about it in class but from a lecture in the town hall which I happened to attend, and – And your tavern business, Mr. Sarmishkidu, isn’t worth tuppence if we don’t get rid of the Erse before vacation season begins, so won’t you please come, there’s a dear, or else I’ll ask all my young men friends never to come in here again.’
Sarmishkidu groaned.
CHAPTER SIX
Herr Syrup halted his bicycle and Herr von Himmelschmidt untied his tentacles from around the baggage rack. A small bright sun shone through small bright clouds on Grendel’s spaceport, the air blew soft and sweet, and even the old
Mercury Girl
looked a trifle less discouraged than usual. Not far away a truckload of Erse soldiers was bowling toward the geegee site to work, and however much one desired to throw them off this planetoid, one had to admit their young voices soared miraculously sweet.
‘—
Ochone! Ochone! the men of Ulster cry
.
Ochone! Ochone! The lords an ladies weepin’!
Dear, dear the man that nivver, nivver more shall be. Hoy, there, Paddy, see the colleen, ah, the brave broight soight iv her, whee-ee-whee-ew
!’
The sentry at the ship berth slanted his rifle across Herr Syrup’s path. ‘Halt,’ he said.
‘Vat?’ asked the engineer.
‘Or I shoot,’ explained the guard earnestly.
‘Vat is dis?’ protested Herr Syrup. ‘I got a right on my own ship. I got de General’s written permission, by yiminy, to take her up.’
‘That’s as may be,’ said the guard, hefting his weapon, ‘but I’ve me orders too, which is that ye’re not trusted an’ ye don’t go aboard till your full crew
an’
the riprysintative of the Shamrock League is here.’
‘Oh, vell, if dat is all,’ said Herr Syrup, relieved, ‘den here comes Miss Croft now, and I see a Erser beside her too.’
Still trailed by a receding tide of whistles, Emily came with long indignant strides across the concrete. She bore an outsize picnic basket which her green-clad escort kept trying to take for her. She would snatch it from him, stamp her foot, and try to leave him behind. Unfortunately, he was so big that her half-running pace was an easy amble for him.
Sarmishkidu squinted. ‘By all warped Riemannian space,’ he said at last, ‘is that not Major McConnell?’
Herr Syrup’s heart hit the ground with a dull thud.
‘Ah, there, greetin’s an’ salutations!’ boomed the large young man. ‘An’ accept me congratulations, sir, on choosin’ the loveliest crew which ivver put to sky! Though truth ’tis, she might be just a trifle friendlier. Ah, but once up among the stars, who knows what may develop?’
‘You don’t mean you ban our guard?’ choked Herr Syrup.
‘Yes. An’ ’tis guardsmanlike I look, eh, what?’ beamed Rory McConnell, slapping the machine pistol and trench knife holstered at his belt, the tommy gun at his shoulder, and the rifle across his fifty-kilo field pack.
‘But you ban needed down here!’
‘Not so much, now that we’re organized an’ work is proceedin’ on schedule.’ McConnell winked. ‘An’ faith, when I heard what crew yez would have, sir, why, I knew at once where me real obligations lay. For ’tis five years an’ more that me aged mither on Caer Dubh has plagued me to marry, that she may have grandchilder to brighten her auld age; so I am but doin’ me filial duty.’ He nudged Herr Syrup with a confidential thumb.
When the engineer had been picked up, dusted off, and apologized to, he objected: ‘But does your chief, O’Toole,know you ban doing dis? I t’ought he would not like you associating vit’ us.’
‘O’Toole is somewhat of a fanatic,’ admitted McConnell, ‘but he gave me this assignment whin I asked for it. For ye understand, sir, he is not easy in the heart of him, as long as ye are in orbit with any chance whatsoever to quare his plans. So ’tis happiest he’ll be, the soonest ye’ve finished your repairs an’ returned here. Now I am certificated more as a pilot
Sarmishkidu groaned.
CHAPTER SIX
Herr Syrup halted his bicycle and Herr von Himmelschmidt untied his tentacles from around the baggage rack. A small bright sun shone through small bright clouds on Grendel’s spaceport, the air blew soft and sweet, and even the old
Mercury Girl
looked a trifle less discouraged than usual. Not far away a truckload of Erse soldiers was bowling toward the geegee site to work, and however much one desired to throw them off this planetoid, one had to admit their young voices soared miraculously sweet.
‘—
Ochone! Ochone! the men of Ulster cry
.
Ochone! Ochone! The lords an ladies weepin’!
Dear, dear the man that nivver, nivver more shall be. Hoy, there, Paddy, see the colleen, ah, the brave broight soight iv her, whee-ee-whee-ew
!’
The sentry at the ship berth slanted his rifle across Herr Syrup’s path. ‘Halt,’ he said.
‘Vat?’ asked the engineer.
‘Or I shoot,’ explained the guard earnestly.
‘Vat is dis?’ protested Herr Syrup. ‘I got a right on my own ship. I got de General’s written permission, by yiminy, to take her up.’
‘That’s as may be,’ said the guard, hefting his weapon, ‘but I’ve me orders too, which is that ye’re not trusted an’ ye don’t go aboard till your full crew
an’
the riprysintative of the Shamrock League is here.’
‘Oh, vell, if dat is all,’ said Herr Syrup, relieved, ‘den here comes Miss Croft now, and I see a Erser beside her too.’
Still trailed by a receding tide of whistles, Emily came with long indignant strides across the concrete. She bore an outsize picnic basket which her green-clad escort kept trying to take for her. She would snatch it from him, stamp her foot, and try to leave him behind. Unfortunately, he was so big that her half-running pace was an easy amble for him.
Sarmishkidu squinted. ‘By all warped Riemannian space,’ he said at last, ‘is that not Major McConnell?’
Herr Syrup’s heart hit the ground with a dull thud.
‘Ah, there, greetin’s an’ salutations!’ boomed the large young man. ‘An’ accept me congratulations, sir, on choosin’ the loveliest crew which ivver put to sky! Though truth ’tis, she might be just a trifle friendlier. Ah, but once up among the stars, who knows what may develop?’
‘You don’t mean you ban our guard?’ choked Herr Syrup.
‘Yes. An’ ’tis guardsmanlike I look, eh, what?’ beamed Rory McConnell, slapping the machine pistol and trench knife holstered at his belt, the tommy gun at his shoulder, and the rifle across his fifty-kilo field pack.
‘But you ban needed down here!’
‘Not so much, now that we’re organized an’ work is proceedin’ on schedule.’ McConnell winked. ‘An’ faith, when I heard what crew yez would have, sir, why, I knew at once where me real obligations lay. For ’tis five years an’ more that me aged mither on Caer Dubh has plagued me to marry, that she may have grandchilder to brighten her auld age; so I am but doin’ me filial duty.’ He nudged Herr Syrup with a confidential thumb.
When the engineer had been picked up, dusted off, and apologized to, he objected: ‘But does your chief, O’Toole,know you ban doing dis? I t’ought he would not like you associating vit’ us.’
‘O’Toole is somewhat of a fanatic,’ admitted McConnell, ‘but he gave me this assignment whin I asked for it. For ye understand, sir, he is not easy in the heart of him, as long as ye are in orbit with any chance whatsoever to quare his plans. So ’tis happiest he’ll be, the soonest ye’ve finished your repairs an’ returned here. Now I am certificated more as a pilot
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