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Norton, Andre, 1912-2005

"Plague Ship"

Dane
thrust the sliding door open.
Tau had slipped from his stool to the floor. His hands were at his head
which rolled from side to side as if he were trying to quiet some agony.
Dane stripped down the Medic's under tunic. There was no need to make a
careful examination, in the hollow of Craig Tau's throat was the
tell-tale red blotch.
"Sinbad!" Dane glanced about the cabin. "Did Sinbad get out past you?" he
demanded of the puzzled Ali.
"No--I haven't seen him all day--"
Yet the cat was nowhere in the tiny cabin and it had no concealed hiding
place. To make doubly sure Dane secured the panel before they carried Tau
to his bunk. The Medic had blacked out again, passed into the lethargic
second stage of the malady. At least he was out of the pain which
appeared to be the worst symptom of the disease.
"It must be Sinbad!" Dane said as he made his report directly to Captain
Jellico. "And yet--"
"Yes, he's been staying in Van's cabin," the Captain mused. "And you've
handled him, he slept on your bunk. Yet you and Van are all right. I
don't understand that. Anyway--to be on the safe side--we'd better find
and isolate him before--"
He didn't have to underline any words for the grim-faced men who
listened.


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