The Misplaced Battleship Read online

I'll show you why----"

  When I threw the big switch a carefully worked out sequence took place.First, of course, the hull was magnetized and the bombs fused. A lightblinked as the scanner in the cabin turned off, and the one in thegenerator room came on. I checked the monitor screen to make sure, thenstarted into the spacesuit. It had to be done fast, at the same time itwas necessary to talk naturally. They must still think of me as sittingin the control room.

  "That's the ship's generators you're looking at," I said. "Ninety-eightper cent of their output is now feeding into coils that make anelectromagnet of this ship's hull. You will find it very hard toseparate us. And I would advise you not to try."

  The suit was on, and I kept the running chatter up through the mike inthe helmet, relaying to the ship's transmitter. The scene in the monitorreceiver changed.

  "You are now looking at a hydrogen bomb that is primed and aware of themagnetic field holding our ships together. It will, of course, go off ifyou try to pull away."

  I grabbed up the monitor receiver and ran towards the air lock.

  "This is a different bomb now," I said, keeping one eye on the screenand the other on the slowly opening outer door. "This one has receptorson the hull. Attempt to destroy any part of this ship, or even gainentry to it, and this one will detonate."

  I was in space now, leaping across to the gigantic wall of the othership.

  "What do you want?" These were the first words Pepe had spoken since hisfirst threats.

  "I want to talk to you, arrange a deal. Something that would beprofitable for both of us. But let me first show you the rest of thebombs, so you won't get any strange ideas about co-operating."

  Of course I _had_ to show him the rest of the bombs, there was nogetting out of it. The scanners in the ship were following a plannedprogram. I made light talk about all my massive armament that wouldcarry us both to perdition, while I climbed through the hole in thebattleship's hull. There was no armor or warning devices at this spot,it had been chosen carefully from the blueprints.

  "Yeah, yeah ... I take your word for it, you're a flying bomb. So stopwith this roving reporter bit and tell me what you have in mind."

  This time I didn't answer him, because I was running and panting like adog, and had the mike turned off. Just ahead, if the blueprints wereright, was the door to the control room. Pepe should be there.

  I stepped through, gun out, and pointed it at the back of his head.Angelina stood next to him, looking at the screen.

  "The game's over," I said. "Stand up slowly and keep your hands insight."

  "What do you mean," he said angrily, looking at the screen in front ofhim. The girl caught wise first. She spun around and pointed.

  "He's _here_!"

  They both stared, gaped at me, caught off guard and completelyunprepared.

  "You're under arrest, crime-king," I told him. "And your girl friend."

  Angelina rolled her eyes up and slid slowly to the floor. Real or faked,I didn't care. I kept the gun on Pepe's pudgy form while he picked herup and carried her to an acceleration couch against the wall.

  "What ... what will happen now?" He quavered the question. His pouchyjaws shook and I swear there were tears in his eyes. I was not impressedby his acting since I could clearly remember the dead men floating inspace. He stumbled over to a chair, half dropping into it.

  "Will they do anything to me?" Angelina asked. Her eyes were open now.

  "I have no idea of what will happen to you," I told her truthfully."That is up to the courts to decide."

  "But he _made_ me do all those things," she wailed. She was young, darkand beautiful, the tears did nothing to spoil this.

  Pepe dropped his face into his hands and his shoulders shook. I flickedthe gun his way and snapped at him.

  "Sit up, Pepe. I find it very hard to believe that you are crying. Thereare some Naval ships on the way now, the automatic alarm was triggeredabout a minute ago. I'm sure they'll be glad to see the man who...."

  "Don't let them take me, please!" Angelina was on her feet now, her backpressed to the wall. "They'll put me in prison, do things to my mind!"She shrunk away as she spoke, stumbling along the wall. I looked back atPepe, not wanting to have my eyes off him for an instant.

  "There's nothing I can do," I told her. I glanced her way and a smalldoor was swinging open and she was gone.

  "Don't try to run," I shouted after her, "it can't do any good!"

  Pepe made a strangling noise and I looked back to him quickly. He wassitting up now and his face was dry of tears. In fact he was laughing,not crying.

  "So she caught you, too, Mr. Wise-cop, poor little Angelina with thesoft eyes." He broke down again, shaking with laughter.

  "What do you mean," I growled.

  "Don't you catch yet? The story she told you was true--except shetwisted it around a bit. The whole plan, building the battleship, thenstealing it, was _hers_. She pulled me into it, played me like anaccordion. I fell in love with her, hating myself and happy at the sametime. Well--I'm glad now it's over. At least I gave her a chance to getaway, I owe her that much. Though I thought I would explode when shewent into that innocence act!"

  The cold feeling was now a ball of ice that threatened to paralyze me."You're lying," I said hoarsely, and even I didn't believe it.

  "Sorry. That's the way it is. Your brain-boys will pick my skull topieces and find out the truth anyway. There's no point in lying now."

  "We'll search the ship, she can't hide for long."

  "She won't have to," Pepe said. "There's a fast scout we picked up,stowed in one of the holds. That must be it leaving now." We could feelthe vibration, distantly through the floor.

  "The Navy will get her," I told him, with far more conviction than Ifelt.

  "Maybe," he said, suddenly slumped and tired, no longer laughing. "Maybethey will. But I gave her her chance. It is all over for me now, but sheknows that I loved her to the end." He bared his teeth in sudden pain."Not that she will care in the slightest."

  I kept the gun on him and neither of us moved while the Navy shipspulled up and their boots stamped outside. I had captured my battleshipand the raids were over. And I couldn't be blamed if the girl hadslipped away. If she evaded the Navy ships, that was their fault, notmine.

  I had my victory all right.

  Then why did it taste like ashes in my mouth?

  It's a big galaxy, but it wasn't going to be big enough to hide Angelinanow. I can be conned once--but only once. The next time we met thingswere going to be _very_ different.

  THE END

  Transcriber's Note

  This etext was produced from _Astounding Science Fiction_ April 1960.Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyrighton this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errorshave been corrected without note.