The Keith Laumer MEGAPACK®: 21 Classic Stories. Keith Laumer

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СКАЧАТЬ impression, hell,” Retief said. “They were Terrans! A simple narco-interrogation would get that out of any Groacian who saw the parade.”

      “Yes,” Fith said weakly. “It is true, they were Terrestrials. But there was no killing.”

      “They’re alive?”

      “Alas, no. They…died.”

      Miss Meuhl yelped faintly.

      “I see,” Retief said. “They died.”

      “We tried to keep them alive, of course. But we did not know what foods—”

      “Didn’t take the trouble to find out, either, did you?”

      “They fell ill,” Fith said. “One by one….”

      “We’ll deal with that question later,” Retief said. “Right now, I want more information. Where did you get them? Where did you hide the ship? What happened to the rest of the crew? Did they ‘fall ill’ before the big parade?”

      “There were no more! Absolutely, I assure you!”

      “Killed in the crash landing?”

      “No crash landing. The ship descended intact, east of the city. The…terrestrials…were unharmed. Naturally, we feared them. They were strange to us. We had never before seen such beings.”

      “Stepped off the ship with guns blazing, did they?”

      “Guns? No, no guns—”

      “They raised their hands, didn’t they? Asked for help. You helped them; helped them to death.”

      “How could we know?” Fith moaned.

      “How could you know a flotilla would show up in a few months looking for them, you mean? That was a shock, wasn’t it? I’ll bet you had a brisk time of it hiding the ship, and shutting everybody up. A close call, eh?”

      “We were afraid,” Shluh said. “We are a simple people. We feared the strange creatures from the alien craft. We did not kill them, but we felt it was as well they…did not survive. Then, when the warships came, we realized our error. But we feared to speak. We purged our guilty leaders, concealed what had happened, and…offered our friendship. We invited the opening of diplomatic relations. We made a blunder, it is true, a great blunder. But we have tried to make amends….”

      “Where is the ship?”

      “The ship?”

      “What did you do with it? It was too big to just walk off and forget. Where is it?”

      The two Groacians exchanged looks.

      “We wish to show our contrition,” Fith said. “We will show you the ship.”

      “Miss Meuhl,” Retief said. “If I don’t come back in a reasonable length of time, transmit that recording to Regional Headquarters, sealed.” He stood, looked at the Groaci.

      “Let’s go,” he said.

      * * * *

      Retief stooped under the heavy timbers shoring the entry to the cavern. He peered into the gloom at the curving flank of the space-burned hull.

      “Any lights in here?” he asked.

      A Groacian threw a switch. A weak bluish glow sprang up.

      Retief walked along the raised wooden catwalk, studying the ship. Empty emplacements gaped below lensless scanner eyes. Littered decking was visible within the half-open entry port. Near the bow the words ‘IVS Terrific B7 New Terra’ were lettered in bright chrome duralloy.

      “How did you get it in here?” Retief asked.

      “It was hauled here from the landing point, some nine miles distant,” Fith said, his voice thinner than ever. “This is a natural crevasse. The vessel was lowered into it and roofed over.”

      “How did you shield it so the detectors didn’t pick it up?”

      “All here is high-grade iron ore,” Fith said, waving a member. “Great veins of almost pure metal.”

      Retief grunted. “Let’s go inside.”

      Shluh came forward with a hand-lamp. The party entered the ship.

      Retief clambered up a narrow companionway, glanced around the interior of the control compartment. Dust was thick on the deck, the stanchions where acceleration couches had been mounted, the empty instrument panels, the litter of sheared bolts, scraps of wire and paper. A thin frosting of rust dulled the exposed metal where cutting torches had sliced away heavy shielding. There was a faint odor of stale bedding.

      “The cargo compartment—” Shluh began.

      “I’ve seen enough,” Retief said.

      Silently, the Groacians led the way back out through the tunnel and into the late afternoon sunshine. As they climbed the slope to the steam car, Fith came to Retief’s side.

      “Indeed, I hope that this will be the end of this unfortunate affair,” he said. “Now that all has been fully and honestly shown—”

      “You can skip all that,” Retief said. “You’re nine years late. The crew was still alive when the task force called, I imagine. You killed them—or let them die—rather than take the chance of admitting what you’d done.”

      “We were at fault,” Fith said abjectly. “Now we wish only friendship.”

      “The Terrific was a heavy cruiser, about twenty thousand tons.” Retief looked grimly at the slender Foreign Office official. “Where is she, Fith? I won’t settle for a hundred-ton lifeboat.”

      * * * *

      Fith erected his eye stalks so violently that one eye-shield fell off.

      “I know nothing of…of….” He stopped. His throat vibrated rapidly as he struggled for calm.

      “My government can entertain no further accusations, Mr. Consul,” he said at last. “I have been completely candid with you, I have overlooked your probing into matters not properly within your sphere of responsibility. My patience is at an end.”

      “Where is that ship?” Retief rapped out. “You never learn, do you? You’re still convinced you can hide the whole thing and forget it. I’m telling you you can’t.”

      “We return to the city now,” Fith said. “I can do no more.”

      “You can and you will, Fith,” Retief said. “I intend to get to the truth of this matter.”

      Fith spoke to Shluh in rapid Groacian. The police chief gestured to his four armed constables. They moved to ring Retief in.

      Retief eyed Fith. “Don’t try it,” he said. “You’ll just get yourself in deeper.”

      Fith СКАЧАТЬ