[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Galaxy Science Fiction July 1953.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Anyone mad enough (1) to land on that crazy
world (2) in order to rescue that screwball
explorer should (3) have his head examined!
I
The first thing McCracken did was shoot a Mercurian native. But then
McCracken, although he had powerful muscles, was never supposed to be
very strong in the head.
The expedition was in the Twilight Zone, naturally, at the time.
Without special clothing, which no one had, both the perpetual night
of the Cold Side and the furnace heat of the Hot Side were out of the
question. The Twilight Zone at this point was about forty miles wide,
and the _Astrolight_ had been skillfully brought down smack in the
middle of it. Two hours after the landing, having ascertained that the
air was as breathable as Kalinoff had reported, McCracken went out and
aimed his explosive bullet at the Mercurian.
If it hadn't been for Carvalho, who accompanied him, the rest of the
group would have known nothing of the incident. It was Carvalho who
reported what had happened to Lamoureux, captain of the expedition.
McCracken, of course, burst into vigorous denials that he had shot a
native. "You don't think I'd be fool enough to go around looking for
trouble, do you?"
* * * * *
Lamoureux thought he would, but didn't say so. "You did shoot at
something. We heard the report."
"I tried to hit a dangerous bird."
"What sort of bird was it?"
"Kind of like a penguin, I'd say, but with a broader face. No bill to
speak of--"
"Then don't speak of it," snapped Lamoureux. "Did you score a hit?"
"I think the explosion caught it in the shoulder. It got away."
"Thank God for small favors," said Lamoureux. "That bird, you
pigeon-brain, was a Mercurian. How do you expect intelligent
inhabitants of other planets to look? Like you? They'd die of
mortification."
"Damn it, how was I to know?"
"I told you not to shoot unless you were attacked." Lamoureux scowled.
"Kalinoff is somewhere in the Twilight Zone and we were supposed to
find him with the help of the Mercurians. It may interest you to know
that, while you were out at target practice, some of them came around
here and began to behave as if they wanted to be friendly. Then they
suddenly disappeared. I imagine they got news of what you had done. A
fat lot of help they'll give us now."
"We'll run across Kalinoff without them," said McCracken confidently.
Carvalho, who had a habit of looking for the dark side of every
situation, and finding it, suggested, "Suppose the Mercurians attack
us?"