She nodded.
"Well, what were you two doing here? You don't look like the people who
usually land here, especially stay here for any length of time."
She sighed and bit her lip. "My--my brother and I were members of a
traveling theater. He got into a fight with the manager--my brother
is--was--very temperamental and he insisted on being let off at the
nearest port. The ship came here and--I decided to stay with my
brother. It was only after the ship had gone that we discovered we only
had enough money for one passage back to earth. So--I--"
Brace got up suddenly. "Never mind," he said, bruskly. He didn't want
to hear any more. He straightened. Well, that's the way life was. Some
people got the breaks, some didn't. It wasn't his fault. At least, it
would be a quick death. He'd see to that.
"I'll have some food sent to you," Brace said, opening the door. She
didn't look up, nor did she answer, and Brace hesitated a moment before
stepping out of the cabin. It was just momentary, then he closed the
door behind him and walked on down the companionway.
There was some strange humor, he reflected, in the fact that a thin,
almost skinny girl was the greatest danger he'd ever faced, his
greatest threat. The S.P. might return at any time. There were still
two hours almost and he didn't dare blast off early. If he could
only get--He realized abruptly that the mate was standing in the
companionway, staring at him.
"Barrows!" Brace grunted. "Get the men together in the mess room."
* * * * *
Tableware lay in mute rows and the only sound was the humming
ventilator. Brace sat down in a chair to wait until the men had all
filed in. They were cast in the same mold, and forged to the same
temper as their Captain, brittle, hard, unyielding. When they had
assembled around the table, Barrows closed the door.
"The ship's locked, Captain," Barrows said. "The girl can't escape."
Brace nodded, got up, and stared at his men, one by one, seventeen of
the fiercest toughest men ever baptised in the maw of space and all
threatened by a stupid girl. Brace's hoarse voice resounded in the room
as he told about the night before, chronologically, neither adding nor
detracting. They listened without comment.
"There's an out for some of you," Brace finished. "I can give you your
papers and a note to Captains of ships which happen to be here now.
They'll sign you on and the S.P. won't be able to find you guilty of
anything. They won't even be able to prove you're my men. As for you,
Barrows, you can sign on with Grant and he'll doctor it up so that
it'll look like you signed on a couple of days ago."
"Naw, not me!" Barrows said, disgustedly.
A chorus of rejections went up at once. It wasn't loyalty to their
Captain, just a mutual hatred for the S.P.
The second cook, however, walked toward Brace. "I'll take my papers,
Captain," he said quickly.
The Chief Cook took one step. No one actually saw the fist land, but
they watched the second cook slide across the deck and come to rest
in a limp heap. Then the Chief Cook grinned at Brace, revealing two
missing teeth.
"The second cook has changed his mind, Captain," he said.
The men laughed.
"All right, men," Brace said, sobering quickly. "We've got about an
hour and a half to wait. That gives us enough time to eat, and then
we'll see if we can get into space."
"First watch on duty!" Barrows shouted.
Several men left and the others straggled out after them. The Chief
Cook disappeared into the galley, dragging his assistant after him.
When the men had gone, Barrows turned to Brace. "Goin' a chuck her out
in space?"
Brace rubbed his chin. "I don't know. I'll figure it out after we blast
off."
The port buzzer rang hollowly through the ship. Tensing, Barrows looked
at the Captain, then his hand slid inside his jacket and he pulled out
a large atoblast and hefted it.
"Put away the toy," Brace grunted. "I'll bluff 'em. If I can't, you get
'em from the companionway and we'll blast off."
Barrows nodded and followed Brace into the companionway. The big mate
stopped at the corner, waiting just out of sight with his gun held
level.
* * * * *
Brace waddled down the short companionway and stepped into the port.
A moment later, the other port opened and Brace exhaled sharply when
he saw the thin-faced man he'd met in the bar standing before him. His
feet shifted uneasily in the sand under the Captain's unflinching gaze.
"Well!" Brace bellowed.
"I want to talk to you, Captain Brace."
In answer, Brace jabbed the closing button.
"Or shall I talk to the S.P.?" the thin-faced man shouted through the
closing crack.
Brace jabbed the opener and stood impassively as the portal swung wide.
"That's better," the man on the ground said, smiling.
Brace's paw reached down and jerked him into the portal by the front of
his tunic. They stood there as the portal closed, face to face, Brace's
eyes burning into the livid terror of the other man.
"You aren't going to talk to anybody," Brace muttered, throwing him
into the companionway.
"I got friends who are watching!" the little man yelped. He slithered
away. "It won't do any good to kill me!"
Barrows came around the corner. He took one look at the cringing figure
and disgustedly tucked the atoblast back into his tunic. Then he
reached for the thin-faced man.
"Wait!" Brace snapped.
The little man, shaking violently, got to his knees, then to his feet.
"Now Captain, I want you to understand I didn't come here to threaten
you. I've got a business proposition. Strictly business!" He drew a
long breath and some of his confidence returned. "And, I may be able to
do you some good."
Brace glared at him, then turned to Barrows. "Check on the cargo!" he
growled.
Barrows nodded and started in the direction of the Captain's cabin.
"Come on!" Brace grunted when Barrows was out of sight. He led the
thin-faced man forward to the tiny chart room, let him in, then closed
the door. "All right, what have you got to say?"
"Well--ah--first of all, Captain, I'd like to introduce myself. My name
is Gartland. I'm a trader."