Read Online Look Out For Space (Seven For Space) by William F Nolan - Free Book Online
Authors: William F Nolan
Tags: Science-Fiction
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Mouse Headquarters and asked to see McFarlin.
"Do you have an appointment?" queried the officious little reception mouse at the front desk. She had cute whiskers and her tail was pink.
"Mac'll see me, sweetheart. Just tell him Sam's here. From Bubble City."
She moused away to find out if he'd talk to me.
He would.
"Sam! How fine to see you!" He said this with great warmth.
We didn't embrace. For one thing you can't embrace a mouse. But I shook his paw, holding it between my thumb and index finger, then sat down in front of his desk. He activated a riser, which brought the desk up to a level with my nose.
"What brings you to the Marble?" he wanted to know, lacing his brown paws in front of him and looking at me over the edge of his tiny rimless glasses.
I told him about Brother T. and the events as they'd happened in the case, including the fact that a vanishing redhead had tried to frame me for a homicide.
" … but mainly I'm here to find out all you can tell me about stolen rocks — small stolen rocks. Seems the asteroid I was chasing isn't the only missing pee wee."
"Indeed it is not," said the Inspector. "We've had a rash of odd reports from various segments of space, most of them fairly close to the Marble, regarding the theft of any number of extremely small asteroids."
"And what's your theory?"
McFarlin spread his paws. "I have none. This is obviously not the work of rustlers or random rock thieves. The pattern is consistent, tying in with another series of odd reports within the same period."
"What other reports?"
"A series of kidnappings," he said. "Prominent worm people and certain influential members of various insect groups have been spirited away of late."
"I see what you mean by consistent," I said. "Very small rocks and very small citizens — worms and insects — have all been grabbed in the same basic period."
"Exactly," said McFarlin, nodding his furry gray head. "It all seems to tie in with smallness. "
"Any of your mouse people missing?"
"Not to my knowledge. Just worms, insect folk, and the like."
"What about blackmail as the motive?"
"How do you mean, Sam?"
"You spoke of 'influential' insects and 'prominent' worms. Maybe whoever's behind this is out to pull off a kind of mass blackmail job."
McFarlin scratched his multi-dyed neck fur, then began firing up a tiny pipe. "Mind if I smoke?" he asked "Nasty addiction I've picked up."
"It'll stunt your growth," I cracked.
We both chuckled over this. Then Mac got serious again.
"There is no indication whatever that the kidnappings are connected to blackmail." He had the pipe going and his black-bead eyes were lost in a swirl of smoke. "No communications of this nature have reached us — or any worm or insect family within our jurisdiction. Blackmail, therefore, can be discounted in this case."
"Well, Inspector …" I stood up, almost knocking over his desk with my left ear. "Guess I'll do a bit of hunting on my own. Try to find out who's behind all this."
McFarlin also stood up, putting aside his pipe to offer a farewell paw. "Stop by any time, Sam. Always glad to see you."
"Thanks, Mac," I said. "Feeling's mutual."
And I carefully shook his paw.
* * *
I was about to flag a jumper outside Mouse HQ when I felt a light tug at my left ankle sock. I looked down.
"Mr. Space … might I speak with you, sir?"
Another mouse. Also a cop — which he proved by holding up a stamped idencard. I could see that he wore a teeny gold badge on the inside flap of his bizsuit.
"I'm in no hurry," I said. And I wasn't — since I had no leads and nowhere to go. Maybe he knew something I didn't.
We sat down together on a rock. Meaning I sat on the rock and the copmouse perched on my knee.
I'm Lieutenant Pennington," he told me. "Sylvester Reems Pennington, Jr."
"Seems you already know who I am."
"You are notorious, sir."
"Is that good or bad?"
He chuckled, rippling his neck fur. "In your case, Mr. Space, it simply means 'well known'. I
"Do you have an appointment?" queried the officious little reception mouse at the front desk. She had cute whiskers and her tail was pink.
"Mac'll see me, sweetheart. Just tell him Sam's here. From Bubble City."
She moused away to find out if he'd talk to me.
He would.
"Sam! How fine to see you!" He said this with great warmth.
We didn't embrace. For one thing you can't embrace a mouse. But I shook his paw, holding it between my thumb and index finger, then sat down in front of his desk. He activated a riser, which brought the desk up to a level with my nose.
"What brings you to the Marble?" he wanted to know, lacing his brown paws in front of him and looking at me over the edge of his tiny rimless glasses.
I told him about Brother T. and the events as they'd happened in the case, including the fact that a vanishing redhead had tried to frame me for a homicide.
" … but mainly I'm here to find out all you can tell me about stolen rocks — small stolen rocks. Seems the asteroid I was chasing isn't the only missing pee wee."
"Indeed it is not," said the Inspector. "We've had a rash of odd reports from various segments of space, most of them fairly close to the Marble, regarding the theft of any number of extremely small asteroids."
"And what's your theory?"
McFarlin spread his paws. "I have none. This is obviously not the work of rustlers or random rock thieves. The pattern is consistent, tying in with another series of odd reports within the same period."
"What other reports?"
"A series of kidnappings," he said. "Prominent worm people and certain influential members of various insect groups have been spirited away of late."
"I see what you mean by consistent," I said. "Very small rocks and very small citizens — worms and insects — have all been grabbed in the same basic period."
"Exactly," said McFarlin, nodding his furry gray head. "It all seems to tie in with smallness. "
"Any of your mouse people missing?"
"Not to my knowledge. Just worms, insect folk, and the like."
"What about blackmail as the motive?"
"How do you mean, Sam?"
"You spoke of 'influential' insects and 'prominent' worms. Maybe whoever's behind this is out to pull off a kind of mass blackmail job."
McFarlin scratched his multi-dyed neck fur, then began firing up a tiny pipe. "Mind if I smoke?" he asked "Nasty addiction I've picked up."
"It'll stunt your growth," I cracked.
We both chuckled over this. Then Mac got serious again.
"There is no indication whatever that the kidnappings are connected to blackmail." He had the pipe going and his black-bead eyes were lost in a swirl of smoke. "No communications of this nature have reached us — or any worm or insect family within our jurisdiction. Blackmail, therefore, can be discounted in this case."
"Well, Inspector …" I stood up, almost knocking over his desk with my left ear. "Guess I'll do a bit of hunting on my own. Try to find out who's behind all this."
McFarlin also stood up, putting aside his pipe to offer a farewell paw. "Stop by any time, Sam. Always glad to see you."
"Thanks, Mac," I said. "Feeling's mutual."
And I carefully shook his paw.
* * *
I was about to flag a jumper outside Mouse HQ when I felt a light tug at my left ankle sock. I looked down.
"Mr. Space … might I speak with you, sir?"
Another mouse. Also a cop — which he proved by holding up a stamped idencard. I could see that he wore a teeny gold badge on the inside flap of his bizsuit.
"I'm in no hurry," I said. And I wasn't — since I had no leads and nowhere to go. Maybe he knew something I didn't.
We sat down together on a rock. Meaning I sat on the rock and the copmouse perched on my knee.
I'm Lieutenant Pennington," he told me. "Sylvester Reems Pennington, Jr."
"Seems you already know who I am."
"You are notorious, sir."
"Is that good or bad?"
He chuckled, rippling his neck fur. "In your case, Mr. Space, it simply means 'well known'. I
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