Feline Red Page 3

slowing up, _Bertha_. Seventy tons for us today. Are you poorlittle men getting tired?" He clucked sympathetically, then burst into ayell of laughter. "We'll have the ore cleaned off this rock before youget half loaded."

  But Scott and the men of the _Bertha_ worked silently, with savagehaste, forgetting sleep and food to keep the tonnage flowing to theirship. They had almost forgotten the cats....

  But not for long.

  Staggering with fatigue, Scott swayed into Central Control, and saggedinto a seat. He had been too long in a space suit. A dull pounding beatbehind his eyes. "I came as soon as you called the pit, CaptainElderburg. You sounded pretty urgent."

  "It's urgent," Elderburg said. "We're beaten."

  Scott stiffened. Fatigue fell from him as he gazed closely at theCaptain, saw for the first time the bitter dullness of Elderburg's eyes.

  "You better come with me," the Old Man said heavily. He rose stiffly,led the way from the room.

  In silence they shuffled down the corridor toward the engine room. A ticworked at the corner of the Captain's mouth, but he did not seem tonotice it. "Durval held the cats off with ultra-sonics. He purifiedabout ten tons of the stuff and stored it."

  They threaded their way along a chill black catwalk to the center of theship. In the engine room, men slumped sullenly among the big atomics. AsScott and Elderburg passed a group of the black gang, mutely danglingwrenches, there was a sudden stir.

  "That's him!" One of the men had leaped up. The wrench whipped back overhis shoulder. He leaped raging toward Scott. "There's the rotten...."

  "Easy, Billy." He was dragged back, disarmed.

  "How'd the _Kastil_ know...."

  The Captain tugged Scott's arm. "Don't bother with them. Come on."

  Scott nodded numbly, followed, his head aching and a nameless wave ofapprehension sliding through him. "Where are the cats?" he asked once.

  Elderburg ignored him. "Put on a radiation suit."

  They had stopped before a side door of the main hold. As Scott struggledinto the suit his mind swirled in a chaos of thoughts. When the suit wasadjusted he dropped the helmet shut and stepped forward. Through thelighter gravity of the air lock they lumbered. Then Elderburg spun thecontrols that opened the door.

  "There you are," he said to Scott. He sounded completely deflated. Nosting remained in his voice.

  Scott stepped forward into the hold, then froze. His body went cold.

  The hold was a writhing mass of cats.

  Their queer angled bodies darted in a great pile beyond the door. Theirred bodies glowed and twisted strangely. They flew about a huge stack oflead containers--uranium cells secured for the long trip home.

  And Scott went sick with understanding. Through rigid lips, he forcedthe words: "Energy-eaters!"

  The Captain laughed oddly. "And you wondered how they lived on thisnaked rock. They ate the raw ore, of course. No wonder they hung aroundDurval's machines sucking up what free energy they could. They brokethrough the air feeder system here. No wonder. With cells of 80% pureuranium waiting for them." His voice broke.

  "So we're finished," he continued. "The _Kastil_ will be loaded beforewe can even clean the cats out. We're done."

  He swayed back against the bulkhead. Scott took his arm.

  "Get away from me." Elderburg wrenched away, his loathing clear evenbehind the bulky suit. "If what the men say is true. If you sold usout--" His voice trailed off. "Call your men out of the pits, Jerill.We're blasting off tonight."

  "No." Scott leaned forward, his eyes mere slits behind the lense of hishelmet. "Is there any uranium left?"

  "We saved two cells."

  "It's enough," Scott snapped. His lean jaw lifted proudly. "It's alittle late, Captain. But I can promise to get rid of the cats in twohours. With the ore deposits Vaugn and I have collected, we can stillload a good cargo and beat the _Kastil_ out by at least a day."

  Elderburg eyed him sharply. "How can you handle the cats?"

  "Get me a lead-lined box about eight feet by...."

  Static blasted shrilly in their ears. The voice of the ship's lookout,strained with excitement, shouted. "Captain Elderburg. This is MainControl. Get here fast. An explosion at Lieutenant Jerill's mine."

