Captain Future 24 - Pardon My Iron Nerves (November 1950) by Edmond Hamilton Read Free Book Online Page B

—”
     
    THE SECRET BASE
    He stopped suddenly, as he saw that Captain Future was looking at Norman Thaine, quietly and steadily.
    “You have a secret base in that sector, Chameleon,” Curt was saying. “There’d be air enough there to keep those people alive. They could get to it — if you told us where the base is.”
    “How can I tell you that?” Thaine retorted. “I’m not the Chameleon — 1 don’t know where his base is.”
    “There’ll be women and children in those life-rockets,” Curt went on quietly. “Women and children who will die of suffocation twenty hours from now, unless they reach a place with air.”
    Sweat stood out on Norman Thaine’s forehead. His face took on a gray pallor, and he clenched his fists.
    When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. “All right, Captain Future. Tell those life-rockets to make for the asteroid Ferronia. There’s a crater-peak near its northern pole. Down in that crater they’ll find an airlock, and beneath it is my cavern-base. It has oxygen-generators enough to keep them all alive until help comes.”
    When Halk Anders had repeated that information to be relayed by telaudio to the life-rockets, Captain Future looked fixedly, at their prisoner.
    “You realize, of course,” Curt said to Norman Thaine, “that you have just convicted yourself of being the Chameleon?”
    The Chameleon laughed harshly. “Sure, I know. And just when I was free to walk out of here. I’m the prize idiot of all time, eh?”
     
    PLUTO PRISON FOR LIFE!
    Anders said, movedly, “I wish I could tell you that this would cancel out your record, Chameleon. But it won’t — the courts will have to send you out to Pluto Prison for life in spite of what you did.”
    “Well, I was bound to go there sooner or later,” shrugged the Chameleon.
    Curt told the Commander. “I’ll watch him while you call the guards back to take him, Halk.”
    Looking at Curt a little puzzledly, Halk Anders went out. Left alone, with the prisoner, Curt sat quietly balancing his proton-pistol on his knee. He spoke casually.
    “The little rocket-flier I came here in tonight is up on the landing-deck atop this Tower, Chameleon,” he remarked.
    “What about it? I’m not going anywhere, said the Chameleon half-bitterly.
    “I don’t know,” drawled Captain Future. “A smart, active fellow like you might be able to duck out of this office before I had time to shoot, and make it to the top-deck and get away in that flier.”
     
    A STRAIGHT SPACE-TRAIL
    The Chameleon became rigid, staring at Captain Future.
    Curt spoke on casually, looking absently at the ceiling. “A fellow as smart as that,” he said, “ought to be smart enough to stop all this business of robbery and blaze a straight space-trail from now on.”
    The Chameleon’s eyes shone. “Thanks. Captain Future,” he whispered.
    “Thanks for what?” Curt repeated. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I —”
    He grinned, then. For the Chameleon was already gone, like a shadow. Curt waited a moment, then fired a crashing blast from his gun into a blank wall. He heard a rocket-flier roaring away, overhead.
    Halk Anders and other Patrol officers came running in a moment later. They found Curt Newton the picture of chagrin.
    “He tricked me and got away!” Curt swore. “He was gone before I even fired in his direction!”
     
    CAPTAIN FUTURE CAN TAKE IT!
    A few minutes later, when the Commander was alone with Curt, he favored Captain Future with an understanding grin.
    “I knew why you sent me out on that fool’s errand, Future. And I’m glad you did. A fellow who did what the Chameleon did tonight deserves to have a few rules broken for him.”
    Curt nodded. “Somehow, I think we’ve heard the last of the Chameleon, Halk. I don’t think he’ll ever bother the Patrol again.”
    Halk Anders pointed out, “You realize this is going to make you look awful foolish? I’ll have to admit that the Chameleon tricked Captain Future to get