Authors: Mike Jurist
Ball shrugged. "The whole Universe might as well know now. That poor, crazed prospector was right. It isn't a big one —not over five miles across. But she's just loaded with thermatite."
"Thermatite!" Kerry and Jem looked swiftly at each other. "What percentage alloy?"
"No percentage. It's the pure thing. And a vein as thick as a spaceship. There's been nothing like it found in the System. I think this asteroid must have come from outside. The head of a comet, possibly, caught by Jupiter."
Kerry whistled softly. Thermatite was almost pure energy. It would undergo atomic disintegration
without
giving off gamma rays—hence it could be used in very cheap, very light portable atomic engines that required no shielding. But what thermatite had so far been discovered was so alloyed with inert materials that the expense of extraction practically made up the difference. A vein of pure thermatite therefore meant a sizable fortune to the discoverer.
"What happened then?"
Dark anger lowered on the captain's face. "We had just staked out our claim when that damned pirate came up. We didn't have a chance. Practically my whole crew was out on the asteroid, unarmed; and they had a torpedo gun trained on us. There wasn't a thing we could do but curse and watch. They erased our monuments and raised their own; they took over whatever thermatite we had already mined, emptied our fuel tanks, smashed our radio and set us adrift."
"The dirty highjackers!" growled Jem. "They might as well have murdered you all and been done with it."
"Oh, no!" Ball said sarcastically. "They said as soon as they'd filed the claim properly in their own names they'd report us adrift and have Kenton send a rescue ship out for us."
"By which time you'd be dead,
if
they reported you at all," Kerry said grimly. "This Foote
is
a rat!"
"That's the layout. That's why I want to use your radio. I
want to raise Planets and have them arrested before they file."
Kerry shook his head. "It would be your word against theirs.
They would claim you tried to highjack
them.
Besides, my radio has only a fifty-million-mile radius. By the time we'd get that close they'd already have filed."
The captain swore. He managed to concentrate a good deal into a few words. Jem just glowered.
Kerry thought a moment.
"You took enough observations to calculate the asteroid's orbital elements?"
"Naturally. Otherwise how would we be able to find her again; or file on her? It's quite an eccentric orbit, as you'd suspect from finding her all the way out here. I've never run into any quite like it before."
Kerry's eyes gleamed suddenly. "H-m-m! Mind if I look at your figures?"
"Damned if I know why you want to waste your time. We ought to get started for Planets right away." Ball's fists clenched. "I want to lay hands on a few people."
"There'll be no delay. Jem, get the tractors hitched up properly for towing. I'll be with you in a few minutes."
It was with reluctance that Ball brought out his charts. But there was nothing he could do about it. Kerry had the whip hand.
Kerry studied the charts in silence, made some rapid calculations. When he finally looked up his face was wiped clean of all emotion.
"I'm going to make you a proposition, Ball."
"What is it?"
"About the salvage. The
Flying Meteor is
a heavy boat as well as an expensive one. Towing her won't do my tractors or my hull any good. It's worth every bit of the salvage money. And that's going to run high. One third of your ship's value, and you know what that amounts to."
The captain grimaced. "What can I do? I'm in a tight spot."
Kerry stared up at the ceiling. "You've lost out on the asteroid. Foote's gang will file, and then assign to him. He'll show a check in payment and claim his rights as an innocent purchaser for value. Whatever proceedings you might have against the highjackers would be lost against him. You couldn't prove in a court of law that they were his men."
"N-no," Ball admitted. "I suppose not. I damn well know it, but I couldn't prove it."
"Exactly. And by the time we get back, they'll have vanished. There're plenty of hide-outs among the asteroids where they can hole up until the storm blows over."
"What are you driving at?"
Kerry met his gaze. "This. I'm going to do you a favor; and Old Fireball, your boss, a favor. Though God knows I have no reason to waste favors on him. I'm going to tow you to port gratis, free, and waive the salvage charges."
Ball came halfway out of his chair. "What?"
"In return for something, naturally. There's got to be consideration for a bargain, you know; otherwise the law holds it to be of no effect."
