Dorothy De Courcy

“ He didn't throw himself like an animal, he raced in like a panther, his young, small fists cocked professionally.
It was all a blur to Brace, the flying fists, the thudding blows, as he waved his long arms. He stumbled into the backdrop but its cloth surface muffled any sound. Half blind, he clutched the fabric with one hand, then reached with the other and dragged the young man to him.
Brace hadn't meant to hurt him. He had only wanted to drive him away. ”

“ Once through the double portals, she pulled the respirator from her face. The air inside was dirty and smelly but it was breathable. People were eating noisily, boisterously, with all the lusty, unclean young life that was Venus. They clamored, banged and threw things for no reason other than to throw them.
She guided the little one past the tables filled with people and into the kitchen. The door closed with a bang, shutting out much of the noise from the big room. Gingerly she sat him down on a stool, and with detergent and water she began removing the mud. ”

“ Better Gartland's life than no life at all. She was too young, too much alive to die.
He kicked the hatch closed, shutting out the light from beneath, and they stood alone, a man and a woman amid the stars.
Women are funny, Brace thought. They know things. She knows what I have to do. She isn't fighting. ”

“ Thurwinker nodded. "When your hairs grows out you'll have to get another haircut or you won't be Chief. Is that it?"
"Yes," Goma mumbled. There was a silence. Then Goma asked, "Other—people—cut hair?"
"No," Thurwinker informed. "Just barber."
"Bar-ber." Goma turned the unfamiliar word around on his tongue. "Bar-ber. I will fix," he grunted. "I kill bar-ber." He arose and started for the door.
"No, no, no! Wait, wait!!" Thurwinker jumped to block Goma's way. After much persuasion, he got Goma back into his chair again. "Big Chief," he said, slowly. "You are right. Bar-ber is very bad man." ”

“ The vast crescent of Jupiter lay on the horizon ahead, reflecting brilliant light across the glistening sand. The sun, like a giant star, lay close near the horizon, forty five degrees from the half illumined bulk of Jupiter. The huge planet, however, radiated warmth, while the sun seemed cool and distant and somehow removed.
Gartland stepped onto the sand, his feet making the weird and wispy crunches characteristic of Titan, and Brace touched a button and re-entered his ship.
"Did you throw the scum out?" Barrows asked.
Brace looked up. The tall mate was standing impassively beside the port. ”

“ Sam continued. "Thurwinker let the word leak out to the natives that Goma had captured Roy. This made Goma a bigger hero than ever. We marched Roy down to the first transport that came in as if he was a prisoner and kept our guns ready until they took off just to impress the natives. Of course, we had to let our hair grow but we got the iridium and that's what we were after. Just as long as the natives don't see anyone with a haircut, everything will be fine." ”

“ When the coffee was half gone, he felt the thump of a lifeboat going free and he laughed softly. What would Barrows think when he felt a second thump?
He rose then, leaving his coffee, and walked swiftly down the companionway to an escape hatch. In a moment, he had sealed himself in a life craft and then he hesitated, his finger on the release lever.
No, he decided. The case was only against him, no one else. The girl would tell them she'd never seen anyone but him. She couldn't give them a description of Barrows or the others even if they tried to trick her. ”

“ Meanwhile, they labor to extract the wealth of Venus without the bitterness and hate, without the savagery and fear of their neighbors. Hence, they are regarded by all with the greatest suspicion.
The Federated States, after their fashion, plunder the land and send screaming ships to North America laden with booty and with men grown suddenly rich—and with men who will never care for riches or anything else again. ”

“ That just leaves Gartland—and he wouldn't do any talking. He rammed the lever home and with a shock, the tiny craft swung away from the mother ship.
Viciously, Brace slammed the acceleration lever wide open and stared ahead through the transparent port at the stars. "The night has a thousand eyes," he murmured. His lips clamped tight over his bulging teeth. As his ship circled, the sun came into view, big, hot, and glaring, yet small against the backdrop, and the little ship screamed toward it. ”

“ The atomic converter's whine ran through the metal structure of the ship and the roar of the jets died away to the deeper boom of the atomic drive. Brace sank a little further into the cushions.
"3 G's!" Barrows ordered.
Brace sank still further into the cushions, the pressure holding him firm. Breathing was more of an effort. Barrows rested his head on the cushion of the acceleration chair and closed his eyes. The pilot watched down his nose at the dials before him, his leaden hands resting on the soft arms of his chair. ”

“ Venus was the most miserable planet in the system, peopled by miserable excuses for human beings. And somewhere among this conglomeration of boiling protoplasm there was a being unlike the others, a being who walked and talked like the others but who was different—and afraid the difference would be discovered. ”

