Read Online Retief Unbound by Keith Laumer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Keith Laumer
Ads: Link
Arapoulous.
"As soon as I get off a couple
of TWX's, we'd better get down to the port, Hank. I think I'd like to see the
students off personally."
Karsh met Retief as he entered the
Departures enclosure at the port.
"What's going on here?"
he demanded. "There's some funny business with my baggage consignment;
they won't let me
see it I've got a feeling it's not being
loaded."
"You'd better hurry, Mr.
Karsh," Retief said. "You're scheduled to blast off in less than an
hour. Are the students all loaded?"
"Yes, blast you! What about my
baggage? Those vessels aren't moving without it!"
"No need to get so upset about
a few toothbrushes, is there, Mr. Karsh?" Retief said blandly.
"Still, if you're worried—" He turned to Arapoulous.
"Hank, why don't you walk Mr.
Karsh over to the warehouse and . . . ah . . . take care of him?"
"I know just how to handle
it," Arapoulous said.
The dispatch clerk came up to
Retief. "I caught the tractor shipment," he said. "Funny kind of
mistake, but it's okay now. They're being off-loaded at d'Land. I talked to the
traffic controller there; he said they weren't looking for any students."
"The labels got switched, Jim.
The students go where the baggage was consigned; too bad about the mistake
there, but the Armaments Office will have a man along in a little while to
dispose of the guns. Keep an eye out for the real luggage; no telling where
it's gotten to—"
"Here!" a hoarse voice
yelled. Retief turned. A disheveled figure in a tight hat was crossing the
enclosure, his arms waving.
"Hi there, Mr. Gulver,"
Retief called. "How's Boge's business coming along?"
"Piracy!" Gulver blurted
as he came up to Retief. "You've
got a hand in this, I don't doubt!
Where's that Magnan fellow "
"What seems to be the
problem?" Retief said.
"Hold those transports! I've
just been notified that the baggage shipment has been impounded. I'll remind
you, that shipment enjoys diplomatic free entry."
"Who told you it was
impounded?^
"Never mind! I have my
sources!"
Two tall men buttoned into grey
tunics came up. "Are you Mr. Retief of CDT?" one said.
"That's right."
' "What about my
baggage!" Gulver cut in. "And I'm warning you, if those ships lift
without—"
"These gentlemen are from the
Armaments Control Commission," Retief said. "Would you like to come
along and claim your baggage, Mr. Gulver?"
"From what? I . . ."
Gulver turned two shades redder about the ears. "Armaments . . ?"
"The only shipment I've held
up seems to be somebody's arsenal," Retief said. "Now, if you claim
this is your baggage . . ."
"Why, impossible," Gulver
said in a strained voice. "Armaments? Ridiculous. There's been an
error."
At the baggage warehouse, Gulver
looked glumly at the opened cases of guns. "No, of course not," he
said dully. "Not my baggage. Not my baggage at all."
Arapoulous appeared, supporting the
stumbling figure of Mr. Karsh.
"What-what's this?"
Gulver spluttered. "Karsh? What's happened . . . ?"
"He had a little fall. He'll
be okay," Arapoulous said.
"You'd better help him to the
ship," Retief said. "It's ready to lift. We wouldn't want him to miss
it."
"Leave him to me!" Gulver
snapped, his eyes slashing at Karsh. "I'll see he's dealt with."
"I couldn't think of it,"
Retief said. "He's a guest of the Corps, you know. We'll see him safely
aboard."
Gulver turned and signaled
frantically. Three heavyset men in identical drab suits detached themselves
from the wall and crossed to the group.
"Take this man," Gulver
snapped, indicating Karsh, who looked at him dazedly.
"We take our hospitality
seriously," Retief said. "We'll see him aboard the vessel."
Gulver opened his mouth—
"I know you feel bad about
finding guns instead of school books in your luggage," Retief said,
looking Gulver in the eye. "You'll be busy straightening out the details
of the mix-up. You'll want to avoid further complications."
"Ah . . . yes," Gulver
said.
