large/10361/astoundingstories18_1605_librivox_64kb_mp3/astounding_stories18_13_various_64kb_57
large/10361/astoundingstories18_1605_librivox_64kb_mp3/astounding_stories18_13_various_64kb
English
10361
Morones reported to the company, the Mercurian Trading Concession, and they called me. Something, they think, is rotten." "Yes, sir." "I guess I needn't tell you," the colonel went on, "that you have to use tact. People don't seem to appreciate the Force. What with the lousy politicians begrudging every cent we get, and a bunch of suspicious foreign powers afraid we'll get too good  " "Yeah, I know. Tact, that's my motto. No rough stuff." He saluted, turned on his heel. MORONES REPORTED TO THE COMPANY THE MERCURIAN TRADING CONCESSION AND THEY CALLED ME SOMETHING THEY THINK IS ROTTEN YES SIR I GUESS I NEEDN'T TELL YOU THE COLONEL WENT ON THAT YOU HAVE TO USE TACT PEOPLE DON'T SEEM TO APPRECIATE THE FORCE WHAT WITH THEIR LOUSY POLITICIANS BEGRUDGING EVERY CENT WE GET AND A BUNCH OF SUSPICIOUS FOREIGN POWERS AFRAID WE'LL GET TOO GOOD YEAH I KNOW TACT THAT'S MY MOTTO NO ROUGH STUFF HE SALUTED AND TURNED ON HIS HEEL
lcap was perched at the regulation angle. "Olear," said the colonel, "they're having a little trouble at the Blue River Station, Mercury." "Trouble? Uh-huh," Olear said placidly. The colonel looked him over. He saw a man past his first youth. Thirty-five, possibly forty. Olear was well-knit, sandy-haired, not over five feet six inches in height. His hair was close-cropped, his features phlegmatic, his eyes a light blue with thick, short, light-colored lashes, his teeth excellent. A scar, dead white on a brown cheekbone, was a reminder of an "encounter" with one of the numerous sauriens of Venus. "I'm sending you," explained the colonel, "because you're more experienced, and not like some of these kids, always spoiling for a fight. There's something queer about this affair. Morones, factor of the Blue River post, reports that his assistant has disappeared. Vanished. Simply gone. But only three months ago the former factor--Morones was his assistant--disappeared. No hide nor hair of him. FITTED WITHOUT A WRINKLE HIS LITTLE ROUND SKULL CAP WAS PERCHED AT THE REGULATION ANGLE EARLIER SAID THE COLONEL THEY'RE HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE AT THE BLUE RIVER STATION MERCURY TROUBLE UNHEM O'LIE SAID PLACIDLY THE COLONEL LOOKED HIM OVER HE SAW A MAN PAST HIS FIRST YOUTH THIRTY FIVE POSSIBLY FORTY O'LIER WAS WELL KNIT SANDY HAIRED NOT OVER FIVE FEET SIX INCHES IN HEIGHT HIS HAIR WAS CLOSE CROPPED HIS FEATURES PHLEGMATIC HIS EYES A LITTLE BLUE WITH THICK SHORT LIGHT COLORED LASHES HIS TEETH EXCELLENT A SCAR DEAD WHITE ON A BROWN CHEEK BONE WAS A REMINDER OF AN ENCOUNTER WITH ONE OF THE NUMEROUS SAURIANS OF VENUS I'M SENDING YOU EXPLAINED THE COLONEL BECAUSE YOU'RE MORE EXPERIENCE AND NOT LIKE SOME OF THESE KIDS ALWAYS SPOILING FOR A FIGHT THERE'S SOMETHING QUEER ABOUT THIS AFFAIR MORONUS FACTOR OF THE BLUE RIVER POST REPORTS THAT HIS ASSISTANT HAS DISAPPEARED VANISHED SIMPLY GONE BUT ONLY THREE MONTHS AGO THE FORMER FACTOR MORONES WAS HIS ASSISTANT DISAPPEARED NO HIDE NOR HAIR OF HIM
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