American library books ยป Other ยป Voodoo Planet by Andre Norton (big ebook reader txt) ๐Ÿ“•

Read book online ยซVoodoo Planet by Andre Norton (big ebook reader txt) ๐Ÿ“•ยป.   Author   -   Andre Norton



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those precipitant cliffs. As the machine arose to clear the far wall, Dane tensed. One of his duties aboard the Queen was flitter pilot for planetwise trips. And ever since they had taken off that morning he had unconsciously flown with the Khatkan pilot, anticipating each change or adjustment of the controls. Now he felt that sluggish response to the otherโ€™s lift signal, and instinctively his own hand went out to adjust a power feed lever.

They made the rise, were well above the danger of the cliff wall. But the machine was not responding properly. Dane did not need to watch the pilotโ€™s swiftly moving hands to guess that they were in trouble. And his slight concern deepened into something else as the flitter began to drop nose again. In front of him, Captain Jellico shifted uneasily, and Dane knew that he, too, was alerted.

Now the pilot had plunged the power adjuster to the head against the control board. But the nose of the flitter acted as if it were overweighted or magnetically attracted by the rocks below. The best efforts of the man flying it could not keep it level. They were being drawn earthward, and all the pilot could do only delayed the inevitable crack-up. The Khatkan was turning the machine north to avoid what lay below, for here a long arm of the Mygra swamp clasped about the foot of the mountain.

The Chief Ranger spoke into the mike of the com unit while the pilot continued to fight against the pull which was bringing them down. Now the small machine was below the level of the volcanic peak which cradled the lake, and the mountain lay between them and the preserve.

Asaki gave a muffled exclamation, slapped the com box, spoke more sharply into the mike. It was apparent he was not getting the results he wanted. Then with a quick glance about he snapped an order:

โ€œStrap in!โ€

His Terran companions had already buckled the wide webbing belts intended to save them from crash shock. Dane saw the pilot push the button to release fend cushions. In spite of his pounding heart, a small fraction of his brain recognized the otherโ€™s skill as the Khatkan took a course to bring them down on a relatively level patch of sand and gravel.

Dane raised his head from the shelter of his folded arms. The Chief Ranger was busy with the pilot, who lay limply against the controls. Captain Jellico and Tau were already pulling at the buckles of their protective crash belts. But one look at the front of the flitter told Dane that it would not take to the air again without extensive repairs. Its nose was bent up and back, obscuring the forward view completely. However, the pilot had made a miraculously safe landing considering the terrain.

Ten minutes later, the pilot restored to consciousness and the gash in his head bandaged, they held a council of war.

โ€œThe com was off, too. I did not have a chance to report before the crash,โ€ Asaki put the situation straightly. โ€œAnd our exploring parties have not yet mapped this side of the range; it has a bad reputation because of the swamp.โ€

Jellico measured the heights now to their west with resigned eyes. โ€œLooks as if we climb.โ€

โ€œNot here,โ€ the Chief Ranger corrected him. โ€œThere is no passing through the crater lake region on foot. We must travel south along the edge of the mountain area until we do find a scalable way into the preserve region.โ€

โ€œYou seem very certain we are not going to be rescued if we stay right here,โ€ Tau observed. โ€œWhy?โ€

โ€œBecause Iโ€™m inclined to believe that any flitter that tries to reach us may run into the same trouble. Also, they have no com fix on us. It will be at least a day or more before they will even begin to count us missing, and then they will have the whole northern portion of the preserve to comb; there are not enough men hereโ โ€”I can give you a multitude of reasons, Medic.โ€

โ€œOne of which might be sabotage?โ€ demanded Jellico.

Asaki shrugged. โ€œPerhaps. I am not loved in some quarters. But there may also be something fatal to flitters here as there is over Mygra. We thought the crater lake district safely beyond the swamp influence, but it may not be so.โ€

But you took the chance of traveling over it, Dane thought, though he did not comment aloud. Was this another of the Chief Rangerโ€™s attempts to involve them in some private trouble of his own? Though to deliberately smash up a flitter and set them all afoot in this wilderness was a pretty drastic move.

Asaki had started to unload emergency supplies from the flitter. They each had a trail bag for a pack. But when the pilot staggered over to pull out a set of stass belts and Jellico began to uncoil them, the Chief Ranger shook his head.

โ€œWith the feeder beam shut off by the mountains, I fear those will no longer work.โ€

Jellico tossed one on the crumpled nose of the flitter and punched its button with the tip of the needler barrel. Then he threw a rock at the dangling belt. The stone landed, taking the wide protective band with it to the ground. That force field which should have warded off the missile was not working.

โ€œOh, fine!โ€ Tau opened his trail bag to pack concentrates. Then he smiled crookedly. โ€œWe arenโ€™t signed in for killing licenses, sir. Do you pay our fines if we are forced to shoot a hole through something that disputes the right of way?โ€

To Daneโ€™s surprise, the Chief Ranger laughed. โ€œYou are off preserve now, Medic Tau. The rules do not cover wild land. But I would suggest we now hunt a cave before nightfall.โ€

โ€œLions?โ€ asked Jellico.

Dane, remembering the black and white beast Lumbrilo had presented, did not enjoy that thought. They hadโ โ€”his gaze went from man to man checking weaponsโ โ€”the needler Asaki carried, and another the pilot had slung by

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