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Norton, Andre, 1912-2005

"Plague Ship"

It was for that very reason that they
now looked at each other in startled surmise.
"The perfect place to plant something!" Dane spoke first.
Rip's teeth caught his underlip. The hydro--something planted there could
not be routed out unless they made a landing on a port field and had the
whole section stripped.
"Devilish--" Rip's mobile lips drew tight. "But how could they do it?"
Dane didn't see how it could have been done either. No one but the
Queen's own crew had been on board the ship during their entire stay on
Sargol, except for the young Salarik. Could that cub have brought
something? But he and Mura had been with the youngster every minute that
he had been in the hydro. To the best of Dane's memory the cub had
touched nothing and had been there only for a few moments. That had been
before the feast also--
Rip got to his feet. "We can't strip the hydro in space," he pointed out
the obvious quietly.
Dane had the answer. "Then we've got to earth!"
"You heard that warn-off. If we try it--"
"What about an Emergency station?"
Rip stood very still, his big hands locked about the buckle of his arms
belt.


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