The Night of No Moon
By H. B. FYFE
Illustrated by ORBAN
A rough planet, Boyd III—where survival of the
fittest gave way to survival of the worst tempered!
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Infinity June 1957.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
The main trouble with the planet Boyd III was one satellite too many.
Had there been no third moon, large and close, the tides might have been less confused and the weather more predictable. Certain peaks of atmospheric wildness, recurrent coastal catastrophes, logical but distressing customs of the natives—lack of these factors would have made Boyd III a much more attractive world.
The same lack, however, would not have tempted Pete Guthrie to survey such conditions from the surface of the planet as part of his exploratory and mapping duties. But it was too late now to be sorry he had not secured his rocket properly against the incredible tides of the shoreline he had rashly chosen for a landing.
He mentioned this, for about the hundredth time, to Polf.