But, even as it came, the scarlet of the thing's body was fast fading to
an ashy pink and at last taking on a gray as dull as the metal on which
it lay--the complete camouflage. Had they not had it enmeshed they might
have lost it altogether, so well did it now blend with the surface.
The other two in the path of the ray had not lost their grip upon the
logs, and the men could not advance to scoop them up. Not while there
were others not affected, free to flee back into hiding. Weeks bound the
net about the captive and looked to Rip for orders.
"Deep freeze," the acting-commander of the Queen said succinctly. "Let me
see it get out of that!"
Surely the cold of the deep freeze, united to the sleep ray, would keep
the creature under control until they had a chance to study it. But, as
Weeks passed Sinbad on his errand, the cat was so frantic to avoid him,
that he reared up on his hind legs, almost turning a somersault, snarling
and spitting until Weeks was up the ladder to the next level. It was
very evident that the ship's cat was having none of this pest.
They might have been invisible and their actions non-existent as far as
Queex was concerned.
Pages:
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214