Part 1 (1/2)
The Sphere of Sleep
by Chester S Geier
[Sidenote: Brad Nelson had a perfect way to kill Big Ti accused Then his foot slipped and he was hurled into an unknoorld]
”I've got to kill you, Big Tiot to kill you! I want Laura--and you're standing in ently and continuously in Brad Nellon's mind He was absorbed in it to the extent that the terrible titanian gale which roared beyond the shelter of his therotten
Beside hi His large, brown face crinkled in a grin of boyish enjoyh the fierce drive of wind and snow That grin was always there It was as entle brown eyes and giant's fra and carefree, and life ran rich and full in his veins
On Brad Nellon's face there was no enjoyainst the storm There was not even his usual resentrey eyes were covered with a heavy filht He walked in a world where there was no storery constructed by his brain
His stocky, powerful for mechanically
Theywind Great pinnacles and ridges, worn into fantastic shapes by the gale, towered on every side The curtain of snow occasionally lifted to reveal white hillsice sheets, yawning chasms And sometimes, farther in the distance, there would be awesohts was broken abruptly by the sudden huuilty quickness
Awareness of his cos, rushed back in a flood
”On the watch, guy,” the voice of Big Tim Austin cautioned ”We're almost near Tower Point”
NellonHis eyes probed momentarily into those of the other, then dropped quickly back to the snow His earphones hu?”
Nellon's face tautened in sudden panic Again his eyes flashed to Austin But he did not find in them the suspicion which he expected
There was only solicitous wonder
”I'ht,” Nellon answered ”Just a bit tired, that's all” He realized that his voice sounded hoarse and unnatural With aze, he tried to learn its effect upon Austin
But it was the content of his voice, not its tone which had registered upon Big Tim Nellon was startled by the unexpected flood of veheh his earphones
”That's the result of short rations, daet us sooner or later We should've been on our way hoinning to end
”You shouldn't have coo after old Ryska's stuff But I thought it would be all right, because we're the only real hebut theory-spinning They've thrown the expedition off schedule with their ot the rest of us down on short rations And now, just as we're ready to leave at last, one of them has to re around somewhere in the snow”
Austin was silent a while When he spoke again, the old laughter-lights were back twinkling in his eyes
”Oh, hell, Brad I guess I' kept away fro holds us back I can't wait to see her again”
”Yes, I kno it is,” Nellon muttered