Blind Play
By CHAN DAVIS
Nick Pappas, hired-killer from Callisto, was
strictly out for Pappas—out for Number One, as
they used to say. And now those fools in the
vanishing spaceship thought that number was up!
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Planet Stories May 1951.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Nick Pappas had just crossed to the instrument panel of the Tang Chuh-Chih's lifeboat when he heard a sound behind him. He turned quickly.
He had left the airlock between the lifeboat and the ship open. That had been stupid, he realized, but it was too late to correct it now. One of the Tang's two other crew members was approaching down the corridor just beyond the airlock; if he saw the doors slide shut now he'd be immediately suspicious. That would leave Pappas inside the lifeboat, and before he could drain enough fuel from the ship's tanks into the lifeboat's, the other two could have the airlock cut open.
He still had a chance to hide—but before he could propel himself to the other end of the lifeboat, out of sight, Arne Birkerod appeared at the other side of the open airlock.
Birkerod smiled. Pappas stood still, gripping the pilot's seat in front of him.
"Hello, Arne," said Pappas. "I was just checking over the—"