Part 26 (2/2)

”I see your point,” Hanlon was greatly impressed by Philander's earnestness. ”Maybe you're right. I'm still just a kid, I guess, with a kid's immature outlook. That's why I appreciate your friends.h.i.+p and advice so much, sir. You've been almost like a second father to me.”

This was honest--he liked Philander now more than ever.

The look on the elder's face, too, defied description, but that he was secretly pleased was evident.

”Well, run along then, and I'll get at that letter. Meanwhile get your things packed, so you'll be ready to leave when the s.h.i.+p comes. And George, my boy, I do hope you come back. It'll be mighty lonely here without you.”

”I'll certainly do my best to get back, sir. Goodnight, and thanks again ... for everything.”

Hanlon hated that seeming lie, and as he walked slowly back to his room he determined to get the man away from those plotters, and into a better and more legitimate position.

He would certainly so recommend to the Secret Service High Command after this mess was cleaned up.

The next days Hanlon spent almost his entire s.h.i.+ft-time underground talking earnestly to Geck.

”I want to impress on the minds of you and all the natives here that I'll be working my hardest for them every minute I'm gone,” he said impressively. ”Don't let them do anything foolish unless or until it becomes completely sure that I've failed. If I can do anything at all, it should be within a quarter year after I leave, and probably much sooner. If I succeed, you'll all be free, and these men either chased off your planet or killed.”

”All we understand, An-yon. We know you are true friend, know you want to help us. We will keep working, make no attempts to escape. We know if do we just be killed, or hunted and caught again. Condition of we before you come so bad we had come to feel only end for us be death of race.

Now you bring hope. Now we know most humans good people, so we wait in hope you soon succeed.”

”That's the spirit. I know it's tough on all of you, but I also know what the Inter-Stellar Corps is, and what they can and will do when they learn of your plight.”

He linked his mind with Geck's as the latter telepathed the natives in other parts of the planet, and was thus enabled to get final descriptions of what they could tell of what was being done at each mine and factory and s.h.i.+pyard. He knew exactly how many s.h.i.+ps had been built or were under construction, and approximately how far along the hulls of the big ones were completed. He was also able to get a very good general knowledge of the size and structural description of each type of vessel.

But of their armaments or propulsive methods he had not been able to get any information--such things were too far beyond the natives' simple abilities to describe or picture for him.

Hanlon's ability to telepath, through Geck, was growing much stronger, although he was still not able to telepath direct to any of the distant Guddus. He could, however, do so to some extent to one close by.

But he still could not read anything in a human mind except the surface thoughts. And how he could use that ability! With that, his task would be much simpler.

But he had learned to be content with what he had, realizing it was undoubtedly unique in human history. It had brought him this far along, and he had collected a lot of information which he could not have gained in any other manner--information that he could report to the Corps as soon as he got back to Simonides and had the chance to go to the bank or contact them in some other way.

”Liberation Day,” as Hanlon had taken to calling it in his mind, finally arrived. He was all packed and waiting for the s.h.i.+p. When it was sighted he and Philander went to the field to meet it.

When the captain came out, the three stood in conversation while the crew hurriedly unloaded the supplies they had brought, and those leaving had gone aboard. The captain handed Philander some letters, but the latter shoved them in his pocket for the time beings without stopping to look at them.

Finally it was time for blast-off, and Hanlon said his last farewells to the superintendent, then went in to stow his bags in his stateroom and prepare for take-off. He had expected to be locked in again, and merely tried the door out of curiosity. But to his surprise it wasn't locked, so he went out. He was wise enough not to attempt to invade the control room, but did hunt up a viewing-screen and strap himself into the chair before it.

He manipulated the dials and had just got an outside view as the pilot began activating the tubes. Hanlon saw Philander come running from the little path through the jungle, back toward the field, waving a letter, trying to attract attention.

But evidently neither the captain, pilot nor any watch officer saw him, for at that moment the great wash of flame from the tubes blotted out the scene, and Hanlon was forced deeply into his acceleration chair as the s.h.i.+p lifted gravs.

The trip back was uneventful. Hanlon kept careful track of the time, and strained all his s.p.a.ceman's senses properly to evaluate their speed. As the s.h.i.+p braked for the landing on Simonides he completed his calculations, and was quite sure the distance between the two planets was twelve and a quarter light years, plus or minus not over two percent, and that Algon was somewhere near right ascension eighteen hours, and declination plus fifteen degrees.

As he pa.s.sed through the airlock and started down the plank, he was surprised and a bit dismayed to see Panek and two of the other gunmen he had seen in that back room, waiting for him, their faces impa.s.sive and unreadable.

”A welcoming committee, eh?” he greeted them with a smile that tried to cover his disappointment. ”Hiya, Panek! Hi, fellows!”

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