Arapoulous went on to the passenger
conveyor, then
"As soon as I get off a couple
of TWX's, we'd better get down to the port, Hank. I think I'd like to see the
students off personally."
Karsh met Retief as he entered the
Departures enclosure at the port.
"What's going on here?"
he demanded. "There's some funny business with my baggage consignment;
they won't let me
see it I've got a feeling it's not being
loaded."
"You'd better hurry, Mr.
Karsh," Retief said. "You're scheduled to blast off in less than an
hour. Are the students all loaded?"
"Yes, blast you! What about my
baggage? Those vessels aren't moving without it!"
"No need to get so upset about
a few toothbrushes, is there, Mr. Karsh?" Retief said blandly.
"Still, if you're worried—" He turned to Arapoulous.
"Hank, why don't you walk Mr.
Karsh over to the warehouse and . . . ah . . . take care of him?"
"I know just how to handle
it," Arapoulous said.
The dispatch clerk came up to
Retief. "I caught the tractor shipment," he said. "Funny kind of
mistake, but it's okay now. They're being off-loaded at d'Land. I talked to the
traffic controller there; he said they weren't looking for any students."
"The labels got switched, Jim.
The students go where the baggage was consigned; too bad about the mistake
there, but the Armaments Office will have a man along in a little while to
dispose of the guns. Keep an eye out for the real luggage; no telling where
it's gotten to—"
"Here!" a hoarse voice
yelled. Retief turned. A disheveled figure in a tight hat was crossing the
enclosure, his arms waving.
"Hi there, Mr. Gulver,"
Retief called. "How's Boge's business coming along?"
"Piracy!" Gulver blurted
as he came up to Retief. "You've
got a hand in this, I don't doubt!
Where's that Magnan fellow "
"What seems to be the
problem?" Retief said.
"Hold those transports! I've
just been notified that the baggage shipment has been impounded. I'll remind
you, that shipment enjoys diplomatic free entry."
"Who told you it was
impounded?^
"Never mind! I have my
sources!"
Two tall men buttoned into grey
tunics came up. "Are you Mr. Retief of CDT?" one said.
"That's right."
' "What about my
baggage!" Gulver cut in. "And I'm warning you, if those ships lift
without—"
"These gentlemen are from the
Armaments Control Commission," Retief said. "Would you like to come
along and claim your baggage, Mr. Gulver?"
"From what? I . . ."
Gulver turned two shades redder about the ears. "Armaments . . ?"
"The only shipment I've held
up seems to be somebody's arsenal," Retief said. "Now, if you claim
this is your baggage . . ."
"Why, impossible," Gulver
said in a strained voice. "Armaments? Ridiculous. There's been an
error."
At the baggage warehouse, Gulver
looked glumly at the opened cases of guns. "No, of course not," he
said dully. "Not my baggage. Not my baggage at all."
Arapoulous appeared, supporting the
stumbling figure of Mr. Karsh.
"What-what's this?"
Gulver spluttered. "Karsh? What's happened . . . ?"
"He had a little fall. He'll
be okay," Arapoulous said.
"You'd better help him to the
ship," Retief said. "It's ready to lift. We wouldn't want him to miss
it."
"Leave him to me!" Gulver
snapped, his eyes slashing at Karsh. "I'll see he's dealt with."
"I couldn't think of it,"
Retief said. "He's a guest of the Corps, you know. We'll see him safely
aboard."
Gulver turned and signaled
frantically. Three heavyset men in identical drab suits detached themselves
from the wall and crossed to the group.
"Take this man," Gulver
snapped, indicating Karsh, who looked at him dazedly.
"We take our hospitality
seriously," Retief said. "We'll see him aboard the vessel."
Gulver opened his mouth—
"I know you feel bad about
finding guns instead of school books in your luggage," Retief said,
looking Gulver in the eye. "You'll be busy straightening out the details
of the mix-up. You'll want to avoid further complications."
"Ah . . . yes," Gulver
said.
Arapoulous went on to the passenger
conveyor, then
Similar Books
