The Inheritors - A. Bertram Chandler [45]
"And if Tabitha is not lying . . ." contributed Danzellan.
"She said yes!" snapped Kane, his customary drawl forgotten.
"Maggie!" said Grimes forcibly. "Report, at once, in detail what you have discovered."
But there was no report. Kane used his wrist transceiver to jam the signals from those worn by Maggie and Danzellan, and before either or both of them could take any action the far more powerful transceiver of Kane's pinnace blocked all further transmissions from Ballarat.
23
Yes . . . but.
Yes . . . but.
But what?
Meanwhile, Mr. Saul had made the terrain between the landing site and Oxford quite impassable to any ground vehicle, and would have to be restrained before he blew away all Seeker's 60 mm ammunition. Grimes told the first lieutenant to cease fire, at once.
But what loophole in Federation law had Kane discovered? What possible means of stopping that loophole had Maggie discovered? Where did Francis Delamere's local girlfriend, Tabitha, come into it?
Grimes decided that Southerly Buster's lift-off from Morrowvia must be, at the very least, delayed. Could he stop the Buster's boat from ferrying, a dozen or so at a time, the unconscious women to the ship? Yes, he could—but only at grave risk to the boat's passengers. Embarkation would have to be allowed to continue; by the time that it was complete he, Grimes, would be back aboard Seeker and would be able to take full charge.
Seeker's cannon were silent now, and Southerly Buster's one remaining boat had nosed cautiously out of its bay and was flying to where the victims of the gas shell barrage were sprawled in the long grass. Seeker's boat transmitted pictures of all that was going on. The small craft from the Buster dropped to a landing among the sleeping bodies and two men, wearing respirators, scrambled out of it. Working fast, they dragged fifteen of the women into the boat, careless of any abrasions or contusions they might inflict. They were equally careless with their two anesthetized mates—but that was no excuse. Kane's men were clothed and the risk of painful damage to their skins was so much less.
"Do I have to watch this, Captain?" the first lieutenant was raging.
"I'm afraid you have to, Mr. Saul," Grimes told him. "Of course, if you can think of any way of stopping it without hurting any innocent people . . ."
Saul did not reply.
The first load was carried to Southerly Buster, the boat landing at the foot of the boarding ramp. Its passengers were dragged out and dumped on the ground, and almost immediately the boat began its return journey. Meanwhile a cargo hatch had been opened high on the side of the ship and the arm of a crane swung out. A net was lowered and the women, together with the two unconscious men, were piled into it, swiftly hoisted up an inboard. It was obvious that Kane was blessed with an efficient second-in-command.
Seeker's boat followed the one from Southerly Buster back to her loading site. There was a repetition of the callously efficient handling of the unknowing passengers—and then another, and then another.
But Grimes's pinnace had crossed the coastline now, was rushing inland. Grimes hoped to be back aboard Seeker before Southerly Buster's embarkation was completed, although he could not hope to make it before sunset. Dusk was sweeping over the countryside as the two ships came into view, Kane's vessel towering brightly in the harsh glare of working lights. Saul had the hatch of the pinnace's bay open and waiting, and Billard expertly jockeyed the craft into the opening. Grimes was out through the door and running up to the control room before the pinnace had settled to her chocks. He found Saul staring sullenly out of a viewport.
"That's the last boatload," said the first lieutenant morosely. "Recall our boat, sir?"
"Do just that, Mr. Saul. I want the ship buttoned up for lift-off."
"Yes . . . ." Saul gestured toward the Buster. "She's buttoning up."
The boom of the crane was withdrawn, the cargo hatch was shut. Southerly Buster's boat lifted from the ground where she had discharged her