “Think of what they might pay me for six.”
“Djorj, please. Stay here, inside and safe.”
The blue man was already in the parlor, taking a rain garment and boots from the closet. “Some of these beasts are probably roaming our woods right now. This is my chance.”
“At least wait until you’ve had your breakfast.”
The trapper selected a stun rifle from the rack in the closet. Then he returned to the kitchen to grab up the radio. “I’ll take this along so I can keep up with the hunt. I think I know these woods a good deal better than the militia.”
His wife looked away, sending no parting thoughts to Djorj as he went tramping out into the wet morning.
Narla said, “Not that this isn’t comfortable, but I really think I can walk now.”
Flash had been carrying the slim girl. “Okay, let’s try it and see.” He placed her gently on her feet on the mossy ground.
“I’m a little bit dizzy,” she said, steadying herself with a hand against his arm.
“Nobody gives a hoot about me,” said Booker, who, breathing heavily, was at the rear of the group as they made their way deeper into the forest.
“I’m thinking about you all the time,” Sixy said, back over his shoulder.
“Nobody gives me a helping hand.”
They had been pushing up through the woods for over a half hour. There had been no sound of pursuit.
“I think we’ve gotten clear of those little blue devils for now,” said the huge Mallox.
Flash placed a hand under the girl’s elbow. “I’ll hold onto you till you’re sure of yourself.”
Huk fluttered his huge wings. “I think I’ll fly ahead for another look around.”
“Careful of their airships,” cautioned Jape.
The hawkman went flapping up through the rain.
“I wonder,” said Narla, “if we’ll ever get off this planet, Flash. Sometimes I think it’s hopeless.”
“The blue men have ships for interplanetary travel,” said Flash. “We should be able to capture one with luck.”
“You sound very confident,” she said. “I’d like to believe you. You’re certainly the kind of man I can believe in, but I feel very gloomy this morning. All I can see is the ‘right now’ of things.”
“It may take us some time.
“Good morning.” He went into the kitchen of their cottage. “Rained all night. I doubt my traps will have caught much of anything.”
His wife pointed at a radio which sat on the oaken table in the room’s center. “There was a train wreck not far from us.”
“I’m not interested in other people’s troubles this early in the morning.” He made his way to the wood stove, holding his blue hands over it.
“It could turn into trouble for us.”
Frowning, the trapper went to the table and put on the earphones of the portable radio.
“We repeat the announcement,” came the message. “These animals are dangerous. It is believed that at least a half-dozen of them, or perhaps more, escaped from the wrecked circus train. They are all highly dangerous alien creatures. The government and the militia advise you to stay inside if you live anywhere in the vicinity of the crash. Lock your doors and do not venture forth until these vicious creatures have been recaptured. Captain Suell of the National Militia promises that all escaped beasts will soon be caught.”
Djorj removed the earphones, leaning back in his wooden chair, “Did they say anything about a reward?”
“I don’t know,” said his wife, turning anxiously to him. “You’re not thinking of—?”
“If I could catch even one, there should be something in it for us. Surely more than a month’s hides bring us.” He nodded to himself. “These are rare creatures, after all. I’ve heard some have sold for as much as fifteen hundred harlans in the capital. Yes, fifteen hundred.”
“But they’re dangerous,” his wife told him. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Suppose I could catch all six.” Djorj stood up. “Think of what they might pay me for six.”
“Djorj, please. Stay here, inside and safe.”
The blue man was already in the parlor, taking a rain garment and boots from the closet. “Some of these beasts are probably roaming our woods right now. This is my chance.”
“At least wait until you’ve had your breakfast.”
The trapper selected a stun rifle from the rack in the closet. Then he returned to the kitchen to grab up the radio. “I’ll take this along so I can keep up with the hunt. I think I know these woods a good deal better than the militia.”
His wife looked away, sending no parting thoughts to Djorj as he went tramping out into the wet morning.
Narla said, “Not that this isn’t comfortable, but I really think I can walk now.”
Flash had been carrying the slim girl. “Okay, let’s try it and see.” He placed her gently on her feet on the mossy ground.
“I’m a little bit dizzy,” she said, steadying herself with a hand against his arm.
“Nobody gives a hoot about me,” said Booker, who, breathing heavily, was at the rear of the group as they made their way deeper into the forest.
“I’m thinking about you all the time,” Sixy said, back over his shoulder.
“Nobody gives me a helping hand.”
They had been pushing up through the woods for over a half hour. There had been no sound of pursuit.
“I think we’ve gotten clear of those little blue devils for now,” said the huge Mallox.
Flash placed a hand under the girl’s elbow. “I’ll hold onto you till you’re sure of yourself.”
Huk fluttered his huge wings. “I think I’ll fly ahead for another look around.”
“Careful of their airships,” cautioned Jape.
The hawkman went flapping up through the rain.
“I wonder,” said Narla, “if we’ll ever get off this planet, Flash. Sometimes I think it’s hopeless.”
“The blue men have ships for interplanetary travel,” said Flash. “We should be able to capture one with luck.”
“You sound very confident,” she said. “I’d like to believe you. You’re certainly the kind of man I can believe in, but I feel very gloomy this morning. All I can see is the ‘right now’ of things.”
“It may take us some time.
Similar Books
