[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

We could see it in our  scopes and were sure to overtake him. And then he was joined by a force of fifty
League cruisers, as an escort.
"He must have had secret arrangements with them cruisers to be waiting for him, damn him! Stilicho
continued.  We only had twenty ships. I wanted to keep after them anyway, and fight it out, but Brun
Abo and the rest said it would be suicide."
Stilicho's old voice broke.  I guess they were right, maybe. Getting ourselves all killed wouldn't have
saved Lana. Nothing can save her now and I don't want to live any more, with the lass gone."
Tremulous tears were glistening on the old Martian's starlit face. He wiped them with a quivering hand.
Thorn felt a cold, ghastly shock from what he had heard. Blind emotion surged in him. And then the
instinct to fight back, to persevere, rose to dominate him.
"Are you going to give up Lana for dead? he demanded fiercely of the old man outside.  Are you just
going weep like a woman for her, or are you going to do something?"
"What can I do? Stilicho quavered.  I'd give my life for the lass, but there's nobody can save her now.
She's in Haskell Trask's dungeons on Saturn, by now, and a thousand men couldn't get her out of there."
"A thousand men. Might not, but three men could! Thorn flashed fiercely.  We three we Planeteers!"
Stilicho stared hopelessly.  How could even you Planeteers hope to snatch her from the claws of Haskell
Trask?"
"We've done things as seemingly impossible as that in the past, haven't we? Thorn demanded.  Give us
the chance, Stilicho, and we'll get her out of there or die trying!"
The old Martian's eyes widened.  If anybody could do it, you Planeteers could, he muttered. He stared
doubtfully at Thorn's starlit face.  But you Planeteers are only after the secret Lana knows, the same as
Cheerly."
"We want that secret, yes, Thorn said tensely.  But the only way we can hope to get it is by rescuing
Lana! Can't you see that? I'm hoping that if we save her, she'll tell us the secret. But whether she does or
not, she'll have been saved, and that's all that you care for!"
And as Stilicho still hesitated, Thorn hissed a grim reminder.
"Think what Cheerly will do to Lana to wring the secret from her! Haskell Trask isn't above torture!"
The old man's figure quivered at that.
"She'll never tell them, he muttered,  even though they kill her. I know Lana."
Then the old pirate stiffened with decision, and he spoke rapidly to the tensely waiting three.
"I'm going to take the chance you Planeteers can save her. It looks like the only chance the lass has got.
I'm going to release you, and we'll head out in my ship for Saturn, before Brun Abo and the rest find out
what I've done."
"Will the crew of your ship follow you? Thorn asked quickly, his pulses pounding with excitement and
hope.
"Hell, they'd sail straight into the sun if I laid the course! exclaimed the old pirate. His cracked voice
throbbed with eagerness as he continued.  I'll have to steal the wave key of this brig from the Council
House to let you out. And I'll pass a whisper to my crew to gather in the Venture at once."
The old Martian hastened away through the starlight. John Thorn swung round to his comrades.
"It's a fighting chance we've got now, at least! he exclaimed.
"A pretty slim one, said Gunner Welk somberly.  How in hell's name are we to get that girl away from
Saturn in the teeth of all the League forces? An army couldn't do it."
"We'll have to do what an army couldn't, then, Thorn said grimly.  There must be some way."
Presently they glimpsed Stilicho Keene hastening back to their prison. At the old Martian's heels followed
a great, gray shape with blazing green eyes, Lana's space dog, Ool.
Stilicho turned the wave-key's beam on the lock. The frequencies actuated the delicate mechanism, and
the door opened.
"I had a time stealing the wave-key! panted the old man as Thorn and his comrades emerged.  Brun
Abo and the rest are up in the Council House. As soon as they remember you three, they'll be here to
have you executed."
"Why did you bring the space dog? Gunner asked.
"I didn't bring him he followed me, Stilicho said.  He's been wild since Lana was kidnapped, and I
think he senses we're going after her. The critters are a little telepathic, you know."
"Let him come along. We don't want to arouse any commotion, Thorn said swiftly.  Is your crew
waiting at the ship?"
"All ready, by now, the old pirate replied.  Follow me. We'll have to slip out to the field without being
seen."
He led the Planeteers through the starlight, close against the towering, dark wall of fern-jungle that
encircled Turkoon Town. By that circuitous route they reached the field where the massed pirate ships
lay glinting under the meteor-blazoned sky, The big space dog padded beside them as they approached
the Venture.
They climbed hastily into the long black ship, the animal following them. Stilicho's motley crew were [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]