The Project Gutenberg EBook of Shepherd of the Planets, by Alan Mattox

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Shepherd of the Planets

Author: Alan Mattox

Illustrator: Leo Summers

Release Date: February 11, 2009 [EBook #28048]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SHEPHERD OF THE PLANETS ***

Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

[Illustration]

SHEPHERD OF
THE PLANETS

By ALAN MATTOX

ILLUSTRATOR SUMMERS

_Renner had a purpose in life. And
the Purpose in Life had Renner._

The star ship came out of space drive for the last time, and made its
final landing on a scrubby little planet that circled a small and lonely
sun. It came to ground gently, with the cushion of a retarder field, on
the side of the world where it was night. In the room that would have
been known as the bridge on ships of other days, instrument lights
glowed softly on Captain Renner's cropped white hair, and upon the
planes of his lean, strong face. Competent fingers touched controls here
and there, seeking a response that he knew would not come. He had known
this for long enough so that there was no longer any emotional impact in
it for him. He shut off the control panel, and stood up.

"Well, gentlemen," he said, "that's it. The fuel pack's gone!"

Beeson, the botanist, a rotund little man with a red, unsmiling face,
squirmed in his chair.

"The engineers on Earth told us it would last a lifetime," he pointed
out.

"If we were just back on Earth," Thorne, the ship's doctor, said drily,
"we could tell them that it doesn't. They could start calculating
again."

"But what does it mean?" David asked. He was the youngest member of the
crew, signed on as linguist, and librarian to the ship.

"Just that we're stuck here--where ever that is--for good!" Farrow said
bitterly.

"You won't have to run engines anymore," Dr. Thorne commented, knowing
that remark would irritate Farrow.

Farrow glared at him. His narrow cheekbones and shallow eyes were
shadowed by the control room lights. He was good with the engines w