Ball sank back. "Ha! I see!"
"You don't. All I want is a proper assignment from you, as initial discoverer and authorized agent of Kenton Space Enterprises, Unlimited, of all your right, title and interest in and to the said asteroid, duly described, and of all the appurtenances thereto attached."
Suspicion flared in the captain's eye. "You mean you want to take an assignment of something that is valueless?"
"I don't say it's wholly valueless," Kerry said carefully. "I don't want to misrepresent. I think I can get a nuisance value out of the claim. I'm a lawyer, you know."
"And a good one, captain," Jem chimed in heartily.
The suspicion died in Ball. He even grinned. This Kerry Dale, smart as he thought he was, was a fool. Giving up substantial salvage for a remote possibility. The law of filing on newly discovered asteroids was definite. Two steps were required. First, setting up the proper monuments on the asteroid. Second, filing the requisite affidavits in the Claims Office having jurisdiction. In this case, Planets. One step alone was not sufficient. Prior monuments meant nothing; the date of filing controlled. Well, if Kerry Dale wanted to take a chance, who was lie to stop him! In his mind's eye, Ball could hear old Kenton's
approving chuckle. The old man was pretty sore over that last trick Dale had pulled on him.
"O. K.," he said. "Prepare the papers, and I'll sign them."
"After
I take a look-see at the asteroid. I want to make sure
your . .. uh . . . eyes didn't deceive you about that thermatite."
The captain grunted. "Suspicious, hey? Well, I suppose you're entitled to see for yourself."
There was no question about the thermatite. The quivering glow of it was visible a thousand miles away. It sparkled and danced with lambent flame along a wide streak in the dull, stony jaggedness of the tiny space wanderer.
"Satisfied now?" demanded Ball. The sight of that precious vein which was rightfully his by prior discovery embittered him all over again. Someday he'd get those birds!
"Looks all right. We're landing, though."
"Why?"
"To reset your monuments. Filing's no good without them, you know."
Let him have his fun, thought Ball sourly. Nuisance value, my eye! That skunk, Foote, won't pay him a nickel.
The ceremony didn't take long. Four metal stakes were driven deep into the stone, exactly in the niches where Ball's old ones had been ripped out. Then a photoengraving of claim to title was etched deep within the area bounded by the stakes. Meanwhile, Jem gleefully broke off the evidences left by the highjackers.
"Now," said Kerry, "we'll sign the documents. Here's a waiver of salvage, properly prepared, wherein I agree to tow you into port and to accept in full payment thereof your assignment of rights in this asteroid. Please sign here."
For a moment the captain hesitated. This Kerry Dale was a pretty slick fellow. Did he have something up his sleeve? Hell, how could he? Sometimes the smartest fellows overreached themselves. With a little smile he signed.
Carefully Kerry folded the assignment, placed it in his pocket. The captain buttoned up
his
agreement with a sigh of satisfaction. "Let's get going," he said.
"Right. We start at once, Captain Ball. If you'll get back into the
Flying Meteor—"
CHAPTER 7
ON THE
Flash,
Jem said anxiously: "I didn't want to say nothing, Kerry; but it 'pears to me you done yourself out of some healthy money."
Kerry grinned. "So does Ball. Well, we'll see. Meantime, tell the engineer to pull away." He thrust a paper into Jem's hand. "I've plotted our course. Give these figures to him."
Jem stared at them. He knew something about the elements of space navigation. His face showed stupefaction. "This here ain't right—" he exclaimed.
Kerry cut him short.
"I'm
the navigation officer on board, not you. Please follow orders." Then, with a smile, lie patted Jem on the back. "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
Still bewildered, Jem went obediently below.
The lifting rockets spurted. The
Flash,
hitched firmly to the larger
Flying Meteor,
groaned in every strut. The tiny asteroid fell away. They swung a wide arc in space and moved steadily off. The asteroid dropped out of sight.
Kerry settled himself comfortably to await the expected explosion.
It was not long in coming!
