that she was trying to convince herself. And it was important that there be some kind of explanation for his escape. Bouvy would undoubtedly be furious with her.
Cautiously, Cargill stole forward. As he reached the shelter of the tree near Carmean the big woman climbed heavily to her feet.
"So you finally got her, Grannis," she said to somebody Cargill couldn't see.
"Yes," said a voice from the other side of the tree behind which Cargill, rigid now, crouched. The man's voice went on, "I couldn't make it any sooner."
"So long as you could make it at all," said Carmean indifferently. "Let's go inside."
Just what he expected then, Cargill had no idea. He had a brief, bitter conviction that he ought to attack both the stranger and Carmean and then:
A Shadow walked into the lighted area.
Morton Cargill stayed where he was, behind the tree. His first feeling of intense disappointment yielded to the realization that there was still hope. This was a secret midnight meeting. The Shadow who had come to talk to Carmean would leave presently, and there'd be another opportunity to seize the ship.
He began cautiously to back away and then he stopped. It seemed to him suddenly that perhaps he ought to overhear what was being said. He was planning how he could do it when Lela slipped up behind him.
"What's the matter?" she whispered angrily. "Why are you standing there?"
"Sh-h-hh!" said Cargill. That was almost automatic. He was intent on his own purposes, feeling now that anything that concerned the Shadows could concern him. "I've got to remember," he told himself, "that I was brought here by someone who intended to use me."
His capture by Lela was an unfortunate incident not on the schedule of the original planners. He paid no attention to the girl but slipped from behind the tree and headed for Carmean's floater. He reached the door safely and flattened himself against the metal wall beside it.
Almost immediately, he had his first disappointment. The voices inside were too far away from him to hear. As had happened when Carmean talked to Pa Bouvy earlier, only occasional words came through.
Once, a man's voice said: "When was that? I don't recall agreeing to that."
A little later, Carmean's voice lifted to audible pitch on a triumphant note. "Don't worry about us. We'll be ready in case there's a hitch-up."
The voices came closer.
"All right now," the Shadow was saying, "let's go and get this man Cargill. I won't feel right until he's safely in our hands again."
Cargill waited for no more. Swiftly, but cautiously, he backed away along the side of the ship. In the darkness under the curving nose of the machine he crouched tensely. The light on the grass in front of the door brightened as the door was opened wider. The Shadow stepped out.
Beyond and through him, a tree was visible. He had a head and body shaped like a man, and as he paused, half turning, waiting for Carmean, his eyes were clearly visible. They were shadow eyes for they did not glitter hi the light. But dull though they were, they were unmistakably eyes.
Carmean came out. She said, "I want to get this straight. I keep this guy Cargill in my ship until I hear from you?" There was satisfaction in her tone.
"Exactly," was the grim reply. "And if I send word bring him without delay. You'll get all the men you want when the time comes." He broke off. "Which ship?"
Cargill didn't catch what Carmean said but she must have indicated the direction. They moved off, out of the spread of light into the greater darkness.
Lela came hurrying from her hiding place. She paused breathless in the night beside him. "Quick," she whispered. "We'll have to get aboard and leave."
"We?" said Cargill. There was no time to talk about the implication of the plural. Clear and loud in the night air came the sound of a knock on metal and then Carmean's voice.
"Bouvy, open up! It's me."
The discovery of his escape was seconds away. Cargill reached the doorway of Carmean's ship,
Cautiously, Cargill stole forward. As he reached the shelter of the tree near Carmean the big woman climbed heavily to her feet.
"So you finally got her, Grannis," she said to somebody Cargill couldn't see.
"Yes," said a voice from the other side of the tree behind which Cargill, rigid now, crouched. The man's voice went on, "I couldn't make it any sooner."
"So long as you could make it at all," said Carmean indifferently. "Let's go inside."
Just what he expected then, Cargill had no idea. He had a brief, bitter conviction that he ought to attack both the stranger and Carmean and then:
A Shadow walked into the lighted area.
Morton Cargill stayed where he was, behind the tree. His first feeling of intense disappointment yielded to the realization that there was still hope. This was a secret midnight meeting. The Shadow who had come to talk to Carmean would leave presently, and there'd be another opportunity to seize the ship.
He began cautiously to back away and then he stopped. It seemed to him suddenly that perhaps he ought to overhear what was being said. He was planning how he could do it when Lela slipped up behind him.
"What's the matter?" she whispered angrily. "Why are you standing there?"
"Sh-h-hh!" said Cargill. That was almost automatic. He was intent on his own purposes, feeling now that anything that concerned the Shadows could concern him. "I've got to remember," he told himself, "that I was brought here by someone who intended to use me."
His capture by Lela was an unfortunate incident not on the schedule of the original planners. He paid no attention to the girl but slipped from behind the tree and headed for Carmean's floater. He reached the door safely and flattened himself against the metal wall beside it.
Almost immediately, he had his first disappointment. The voices inside were too far away from him to hear. As had happened when Carmean talked to Pa Bouvy earlier, only occasional words came through.
Once, a man's voice said: "When was that? I don't recall agreeing to that."
A little later, Carmean's voice lifted to audible pitch on a triumphant note. "Don't worry about us. We'll be ready in case there's a hitch-up."
The voices came closer.
"All right now," the Shadow was saying, "let's go and get this man Cargill. I won't feel right until he's safely in our hands again."
Cargill waited for no more. Swiftly, but cautiously, he backed away along the side of the ship. In the darkness under the curving nose of the machine he crouched tensely. The light on the grass in front of the door brightened as the door was opened wider. The Shadow stepped out.
Beyond and through him, a tree was visible. He had a head and body shaped like a man, and as he paused, half turning, waiting for Carmean, his eyes were clearly visible. They were shadow eyes for they did not glitter hi the light. But dull though they were, they were unmistakably eyes.
Carmean came out. She said, "I want to get this straight. I keep this guy Cargill in my ship until I hear from you?" There was satisfaction in her tone.
"Exactly," was the grim reply. "And if I send word bring him without delay. You'll get all the men you want when the time comes." He broke off. "Which ship?"
Cargill didn't catch what Carmean said but she must have indicated the direction. They moved off, out of the spread of light into the greater darkness.
Lela came hurrying from her hiding place. She paused breathless in the night beside him. "Quick," she whispered. "We'll have to get aboard and leave."
"We?" said Cargill. There was no time to talk about the implication of the plural. Clear and loud in the night air came the sound of a knock on metal and then Carmean's voice.
"Bouvy, open up! It's me."
The discovery of his escape was seconds away. Cargill reached the doorway of Carmean's ship,
Similar Books
