Project Gutenberg's The World with a Thousand Moons, by Edmond Hamilton

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Title: The World with a Thousand Moons

Author: Edmond Hamilton

Release Date: May 10, 2010 [EBook #32317]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from Amazing Stories December 1942. Extensive
research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this
publication was renewed.

THE WORLD WITH A THOUSAND MOONS

[Illustration: The forest was a hell of vicious brutes]

by EDMOND HAMILTON

Grim death was the only romance to be found on this world
that boasted a thousand moons

* * * * *

CHAPTER 1

Thrill Cruise

Lance Kenniston felt the cold realization of failure as he came out of
the building into the sharp chill of the Martian night. He stood for a
moment, his lean, drawn face haggard in the light of the two hurtling
moons.

He looked hopelessly across the dark spaceport. It was a large one,
for this ancient town of Syrtis was the main port of Mars. The forked
light of the flying moons showed many ships docked on the tarmac--a
big liner, several freighters, a small, shining cruiser and other
small craft. And for lack of one of those ships, his hopes were
ruined!

A squat, brawny figure in shapeless space-jacket came to Kenniston's
side. It was Holk Or, the Jovian who had been waiting for him.

"What luck?" asked the Jovian in a rumbling whisper.

"It's hopeless," Kenniston answered heavily. "There isn't a small
cruiser to be had at any price. The meteor-miners buy up all small
ships here."

"The devil!" muttered Holk Or, dismayed. "What are we going to do? Go
on to Earth and get a cruiser there?"

"We can't do that," Kenniston answered. "You know we've got to get
back to that asteroid within two weeks. We've got to get a ship here."

Desperation made Kenn