large/10361/astoundingstories18_1605_librivox_64kb_mp3/astounding_stories18_13_various_64kb_81
large/10361/astoundingstories18_1605_librivox_64kb_mp3/astounding_stories18_13_various_64kb
English
10361
* * * * * Olear checked over his flying ovoid, got his bearings from the port astronomer, set his coordinate navigator and shoved off. Two weeks later he plunged into the thick, misty atmosphere on the dark side of Mercury. Ancient astronomers had long suspected that Mercury always presented the same side to the sun, though they were ignorant that the little planet had water and air. Its sunward side is a dreary, sterile, hot and hostile desert. ELI CHECKED OVER HIS FLYING OVOID GOT HIS BEARINGS FROM THE PORT ASTRONOMER SET HIS CO ORDINATE NAVIGATOR AND SHOVED OFF TWO WEEKS LATER HE PLUNGED INTO THE THICK MISTY ATMOSPHERE ON THE DARK SIDE OF MERCURY ANCIENT ASTRONOMERS HAD LONG SUSPECTED THAT MERCURY ALWAYS PRESENTED THE SAME SIDE TO THE SUN THOUGH THEY WERE IGNORANT THAT THE LITTLE PLANET HAD WATER AND AIR ITS SUNWARD SIDE IS A DREARY STERILE HOT AND HOSTILE DESERT
 we'll get too good--" "Yeah, I know. Tact, that's my motto. No rough stuff." He saluted, turned on his heel. "Just a minute!" The colonel had arisen. He was a fine, ascetic type of man. He held out his hand. "Good-by, Olear. Watch yourself!" When Olear had taken his matter-of-fact departure the colonel ran his fingers through his whitening hair. In the past several months he had sent five of his best men on dangerous missions--missions requiring tact, courage, and, so it seemed, very much luck. And only two of the five had come back. In those days the Interplanetary Flying Police did not enjoy the tremendous prestige it does now. The mere presence of a member of the Force is enough, in these humdrum days of interplanetary law and order, to quell the most serious disturbance anywhere in the solar system. But it was not always thus. This astounding prestige had to be earned with blood and courage, in many a desperate and lonely battle; had to be snatched from the dripping jaws of death. CH 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 JUST A MINUTE THE COLONEL HAD ARISEN HE WAS A FINE ASCETIC TYPE OF MAN HE HELD OUT HIS HAND GOOD BYE O'LIA WATCH YOURSELF WHEN ELIO HAD TAKEN HIS MATTER OF FACT DEPARTURE THE COLONEL RAN HIS FINGERS THROUGH HIS WHITENING HAIR IN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS HE HAD SENT FIVE OF HIS BEST MEN ON DANGEROUS MISSIONS MISSIONS REQUIRING TACT COURAGE AND SO IT SEEMED VERY MUCH LUCK AND ONLY TWO OF THE FIVE HAD COME BACK IN THOSE DAYS THE INTERPLATORY FLYING POLICE DID NOT ENJOY THE TREMENDOUS PRESTIGE IT DOES NOW THE MERE PRESENCE OF A MEMBER OF THE FORCE IS ENOUGH IN THESE HUMDRUM DAYS OF INTERPLANETARY LAW AND ORDER TO QUELL THE MOST SERIOUS DISTURBANCE ANYWHERE IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM BUT IT WAS NOT ALWAYS THUS THIS ASTOUNDING PRESTIGE HAD TO BE EARNED WITH BLOOD AND COURAGE IN MANY A DESPERATE AND LONELY BATTLE AND TO BE SNATCHED FROM THE DRIFTING JAWS OF DEATH
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