"Not meekly. He said that if he wished, he could "take care" of the
whole crew. And if I repeated what he said to me, to anyone, he'd brand
it as a pack of lies. He particularly cautioned me against telling you.
He said he didn't want to be forced into "taking care" of you."
"But you told me," I said.
"I'm warning you, Bill Drake. Watch out for Spartan. He doesn't intend
for you to return alive--or anyone else who opposes him."
I no longer understood Spartan. Would he kill to have his way? I had
suspected his hatred since the day the wedding was agreed upon. "He
wanted to marry you," I said, "but you changed the plan. Why didn't he
object then?"
"Because he couldn't on the earth. And when I made a point of platonic
marriage he thought he could fit it into his plan."
My heart bounded hopefully. "It wasn't a platonic marriage you wanted?"
I asked softly. I tried to take her hand but she pulled it away.
"No, Bill!" It was the first time since we'd left the earth, that she
used my first name alone. "I really meant it when I suggested it. I
knew Spartan. I'd been in space with him before, but I managed him.
This is different. I wanted you to protect me--but not as a husband."
My heart sank and I felt helpless. I walked over to the dryer. "Lots of
dirty laundry today," I said.
"You can say that again," she replied.
Spartan's voice came over the intercom as I started to take the laundry
from the dryer.
"Attention, please. Just fifteen seconds ago, the Jehad reached the
escape velocity for this distance from the earth. We have broken away
from terrestrial gravity. Mr. Ludson and I are now computing the
necessary corrections to put us on the proper orbit to reach Mars."
Gail looked at me and I stared back at her. We had gone beyond the
point of no return.
_Chapter 5_
After that talk with Gail, I had my first thoughts of mutiny. But I'd
been raised with a good, healthy respect for authority and, because
most persons I'd come in contact with who had it, used judgment in
administering it, I had seen no reason for changing my attitude. Even
Spartan, when he was drilling us for this trip, had seemed to be right,
in spite of his toughness. But as the earth grew smaller behind us, I
began to look for allies, in case we were ever forced into a showdown
with Spartan.
I wondered if Gail had been right when she said the others wouldn't
stand for any nonsense. I doubted if they would. Not all of them
anyhow. Dr. Joel had suddenly seemed to discover that Dr. Spartan was
a great man. Spartan fawned on Joel and Joel became Spartan's slave,
carrying his meals to him, posting Spartan's orders, and acting as a
self-appointed second-in-command.
Morrie might defend Gail, but he certainly wouldn't raise a hand to
keep Spartan from tossing me into the great out-yonder, if it came
right down to it. Morrie was in the throes of puppy love for Gail. It
showed in every move he made. Besides, the kid was upset. Homesick
maybe. Or afraid. Everything was strange here and he longed for
something familiar. He turned to Gail for comfort. And if Morrie were
told of Spartan's actions toward Gail, the young fellow was hot-headed
enough to march into Spartan's cabin and get himself--and me--in a jam.
Axel was steady, staunch and level-headed. But I hesitated about
confiding in him. Like me, Axel had a respect for authority. He
couldn't take my unsupported word that Spartan meant to kill me and
take Gail. Furthermore, I remembered that Axel had refused to accept
Gail because he did not believe in the kind of marriage she proposed.
Was that the real reason? Or did he know Spartan's plans? Perhaps Axel
was Spartan's real second-in-command, ready to do the muscle work when
the time came.
We were still in radio communication with the earth and I considered
sending a message back. But what could I say? Spartan would claim I was
space crazy. And the next message would tell the earth that in a fit
of madness I'd jumped overboard. What proof could I offer in a message
that Spartan had ever made his proposition to her? He'd just say she'd
dreamed it. It was his word against hers.
Gail agreed when I told her this. "Perhaps he didn't mean it the way it
sounded," she said.
"How else could he mean it?" I asked.
"Well, maybe he intended for me to take his cabin and he'd sleep
somewhere else."
"What about the bit where he said he had the power of life and death
over us?"
"Well, he did mention that, but he might not have been serious. I don't
know what to think any more." She sighed heavily. "And he does have the
power of life and death, you know."
We'd been talking together in the galley, alone over cups of instant
coffee. Now the door opened and Morrie Grover came in. He gave Gail one
of his looks, then turned to me.
"Pretty soft," he said. "You got the only girl in umpteen million
miles."
I thought he was kidding and I replied in kind. "Yeah. We're
honeymooners. Can't you leave us alone?"
"That wasn't in the agreement," he snapped. I knew then he wasn't
kidding.
Come to think of it, we'd all been a little edgy lately--ever since the
earth had lost its grip on us. The pleasant feeling within our little
group was no more. The honeymoon of the adventurers in space was just
as phony as the honeymoon of Gail and me.
"What's the matter, Morrie?" I asked. "Got an upset stomach, or do you
just need a cup of coffee? We've got the coffee. Help yourself."
"You're a jerk," said Morrie.
There was no doubt that I was as edgy as anyone. Otherwise, Morrie's
attitude would not have set me off. "You're a punk," I replied.
"Come off it, you two," said Gail. "You're acting like a couple of
schoolboys."