Stainless Steel Rat 11: The Stainless Steel Rat Returns (19 page)

“That’s because it is inside my head, in the bone.”

“What wondrous things there are—that we know nothing of. We are like pink rats scuttling around in a green world, barely surviving.”

His analogy cut to the bone. Brother Rats—that is what these people were. Here was an intelligent man, shut away from almost all knowledge. I vowed to myself that this errant planet must be brought back into the wide realm of mankind. Another important reason to get back in touch with the family of worlds. Do it, Jim!

“You are looking your most serious,” Angelina said, sitting down beside me in the sun.

“We must end our woodland idyll. As much as the porcuswine enjoy the easy life, we can’t. We have to find a way to get out of this mess. But first I have to talk with the ship.”

“A great idea. I feel clean now, but still badly in need of a change of clothing.”

“That too . . .” I said, turning to Prime. “When can we leave?”

“Now. Those who will take you are waiting over there.”

I stood and stretched. “Are you joining in the party?” I asked Angelina.

“Only when you are sure we can get back into the ship. I want to check on Pinky and the pack. I’m sure the poor creature is feeling lonely.”

Feeling fat is more like it, I thought—but had enough sense not to speak my thoughts aloud.

Bram was waiting with the small group of men at the forest’s edge. Instead of bows they carried stout wooden cudgels.
Fine for close-up contact. Student Prime was waiting with them.

“I must leave you here, to return with the Rememberer. But I will be back to join you as soon as I can.”

“Do that. We will need your help.”

The scouts fanned out ahead and the trek began. It was a lot faster than the outward trip had been—because we weren’t going at a pig’s pace now. When we reached our objective two of the scouts were waiting among the trees at the spaceport’s edge.

“There are many of their men all around your sky traveler,” one of them said. “But they are afraid to go too close after what happened with the gas.”

“Great—so let’s open contact. Radio on. Hello the ship—the Boss is back . . .”

“Well it’s about time,”
the captain said, his voice resonating like thunder in my skull.

“Volume down!” I said. “You will be cheered to hear that we are safe—as are the swine. How are you faring?”

“Fine so far. Those Greenies tried to break in a few times, but we drove them off. However, the passengers are growing restless. The frozen food is tasteless, the water is running low—and they have nothing at all to do with the animals not here . . .”

“Sounds great. We need to have a meet and make plans for the future. Is there any way I can get back aboard?”

“Talk to Stramm about that.”

It took awhile to work out a strategy. It was obvious that the lower hatch could not be opened without risking an attack by the waiting troops. However, there was a chance we could use the emergency lock that we had first unsealed.

“I’ll look into it and call you back,” Stramm said.

We rested out of sight in the forest, with guards out on all sides. It was well after dark, and I must have dozed off, when Stramm’s voice inside my skull brought me quickly back on line.

“Are you ready?”

“Speak—and I obey.”

“The hatch will be open in ten minutes. I’ll lower the rope when I get a signal from you. Grab the ring on the end . . .”

“And climb?”

“I have a motor here to reel you in. Don’t fall off.”

“What encouragement . . .”

As planned, Bram and some of the sturdier scouts were waiting under the trees at the forest’s edge. By the light of the waning moon I could just pick out the dark opening of the emergency lock. It seemed very small and very high.

“I can see the airlock . . .”

“Rope dropping—now!”

We ran—as silently as we could. And ran right over the soldiers who sprawled on the tarmac. A few startled cries were cut off by the quick thudding of wooden clubs.

Then I slammed into the landing fin and groped for the metal ring swinging slowly above me. Just out of reach above my head.

There were shouts from around the field now as the Greenies stirred to life.

“Bram, give me a lift.”

He threw his club aside, bent and seized me by the waist—and heaved. I grabbed at the ring—just managed to get my fingers onto it—then clutched at it with my other hand.

“Take your men back!” I shouted as the rope started up with a sudden motion—almost tearing lose my grip.

I clutched with grim desperation, as I swung about and looked down. My troops were pelting back to the safety of the forest—leaving a few sprawled green bodies in their wake. As far as I could tell they all had made it.

I turned my attention back to my swift ascent. Crashed against the hull, kicked myself clear. Then the motor stopped grinding and a mighty hand clutched my wrist. With my waning strength I hauled myself through the lock and collapsed onto the floor.

“Let us . . . not do that again . . .” I gasped.

“Captain’s waiting for you.” All heart our engineer.

I just lay there enjoying a good gasp as the outer door closed. By the time the inner door ground open I was on my feet and ready to go. Stramm went with me, morose and silent. The captain was no better, but at least he made an effort to welcome the wanderer’s return. He poured a glass of strong cider from the jug on the plotting table. I drank deep, and sighed.

“Thanks. I needed that.”

“We are in deep trouble—and getting in deeper,” was his grim prediction.

“Welcome back boss, welcome!” I said. Feigning happiness. “Shall I tell you what I have discovered—and how we will get out of this mess?”

“Yes, do,” he sighed, uncheered in the slightest.

But they did listen intently as I told them about our adventures during our escape. Our new friends in the forest—and what we had discovered.

“So what do we do next?” Stramm asked. I poured another
glass and groped for an answer. My mind was blank. When in doubt—and was I ever!—answer a question with another question.

“Have you been in contact with the Greenies?”

“Far too much . . .” the captain gloomed. “First they said it was all a mistake, some renegades, since caught. Told us to come out and talk like reasonable men. Then came the threats—and the attack. When the gas drove them off all pretense ended. They even wiped off their makeup—green as grass, like the rest of them. That’s where it stands now.”

