Space For Hire (Seven For Space) Read Free Page A

straightforward and resourceful man." Her six green eyes glowed softly. "We both feel that you are best qualified to get my father's bodies safely to Mars. Will you accept?"
    The quaver in her tone got to me. "Okay, sister," I told her. "When do I start?"
    "My father has already arranged for a ship to pick you up within the next half-hour and take you to Earth-launch. You are booked aboard flight 12, out of Bubble City for Allnew York at 0800, which just about gives you time to pack your .38 and your bottle of Scotch and take off."
    "How come you were so sure I'd go?"
    Her eyes softened again. "I knew you would, Mr. Space. Remember what you admitted about yourself — that you're a sucker for a sob story? I simply counted on the fact that you'd respond to mine."
    "But like I said, I'm nobody's patsy. Let's see the color of your solar credits."
    She fished in her purse, drew out a hefty bundle and handed it over. "I'm sure this will get you started."
    I whistled through my pivot tooth, counting it. "Diggo!"
    "Have a good trip, Mr. Space," said Dr. Umani. He'd dropped the stage dialect and his tone was cultured and properly professorial. "You may be assured that my daughter has not overstressed our dire need. Those bodies must arrive undamaged in order to insure the future success of my work." He smiled gently, dark eyes gleaming. "One could almost say — the future success of mankind."
    I didn't have any reply to that.
    A case was a case, and I was just glad to be working again.

Three
     
    I felt naked aboard the President Agnew on the Mars-Earth run. No civilian firearms were permitted anywhere on the ship, and my .38 had been officially impounded until touchdown. They told me I could obtain a special permit to carry it on the return run — but for this trip I was on board without a weapon. Naked against mine enemies …
    Well, not quite. I'm trained in seventeen forms of solar combat, and can snap the trunk of a small pine tree with a double reverse dropkick, providing my shoes are on. I broke a toe trying it barefoot.
    I was sitting on the aisle next to a pair of young Martians who were passionately probe-rubbing each other into a norxca state, which is the highest sexual level a Martian can achieve short of fleeking, and you can't fleek on board a spaceship. Since secondary sexual response is triggered from a Martian's outer probe there was nothing abnormal in what they were doing. But it made me nervous.
    I grinned. Hell, Space, I told myself, you're getting old and crabby when a couple of oversexed Martian teeners can put you on edge. Relax. Grab some shuteye. The trip back to Mars just might be a rough one.
    I was about to doze when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I spun sideways and dropped to one knee in the aisle, into a quick-combat position.
    "Try that on a ship that isn't gravity-regulated and you'll be banging your head on the ceiling," said a sensual voice above me. "Are you always this tense, Mr. Space?"
    Earthgirl. In her twenties. Tall. Full-breasted. Upper slopes and nipples exposed in the conventional manner of Earth dress. Her waist-length red hair was diamond dusted and smelled of English heather. She had freckles on her nose. A pleasant change of pace from the kill-crazed Moon hood I was expecting to encounter. But I didn't mention Loonies to her; I just asked how she knew my name.
    "Captain Shirley was kind enough to supply it," the girl said. "I told her it was an emergency, that I needed the aid of a private investigator, and she cooperated."
    It figured, I thought sourly. You can't trust female space captains. They'll blab secrets to any other female on board. In my day, when I jockeyed the tubs, no female ever reached officer status. But the old days were over.
    "I won't be any help," I said, sitting down again. "I'm on a case right now."
    "But I only need you temporarily as an escort," she pleaded. "To accompany me from this ship to my life unit in Allnew York in Cen Park South. Couldn't you just