about how the
blueskin markings disappeared, but a few hints--You've got books for
me?"

Calhoun nodded. He brought them to her.

"If we only fell in love with each other, Maril, we'd be a team! Too
bad! These are a wedding present you'll do well to hide."

She put her hands in his.

"I like you--almost as much as I like Murgatroyd! Yes! Korvan will never
know, and he'll be a great man." Then she added defensively, "And not
just from these books! He'll make his own wonderful discoveries."

"Of which," said Calhoun, "the most remarkable is you. Good luck
Maril!"

* * * * *

Presently the Med Ship lifted. Calhoun aimed it for the next planet on
the list of those he was to visit. After this one more he'd return to
sector headquarters with a biting report to make on the way things had
been handled before him. He said;

"Overdrive coming, Murgatroyd!"

Then the stars went out and there was silence, and privacy, and a faint,
faint, almost unhearable series of background sounds which kept the Med
Ship from being totally unendurable.

Long, long days later the ship broke out of overdrive and Calhoun guided
it to a round and sunlit world. In due time he thumped the
communicator-button.

"Calling ground," he said crisply. "Calling ground! Med Ship Aesclipus
Twenty reporting arrival and asking coordinates for landing. Purpose of
landing, planetary health inspection. Our mass is fifty standard tons."

There was a pause while the beamed message went many, many thousands of
miles. Then the speaker said;

"_Aesclipus Twenty, repeat your identification!_"

Murgatroyd said;

"_Chee-chee? Chee?_"

Calhoun sighed.

"That's right, Murgatroyd! Here we go again!"

THE END

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Pariah Planet, by Murray Leinster

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