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another name. Why should he take this
attitude?
"I'm not a friend of Captain Future's," Ka
Thaar said raspingly. "I only saw him once, ten
years ago when I was a boy on Mercury. I
know that Future's a man. If a cheap ruffian
like you managed to shoot him, it was in the
back. We can't use men of your type. I advise
you to leave Roo."
"Now wait a minute, Ka," complained Jed
Harmer. "It's not yours to decide. After all, I'm
the leader of this movement."
Ka Thaar looked at the pudgy politician and
laughed ironically. "You're really beginning to
think you are, aren't you?"
CURT NEWTON did not miss the implication.
Then Jed Harmer was only a figurehead of the
conspiracy, as they had calculated?
But who, then, was the real leader of the plot?
Ka Thaar himself? Captain Future did not
think so.
"We will need every loyal supporter we can
get when the rebellion begins," Harmer was
declaring. "You, Rab Cain, can be useful to us.
Li Sharn will hire you as one of his plantation
workers. You will comprehend our movement
better when you have been with us a little. We
are only seeking the good of the people of Roo.
The remote control of the System Government
is stifling this world. We must set it free of
those shackles."
Captain Future perceived that Jed Harmer
was the type of hypocrite who can deceive
even himself.
"If you insist on taking him in, all right," Ka
Thaar conceded sullenly. "But keep out of my
way, Cain!"
"Are there any orders for me?" Li Sharn
asked.
"We'll inform you in the morning," said
Harmer non-committally. "Better get back to
your plantation, now."
Captain Future was thinking fast. If they
expected to have orders for Li Sharn by
morning, it meant they were to see the
unknown leader of the conspiracy tonight.
"Here's a chance to learn the identity of the
man behind this thing at once!" Newton
thought.
He left the house with Li Sharn. As they
drove back to the Saturnian's plantation,
Newton's brain was busy with a plan.
The plantation was dark. Newton retired to
the dusty bedroom assigned him, and stretched
out on the cot. After an hour, he silently arose.
From his space-bag he fished out a tiny
instrument. He stuffed this into his pocket,
silently opened the screen of his window, and
stole across the dark veranda.
Captain Future moved straight across the
starlit vitron fields toward Harmer's plantation.
He had soon covered the two miles and was
warily approaching the rear of the house.
He slipped from shadow to shadow through
the grotesque, twined labyrinth-trees, alert for
automatic alarms. Light was gleaming from the
shuttered window of the room in which he had
met Harmer and Ka Thaar. They were still
there, then. Who was in there with them?
Curt Newton did not approach the window.
He knelt near it and affixed to the cement wall
the instrument he had brought. It was a super-
stethoscope, invaluable for eavesdropping.
He dimly heard Harmer's voice. "--But it
wasn't my fault!"
Suddenly the muzzle of an atom-pistol jabbed
Curt Newton's back. Startled, he turned his
head. Li Sharn stood behind him.
In the starlight, the Saturnian's face was
furious. "A spy then, after all?" he growled.
"You might have known I'd watch you at first,
Cain! You fool!"
Captain Future knew the man was on the
point of pressing the trigger, and knew too
with icy certainty that he could not possibly
move in time to escape instant death.
CHAPTER VIII
Alien Mystery
PHILIP CARLIN remained stunned by dismay
in the plaza of Rootown after the crowd began
to break up. Though relieved that open
rebellion had been temporarily averted, the
young scientist was now prey to a greater
anxiety.
"You heard, Zamok?" he gasped. "Captain
Future's been shot, badly hurt. That's why he
hasn't arrived on Roo!" "I can't believe it," said
the elderly Martian.
"You heard what that fellow Rab Cain said,"
Carlin reminded him.
Zamok's wrinkled red face wore a frown.
"Let's find out more about this."
They started across the plaza to where the
group of emigrants from the Starfarer stood
bunched together.
Walker King, the Governor, had approached
them and was speaking earnestly to the
bewildered group of newcomers.
"You people have had an unfortunate
introduction to Roo," King was saying. "But
don't let it worry you. Things will quiet down.
You'll be assigned temporary quarters here in
town until your land-grants can be surveyed
and your new homes constructed."
"Will our land be out on the edge of the
colony?" asked a serious-faced young Jovian
emigrant.
Walker King reluctantly admitted it. "You
see, we continually clear more land from the
jungle, and of course that's what is granted."
"But from what we heard, the Roons raid the
outer plantations?" persisted the Jovian,
uneasiness in his face.
"The Roons'll come and kill you, sure!"
cackled a shrill voice from behind the group.
It was "Crazy" Jonny. The hunched, grizzled
madman was wagging his head wisely as he
surveyed the startled emigrants.
"You don't know what a Roon raid is like, do
you? You'll find out, if you stay on Roo. Better
leave!"
"Jonny, shut up and get out of here before I
have you locked up," said the governor angrily.
He added to the emigrants, "Don't pay any
attention. The fellow's been out of his mind for
years."
He went to summon the officials who would
assign them to temporary quarters. The
discouraged emigrants looked at each other.
Carlin approached John Gordon. "We're
research scientists working here on vitron,"
Carlin introduced himself and Zamok. "Is it
true Rab Cain shot Captain Future?"
"I'm afraid it's true," Gordon nodded. "Cain
admitted it when our ship's captain, got an
undimensional-wave message. The rat must
have some basis for a self-defense plea, for the
Patrol sent no order to detain him."
Carlin's heart sank. When Gordon and the
other emigrants moved off to their new
quarters, he remained looking morosely at
Zamok.
"Zamok, what are we going to do?"
"The Futuremen may come, anyway," Zamok
said thoughtfully. "Though if he's badly
wounded, they wouldn't leave him."
Carlin rallied his courage.
"We've got to go on, anyway. We've still got
the Roon we captured last night. We still may
be able to learn something from him."
"I hope so," muttered the Martian. "Let's get
back to the plantation and find out."
The red disk of Arkar had already set, and
darkness was complete when they reached
their own plantation. Not a light showed from
the house.
"Why doesn't Lin Sao have a light?"
murmured Carlin uneasily. "You don't suppose
anything has happened?"
He entered the house and found the living
room-laboratory in complete darkness. Before
he could find the switch, Carlin heard a heavy,
clanking sound beside him. Gigantic arms
encircled him in a crushing grip.
"Zamok, get back!" he yelled. "Someone is--"
"Quiet!" rumbled a deep voice. "It's all right,
Ezra. Turn on the lights."
The krypton-bulbs in the ceiling exploded
brilliance. In the daylight glare, Philip Carlin
looked around, stunned.
He was being held by an incredible metal
giant whose shining photoelectric eyes looked
down at him from a seven-foot height.
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