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Norton, Andre, 1912-2005

"Plague Ship"


"They'll be watching the route lanes," Rip pointed out. "They won't
expect a ship to come in on that vector, steering away from the ports.
Why should they? As far as I know it's never been tried since Terraport
was laid out. It'll be tricky--" And he himself would have to bear most
of the responsibility for it. "But I believe that it can be done. And we
can't just roam around out here. With I-S out for our blood and a Patrol
warn-off it won't do us any good to head for Luna--"
None of his listeners could argue with that. And, Dane's spirits began to
rise, after all they knew so little about the Big Burn--it might afford
them just the temporary sanctuary they needed. In the end they agreed to
try it, mainly because none of them could see any alternative, except the
too dangerous one of trying to contact the authorities and being
summarily treated as a plague ship before they could defend themselves.
And their decision was ably endorsed not long afterwards by a sardonic
warning on the com--a warning which Ali who had been tending the machine
passed along to them.
"Greetings, pirates--"
"What do you mean?" Dane was heating broth to feed to Captain Jellico.


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