“How long can this impasse hold?”

“No one in the ship likes it, but we can get by for a while. There is more than enough food, but water is a different matter. We’re going to have to fill the tanks fairly soon. The passengers aren’t in open rebellion yet—but it won’t be long.”

“Can you hold out for a few more days? Then we’ll move the ship away from here. Land it and board the beasts, fill the water tanks—and blast off before the Greenies arrive. But before we leave this dismal planet I want to find out if they have interstellar communication or not. Agreed?”

“Agreed—but first, how are you going to get out of the ship now—with all these angry natives surrounding it?”

“Another drop of cider, please.” I pushed my glass forward and smiled what was surely a fake smile. “Let me give that a moment’s thought.”

It was a brief moment, because seconds later there was a loud hammering on the door. The captain’s gloomy face grew even gloomier.

“They didn’t take long.” He nodded to Stramm. “Better let them in.”

Elmo was first through the unlocked door. Followed closely by Miz Julia who, for some unknown reason, was carrying a rolling pin.

“What’s happening with the herd?” Elmo cried, shaking his fist. “Is they all right?’

“Tell us!” Miz Julia shouted, waving her strange weapon. “The sows—the piglets . . .”

“All fine and feeding in the forest. Angelina is looking after them with the greatest care.”

“We gotta see them . . . and get outta this ship!” Elmo said, more concerned with self than swine.

“Let me reassure you that plans are already under way to do just that. As soon as I leave this ship—”

“And how you doing that?”

I was getting a little tired of Elmo. “You’ll just have to leave that up to us,” I growled, then turned to Miz Julia, stood and offered her my arm.

“May I escort you back to your quarters? It has been nice talking with you again.”

She looked suspicious—with good reason—but accepted the offer. I chatted amiably as we exited the bridge.

“The sows are rooting in a walnut grove . . . and the piglets grow plump on the rich diet . . .”

“My—that is wonderful to hear!” Her weapon, forgotten, swung by her side.

“It surely is. Now, while we are having this nice little talk—could I ask you a favor?”

“Of course.”

“I was just wondering—do you, or any of your ladies—have any skin cream?”

I responded quickly to her wide eyes and dropped jaw.

“Not for me! It’s for Angelina. Living rough, the sun, she is so worried about her skin . . .”

“Why, the poor child. Of course . . . I know that Becky Sue has some.”

“Could you bring it to my cabin, if you please. I’m packing up some clothes for her as well.”

“I’ll do just that!” She hurried away—as did I—snarling as I passed Elmo as he tried to open what was sure to be a mind-destroying conversation.

I thanked Miz Julia when she brought the cream, and asked her to thank the cosmetic-conscious Becky Sue as well. I put it in a light backpack with the clothes, and made by way back to the bridge.

“I’m leaving now,” I told the surprised officers.

“How . . . and why?” the captain asked.

“Why? Because the not-too-bright Greenies are now passing the word of the evening’s excitement, then slowly considering what to do, while at the same time they are being thoroughly confused. The sooner we act the better the element of surprise. As to how I will get out—I will exit in just the way I came in. And the quicker the better. I’ll count on speed and my reliable and alert troops to stay one jump ahead of the Greenies. All right?”

They were reluctant but had no choice.

“Sounds like suicide. But when—and if—you manage to get clear, you will let us know what is happening?” the captain asked.

“As soon as I can.”

Stramm led the way back to the airlock. “Grab onto the
ring,” Stramm said, “because I’m turning the lights out before I open the outer lock. And I don’t want to run the motor to lower you—they’ll hear the sound. I threw a couple of bights of the rope around a stanchion, so I’ll brake your descent.”

The moon had set; the night was dark and silent. I hoped that it would remain that way. And hoped even more ardently that the engineer’s good right arm . . . was a good right arm.

I settled the pack on my back, grabbed the ring and wriggled my way out of the lock.

“Ready,” I whispered, easing my weight out onto the rope.

And fell! Stramm had either lost control or was overly enthusiastic about my rate of descent.

The ground rushed up towards me.

An instant before I hit I kicked hard against the hull. Thrust away with both feet and tumbled into a shoulder roll. The pack punched my back—and then I was down and gasping for air. The wind knocked out of me.

There were shouts and whistles on all sides, running green men looming up out of the darkness. I stumbled, dropped, staggered to my feet again—and they were onto me, clutching at my arms.

Then getting clubbed down.

It was a murderous melee in the darkness.

More shouting and more men appeared. The Greeny holding my arms grunted and fell limply away.

“To me,” sounded in a loud whisper and this time I was seized in a more friendly grip and hurried from the field of combat. There were low whistles now—a prearranged signal I imagined.

“We’ll wait here for the others,” Bram whispered. “We leave no one behind.”

Nor did we. When the count was complete we moved silently and quickly away.

“One unconscious,” Bram said. “We’re carrying him. Brkur has a broken arm—you can hear him cursing.” And I could. Other men were laughing, that was understandable. But I felt sorry for Brkur as well.

When we were well clear of the field we made our first stop. There was some pained gasping as the broken arm was wrapped and immobilized, then we moved on again.

Dawn was just breaking when we came to the encampment. Angelina was waiting there.

“Are you all right?” she asked, clutching my arms.

“Fine—as well as all our loyal troops. The ship was attacked—pretty ineffectually—and those within are bored but sound. Plans have been made and I’ll reveal all as soon as I have a drink of water.”