“ Perhaps that deep essence of woman had told her that time had run out. Maybe men knew it too. Maybe everybody knew when their time came to die.
He thrust these thoughts aside and stepped into the cabin. The girl was still on the bunk. Its free floating gimbals had swung it back.
"The acceleration bother you?" Brace asked.
"No," she replied, quietly.
He walked over and stood by the bunk. The girl rose slowly and sat, staring up at him. "You're going to do it now?"
Brace looked down at his gnarled hands, clenched his fingers and studied them. "Would you like anything?" he asked slowly. ”

“ He finally persuaded the Chief of the natives to talk the situation over with him."
Goma growled deeply in his barrel chest. "You have land. Why want you more?"
Thurwinker hesitated, trying to phrase the proper answer in Goma's language. "This land not good," he said, pointing to the crater. Then turning, "this land, good. We want good land."
"You cannot have land," Goma replied with classic simplicity.
"I gave you many things for bad land," Thurwinker answered. "I will give you more for good land."
"I not want things," Goma stated. "I keep land." ”

“ 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."
Brace studied him. "I've heard of you."
"Well, in that case, you know I'm an honest man—always seeking good business—both for a little profit and—to give others a helping hand." ”

“ Roy hesitated but Goma held up his hand again, making cutting motions. Roy selected a few more strands of hair. As he cut, Goma's breath hissed in sharply and his hands clutched the sides of the chair. On the third cut, Goma's body relaxed and his eyes closed.
Thurwinker rushed to his side. He looked at him for a minute and then ran to the door. "Quick," he said to one of the miners. "Get Dr. Bowen!"
The natives outside began to mutter angrily. Thurwinker dashed back to the barber chair. "Go ahead," he hissed. "Keep cutting! Don't let the natives think anything's gone wrong!" ”

“ Sleepy-eyed, phlegmatic Martians, self-condemned for minute violations of their incredible and complex mores—without guards save themselves—will return to the subterranean cities, complex philosophies, and cool, dry air of Mars when they have declared their own sentences to be at an end. ”

“ 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. ”

“ This is colonized Venus, where one may walk without the threat of sudden death—except from other men—the most bitterly fought for, the dearest, bloodiest, most worthless land in the solar system.
Separated by men into East and West at the center of the Twilight Zone, the division across the continent is the irregular, jagged line of Mud River, springing from the Great Serpent Range.
The African Republic holds one quarter which the Negroes exploit as best they can, encumbered by filter masks and protective clothing. ”

“ The Franklin was the newest and best ship of the Morgan Interstellar Transportation Corporation. It was plain from the Captain's pouter-pigeon stance that he too was aware of this fact. The only jarring note in Captain Webster's mind was the unscheduled stop at Procyon IV. He glanced again at the yellow blank in his hand, his lips moving slightly as he re-read it.
"Captain Webster, Commanding S. S. Franklin, enroute to earth. Make contact with Procyon IV. Passenger for earth waiting at Iridium City. Necessary time will be allowed on your schedule. ”

“ Something went very, very wrong and they tried to land so they could fix it. But when they tried to land they found they couldn't—and they fell and just barely managed to save themselves. The big, beautiful ship was all broken. Well, since they couldn't fix the ship at all now, they set out on foot to find out where they were and to see if they could get help. Then they found that they were in a land of great big giants, and the people were very fierce. ”

“ Sam smiled. "No. I've been dreaming about this haircut for ages. Just tell me where my cabin is and take me to the barber shop!"
The spaceman nodded and picked up Sam's bag. Sam followed him down the companionway to the barber shop.
"Your stateroom is L-14, sir," the spaceman said. "It's the last cabin on the left at the end of this companionway."
"Thank you," Sam replied as he stepped into the shop.
The barber closed the book he was reading and jumped up. "Yes sir. What can—" He broke off in mid-sentence and gawked stupidly.
"I don't want a manicure," Sam chuckled as he slid into the chair. ”

“ She stood thinking for a moment. "Can I use an extra respirator?"
"You can't take him out without one!" Pete replied. He opened a locker and pulled out a transparent facepiece. "I think this'll tighten down enough to fit his face."
She took it and walked over to the youngster. His large eyes had followed all her movements and he drew back slightly as she held out the respirator. "It won't hurt," she coaxed. "You have to wear it. The air outside stings."
The little face remained steady but the eyes were fearful as Jane slid the transparent mask over his head and tightened the elastic. ”

“ Brace motioned toward the companionway. "Do you want to search it or not?"
"Captain Brace," the S.P. man said stiffly, "it's only a routine search. We're quite convinced that a man of your standing wouldn't jeopardize his ship and, if you'll consider the incident closed, I'll be glad to see that no further trouble is given you."
The S.P. men had made a mistake by stepping in the ship of course, and Brace could make much out of it. He grinned to let them know that he'd like nothing better than to make much of it. ”