About an hour later the visiscreen buzzed sharply. Kerry grinned. That would be Captain Ball. He had given him a single battery for his emergency rig; enough to establish communication between the two ships; but not nearly enough to raise anything outside of a few-thousand-miles range.
He opened the screen.
The captain's apoplectic countenance appeared. "Hey, Dale," he shouted, "where the hell are you going?"
"To port, of course. Where else?"
"You're either crazy, or no navigator. I've been watching the way we're heading this last hour. You'll never get to Planets on this course in a million years."
"Who said anything about Planets?"
Ball choked. "Well, I'll be— And where the hell
are
you going?"
"To Ganymede City, Ganymede, Sector of Jupiter. What's wrong with that?"
The captain's face was purple and green. He shook his fist. "What's wrong with that? Nothing, except that I want to go to Planets. If you don't turn at once—"
"What will happen?" Kerry asked softly.
"I'll have the law on you! Simeon Kenton will have the law on you! We'll break you so hard you'll never be able to pick up the pieces. We'll sue you for damages on the contract."
Kerry composed himself into a more comfortable position. "You mean that waiver of salvage I just signed?"
"I mean nothing, else. You agreed to tow me to Planets."
"Look at it. If you'll find Planets mentioned once in there, I'll not only turn around but pay you salvage."
"Huh? Well . . . uh . . . maybe it isn't mentioned. That doesn't mean a thing. Any fool would know that's the port. That's where I came from; that's where you came from."
"I agreed to take you to port; and I'm taking you. Maybe you've forgotten, or maybe you never knew, but the Interplanetary Commission defined the word 'port' only about two years ago. 'Port,' it said, 'in a contract of salvage, is to be construed as the nearest port of call to the place where the tow was commenced; it being understood, however, that the said point of entry is properly equipped with repair facilities sufficient to put the disabled tow into space worthy condition again. Surely, my dear captain, you don't deny that Ganymede City has proper repair docks? And certainly, if you'd look at your charts, you'd notice that we're a good fifty million miles closer to
Ganymede City than to Planets."
Kerry put on a reproachful air. "Why, if I took you anywhere else I'd be guilty of a serious breach of contract; and Mr. Kenton would be perfectly within his rights in suing
me."
"Damn your decisions and legal twisting’s!" roared Ball. "It was understood we were to go to Planets. Who the hell wants to go to Ganymede?"
"I do. I have business there. As for your understanding, I'm sorry you misunderstood. Naturally, if you were so keen on Planets you should have inserted it in the agreement."
Ball shook his fist again. "I'm coming on board to—"
"Not on my ship," Kerry answered cheerfully. "My space lock's jammed. I'm afraid I won't be able to fix it until we get to Ganymede. See you there."
He reached over and blanked the screen on the torrent of language that the harassed captain was letting loose.
Within a week they were on Ganymede, port of entry for the Jovian System, and capital of the Sector. Ganymede City was a frontier town, rough and sprawling and alive with adventurers come to seek their fortunes on the outskirts of civilization.
But Kerry wasted no time on its sordid delights. He went to the proper officials to transact the business he had in mind, and blasted off for Planets as soon as it was completed and his supplies were replenished.
Captain Ball, irascible, vowing vengeance, took off a day after him. The first thing he had done, after being released from tow in the city's dry-dock, was to give orders to buy fuel for his tanks and to repair his radio. His next was to hasten to the police authorities to swear out a warrant against Kerry for breach of contract, kidnaping, forcible detainer and whatever else he could think of.
The police sent for Kerry. He came smilingly and stated his case. He exhibited his waiver; reached back of the official to take down a volume of the Interplanetary Commission's decisions, turned unerringly to the proper page and showed the text to him. The official read, looked impressed, and forthwith dismissed the case.
Ball stalked out, breathing vengeance. He hurried to the office of the Intersystem Communications System and sent off a long, blistering spacegram to Simeon Kenton, Megalon, Earth. He didn't know Simeon was on Planets. Then he rushed back to the dry-dock and lashed the repair men to a more furious gait.
Out in space, Jem said:
"Whew!
I
never saw Captain Ball so mad before. He'll rip the insides of his ship getting to Planets ahead of us."