  As Elderburg leaped for the door with a muffled roar, the lookout'svoice tautened. "No. No. Not an explosion. It's the _Kastil_. They'reattacking the mine. They're attacking the mine."

  * * * * *

  They crammed into the observation blister on the _Bertha's_ nose.Scanners swept smoothly over the wilderness of stone jutting up betweenthe ship and the mine.

  "There's a fire fight going out there." Elderburg's square face knottedwith anger. "Scott, take a party. Blow that livid scum crew off thisrock."

  "Right, sir!" Scott bolted from the observation port. The emergencyalarm howled through the ship. He buckled on a pair of blasters withunsteady hands, a black fury sweeping him. He stabbed one long fingerdown on the intercom.

  "Masters," he yelled. "Get the cargo jet ready. With full battleequipment."

  "Right, lieutenant. What's up?"

  "Piracy." He spun toward the door. Then jolted to a halt, hands ballingat his sides.

  A picture was forming on the Master Communication Screen.

  Elderburg pounded to his side. "Who is it?"

  The picture on the screen was very definite now--a swarthy giant of aman, cynically grinning down at them. "Gentlemen," the figure on thescreen said, and Scott needed no further introduction.

  It was Randell, master of the ship _Kastil_.

  "We've had a very entertaining two days," Randell said. His thick handsrubbed easily together. "It's been a real pleasure watching you work.But I'm afraid the pleasure is over. We're leaving you now. Oh, thatdisturbance at your mine pit?" He laughed, but only with his mouth; theclose-set eyes remained unchanging, watchful. "It seemed so unnecessaryto bother mining ore when so much of it was stacked near our pit."

  "You bloody murdering bandit," Elderburg thundered. "We'll blastyou...."

  "You'll blast nobody. Any party approaching the _Kastil_ will getblasted. Any party near the claim--our claim--will get burned down. Bythe way, I'm afraid your men at the mine contracted space-sickness, orsomething. They seem to be dead. You needn't bother coming after them."

  He began to chuckle. "I think the ore my men are bringing in now willjust complete our cargo. See you back on Earth."

  The screen went gray. The sound shut off with a loud click.

  Elderburg swung on Scott. "Take your men. Clean out that nest of thievesbefore they remove any more ore. Order out full battle gear. We'll blastthe _Kastil_ apart if it takes every man on board this ship."

  "No!" Scott caught Elderburg's shoulder, gripped him. "There isn't timefor an armed attack. I have a better idea."

  "Scott, I order you to...."

  "Get me a box," Scott cried desperately. "Made of lead and six feetdeep."

  Elderburg jerked his shoulder free. His face contorted. "Get to yourcabin, Jerill. You're under arrest."

  "Captain Elderburg, listen to me. We can...."

  "That's a direct order. Go to your cabin." He whirled away from Scott,slammed down the intercom lever. "Attention all hands. Prepare fullbattle equipment...."

  Scott slashed his blaster hard across the back of the Captain's head.Elderburg staggered, clutched the back of the seat. Scott hit him again.Elderburg's legs went loose. He toppled face forward, struck theintercom and sagged to the floor.

  Scott stepped to the intercom. "Attention. All men, prepare full battleequipment and stand by. Stand by. Durval, get the largest lead-lined boxyou have and set it outside the entrance of the main cargo hatch. Shakeit up. We have half an hour till the _Kastil_ jets off."

  He cut off the intercom, lugged Elderburg to the chart room and lockedhim inside.

  * * * * *

  The hold was beastly hot. Standing inside the hatchway, holdingsuspended over his head a three-foot long ce
ll of uranium ore, Scottfelt a moment of shuddering panic. Over the storage cells along thewall, over the tumbling bodies of the cats, an eerie glow quivered--themenacing flare of radio-activity.

  Scott glanced nervously at the forward screen. Chief Durval waved towardhim. "Your men ready, Durval?"

  The Chief nodded. "Don't go getting yourself hurt now, Scott."

  Scott grinned although he did not feel much like grinning.

  He shuffled forward under the light gravity of the hold. The uraniumcell