Brigands of the Moon

by Ray Cummings

  XXVII

  We crouched in the shadows, the Earthlight filtering down to us. Theskulking figure of Miko had vanished; but I was sure he was out theresomewhere on the crags, lurking, maneuvering to where he could strikeus with his ray. Anita's metal-gloved hand was on my arm; in myear-diaphragm her voice sounded eager:

  "What was the signal, Gregg?"

  I told her everything.

  "Oh Gregg! The Martian ship coming!"

  Her mind clung to that as the most important thing. But not so myself.To me there was only the realization that Anita was caught out here,almost at the mercy of Miko's ray. Grantline's men could not get outto help us, nor could I get Anita into the camp.

  She added, "Where do you suppose the ship is?"

  "Twenty or thirty thousand miles up, probably."

  The stars and the Earth were visible over us. Somewhere up there,disclosed by Grantline's instruments but not yet discernible to thenaked eye, Miko's reinforcements were hovering.

  We lay for a moment in silence. It was horribly nerve straining. Mikocould be creeping up on us. Would he dare chance my sudden fire?Creeping--or would he make a swift, unexpected rush?

  The feeling that he was upon us abruptly swept me. I jumped to myfeet, against Anita's effort to hold me. Where was he now? Was myimagination playing me tricks?...

  I sank back. "That ship should be here in a few hours."

  I told her what Grantline's signal had suggested; the ship washovering overhead. It must be fairly close; for Grantline's telescopehad revealed its identity as an outlaw flyer, unmarked by any of thestandard code identification lights. It was doubtless too far away asyet to have located the whereabouts of Grantline's camp. The Martianbrigands knew that we were in the vicinity of Archimedes, but no morethan that. Searching this glowing Moon surface, our tiny localsemaphore beams would certainly pass unnoticed.

  But as the brigand ship approached now--dropping close to Archimedesas it probably would--our danger was that Miko and his men would thensignal it, join it, and reveal the camp's location. And the brigandattack would be upon us!

  I told this now to Anita. "The signal from Grantline said, '_Unlessyou can stop them._'"

  It was an appeal to me. But how could I stop them? What could I do,alone out here with Anita, to cope with this enemy?

  Anita made no comment.

  I added, "That ship will land near Archimedes, within an hour or two.If Grantline can repair the ports, and I can get you inside...."

  Again she made no comment. Then suddenly she gripped me. "Gregg, lookthere!"

  Out through the gully break in our bowl the figure of Miko showed! Hewas running. But not at us. Circling the summit, leaping to keephimself behind the upstanding crags. He passed the head of thestaircase; he did not descend it, but headed off along the summit ofthe crater rim.

  I stood up to watch him. "Where's he going!"

  I let Anita stand up beside me, cautiously at first, for it occurredto me it might be a ruse to cover some other of Miko's men who mightbe lurking near.

  But the summit seemed clear. The figure of Miko was a thousand feetaway now. We could see the tiny blob of it bobbing over the rocks.Then it plunged down--not into the crater valley, but out toward theopen Moon surface.

  Miko had abandoned his attack on us. The reason seemed plain. He hadcome here from his encampment with Coniston ahead to lure and killWilks. When this was done, Coniston had flashed his signal to Miko,who was hiding nearby.

  It was not like the brigand leader to remain in the background. Mikowas no coward. But Coniston could impersonate Wilks, whereas Miko'sgiant stature at once would reveal his identity. Miko had been engagedin smashing the ports. He had looked up and seen me kill Coniston. Hehad come to assail me. And then he had read Grantline's message to me.It was his first knowledge that his ship was at hand. With the campexits inoperative, Grantline and his men were imprisoned. Miko hadmade an effort to kill me. He did not know my companion was Anita. Butthe effort was taking too long; with his ship at hand, it was Miko'sbest move to return to his own camp, rejoin his men, and await theiropportunity to signal the ship.

  At least, so I reasoned it. Anita and I stood alone. What could we do?

  We went to the brink of the cliff. The unlighted Grantline buildingsshowed vaguely in the Earthlight.

  I said, "We'll go down. I'll leave you there. You can wait at theport. They'll repair it soon."

  "And what will you do, Gregg?"

  I did not intend to tell her. "Hurry, Anita!"

  "Gregg, let me go with you."

  She jerked away from me and bounded back up the stairs. I caught heron the summit.

  "Anita!"

  "I'm going with you."

  "You're going to stay here."

  "I'm not!"

  This exasperating controversy!

  "Anita, please."

  "I'll be safer with you than waiting here, Gregg." And she added,"Besides, I won't stay and you can't make me."

  We ran along the crater top. At its distant edge the lower plainspread before us. Far down, and far away on the distant brokensurface, the leaping figure of Miko showed. He plunged down the brokenouter slope, reached the level. Soon, as we ran, the little Grantlinecrater faded behind us.

  Anita ran more skillfully than I. Ten minutes or so passed. We hadseen Miko and the direction he was taking, but down here on the plainwe could no longer see him. It struck me that our chase waspurposeless and dangerous. Suppose Miko were to see us following him?Suppose he stopped and lay in ambush to fire at us as we came leapingheedlessly by?

  "Anita, wait!"

  I drew her down amid a group of tumbled boulders. And then abruptlyshe clung to me.

  "Gregg, I know what we can do! Gregg, don't tell me you won't let metry it!"

  I listened to her plan. Incredible! Incredibly dangerous. Yet, as Ipondered it, the very daring of the scheme seemed the measure of itspossible success. The brigands would never imagine we could be sorash!

  "But Anita--"

  "Gregg, you're stupid!" It was her turn to be exasperated.

  But I was in no mood for daring. My mind was obsessed with Anita'ssafety. I had been planning that we might see the glow of Miko'sencampment and decide on some course of action.

  "But, Gregg, the safety of the treasure--of all the Grantline men...."

  "To the infernal with that! It's you, your safety--"

  "My safety, then! If you put me in the camp and the brigands attack itand I am killed--what then? But this plan of mine, if we can do it,Gregg, will mean safety in the end for all of us."

  And it seemed possible. We crouched, discussing it. So daring a thing!

  The brigand ship would come down near Archimedes. That was fifty milesfrom Grantline. The brigands from Mars would not have seen the darkGrantline buildings hidden in the little crater pit. They would waitfor Miko and his men to make their whereabouts known.

  Miko's encampment was ahead of us now, undoubtedly. We had beenfollowing him toward the Mare Imbrium. Or at least, we hoped so. Hewould signal his ship. But Anita and I, closer to it, would alsosignal it; and, posing as brigands, would join it!

  "Remember, Gregg, I remain Anita Prince, George's sister." Her voicetrembled as she mentioned her dead brother. "They know that George wasin Miko's pay, and I as his sister, will help to convince them."

  This daring scheme! If we could join the ship, we might be able topersuade its leader that Miko's distant signals were merely a ruse ofGrantline to lure the brigands in that direction. A long rangeprojector from the ship would kill Miko and his men as they cameforward to join it! And then we would falsely direct the brigands,lead them away from Grantline and the treasure.

  "Gregg, we must try it."

  Heaven help me, I yielded to her persuasion!

  We turned at right angles and ran toward where the distant frowningwalls of Archimedes loomed against the starlit sky.