Read Online Captain Future 19 - Outlaw World (Winter 1946) by Edmond Hamilton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Edmond Hamilton
Tags: Sci Fi & Fantasy
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inscrutable eyes glanced again at Curt Newton’s nonchalant face, as the Venusian leader explained Bork King’s resolve.
“Bork wants to track down Ru Ghur and thought maybe one of you would have heard something of where the Uranian has his base.”
Ak Az, the Plutonian, shook his head. “No one has the faintest idea where that Outlaw World is.”
Blacky Malone swore viciously. “If I knew where the cursed Uranian had his base, I’d have been there and blasted him long ago.”
Bork King looked disappointed. “I’m going to find Ru Ghur if I have to comb the whole universe for him! But I thought one of you might be able to put me on his trail.”
“Ru Ghur has been cleaning up more radium ships,” Malone told him. “We heard it an hour ago on the telaudio news.”
“Maybe,” said Bork King hopefully, “if I knew what part of space he was operating in, I could go out and find him before he returned to his base.”
“The news will be on again in a few minutes,” Malone said. “You can hear it for yourself.”
Bork King had a telaudio receiver brought to the table and turned it on. They soon heard the voice of a newscaster speaking from Jupiter.
“Another radium robbery in space has just been disclosed!” was the second item. “The Pluto-Venus liner has just made port at Jupiter and reports that last week it was held up in space near the orbit of Saturn and robbed of a shipment of radium that was in its cargo. The radium raiders, contrary to their usual custom, killed no one aboard the liner. They merely destroyed the ship’s telaudio so that an alarm could not be send out.”
BORK KING uttered an explosive exclamation. “That’s not one of Ru Ghur’s jobs at all! I held up that liner last week, though the blasted Uranian devil did later take the radium away from me.”
Malone swore. “Then this news isn’t going to help you. But why the devil did you leave all the crew and passengers alive?”
“I don’t murder helpless people,” Bork King answered shortly.
“Bork, listen!” Captain Future said sharply as the newscaster continued.
“Speaking of radium,” said the newscaster, “word has just come of a fabulous radium strike made by two daring Earth prospectors on the wild asteroid Zuun, at the west end of its equatorial valley. Their courage in braving the dangers of Zuun was rewarded by discovery of a rich radium pocket, which they believe to contain several million dollars’ worth of the high-test ore.”
Bork King’s eyes snapped with excitement. “Say, there’s our chance to pick up radium and catch Ru Ghur at the some time!”
“What do you mean?” asked Su Kuan.
“Ru Ghur is sure to learn of that radium soon,” the big Martian explained excitedly. “He has an uncanny way of finding radium. He’ll come to Zuun after it — and we’ll be there waiting for him! We’ll go right now, and grab the radium, then lay a nice little trap for Ru Ghur.”
Blacky Malone uttered a word of warning. “How do you know that this business on Zuun isn’t a trap? There’s something a little fishy about making a public announcement of a rich radium strike.”
“I agree,” rumbled the Plutonian corsair. “It sounds to me like the kind of smart trap that would be prepared by Captain Future.”
Curt Newton saw a sudden change in Su Kuan’s face as he heard that name — Captain Future. The Venusian pirate stiffened, glaring at Curt with suddenly narrowed eyes. Then, with blurring speed, his hand darted to draw his atom-pistol.
Instantly Captain Future realized that the chance mention of his name had supplied the key to Su Kuan, and that the Venusian corsair had recognized him!
Chapter 9: World of the Cave-Apes
ONLY two days before the Comet had flown toward the asteroid zone so that the Futuremen might carry out the desperate plan of action the Brain had conceived.
“Curtis is a prisoner of Ru Ghur’s radium raiders,” Simon had explained. “So we must
“Bork wants to track down Ru Ghur and thought maybe one of you would have heard something of where the Uranian has his base.”
Ak Az, the Plutonian, shook his head. “No one has the faintest idea where that Outlaw World is.”
Blacky Malone swore viciously. “If I knew where the cursed Uranian had his base, I’d have been there and blasted him long ago.”
Bork King looked disappointed. “I’m going to find Ru Ghur if I have to comb the whole universe for him! But I thought one of you might be able to put me on his trail.”
“Ru Ghur has been cleaning up more radium ships,” Malone told him. “We heard it an hour ago on the telaudio news.”
“Maybe,” said Bork King hopefully, “if I knew what part of space he was operating in, I could go out and find him before he returned to his base.”
“The news will be on again in a few minutes,” Malone said. “You can hear it for yourself.”
Bork King had a telaudio receiver brought to the table and turned it on. They soon heard the voice of a newscaster speaking from Jupiter.
“Another radium robbery in space has just been disclosed!” was the second item. “The Pluto-Venus liner has just made port at Jupiter and reports that last week it was held up in space near the orbit of Saturn and robbed of a shipment of radium that was in its cargo. The radium raiders, contrary to their usual custom, killed no one aboard the liner. They merely destroyed the ship’s telaudio so that an alarm could not be send out.”
BORK KING uttered an explosive exclamation. “That’s not one of Ru Ghur’s jobs at all! I held up that liner last week, though the blasted Uranian devil did later take the radium away from me.”
Malone swore. “Then this news isn’t going to help you. But why the devil did you leave all the crew and passengers alive?”
“I don’t murder helpless people,” Bork King answered shortly.
“Bork, listen!” Captain Future said sharply as the newscaster continued.
“Speaking of radium,” said the newscaster, “word has just come of a fabulous radium strike made by two daring Earth prospectors on the wild asteroid Zuun, at the west end of its equatorial valley. Their courage in braving the dangers of Zuun was rewarded by discovery of a rich radium pocket, which they believe to contain several million dollars’ worth of the high-test ore.”
Bork King’s eyes snapped with excitement. “Say, there’s our chance to pick up radium and catch Ru Ghur at the some time!”
“What do you mean?” asked Su Kuan.
“Ru Ghur is sure to learn of that radium soon,” the big Martian explained excitedly. “He has an uncanny way of finding radium. He’ll come to Zuun after it — and we’ll be there waiting for him! We’ll go right now, and grab the radium, then lay a nice little trap for Ru Ghur.”
Blacky Malone uttered a word of warning. “How do you know that this business on Zuun isn’t a trap? There’s something a little fishy about making a public announcement of a rich radium strike.”
“I agree,” rumbled the Plutonian corsair. “It sounds to me like the kind of smart trap that would be prepared by Captain Future.”
Curt Newton saw a sudden change in Su Kuan’s face as he heard that name — Captain Future. The Venusian pirate stiffened, glaring at Curt with suddenly narrowed eyes. Then, with blurring speed, his hand darted to draw his atom-pistol.
Instantly Captain Future realized that the chance mention of his name had supplied the key to Su Kuan, and that the Venusian corsair had recognized him!
Chapter 9: World of the Cave-Apes
ONLY two days before the Comet had flown toward the asteroid zone so that the Futuremen might carry out the desperate plan of action the Brain had conceived.
“Curtis is a prisoner of Ru Ghur’s radium raiders,” Simon had explained. “So we must
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