The Star Hyacinths Read online

himself for that!"

  "Your agency gets the whole salvage fee now, eh?"

  "Not exactly," Dasinger said. "Considering everything that's happened,the Kyth Interstellar Detective Agency would have to be extremelyungrateful if it didn't feel you'd earned the same split we were goingto give Dr. Egavine."

  Miss Mines gazed at him in startled silence, flushed excitedly. "Thinkyou can talk the Kyth people into _that_, Dasinger?"

  "I imagine so," Dasinger said, "since I own the agency. That shouldfinance your Willata Fleet operation very comfortably and still leave acouple of million credits over for your old age. I doubt we'll clearanything on Hovig's generators...."

  Miss Mines looked uncomfortable. "Do you have those things aboard?"

  "At the moment. Disassembled of course. Primarily I didn't want theFleet gang to get their hands on them. We might lose them in spacesomewhere or take them back to the Federation for the scientists to pokeover. We'll discuss that on the way. Now, do you feel perky enough towant a look at the stuff that's cost around a hundred and fifty livesbefore it ever hit the Hub's markets?"

  "Couldn't feel perkier!" She straightened up expectantly. "Let's seethem...."

  Dasinger turned away towards the wall where he had put down the littlesteel case with the loot of the Dosey Asteroids robbery.

  Behind him, Duomart screamed.

  He spun back to her, his face white. "What's the matter?"

  Duomart was staring wide-eyed past him towards the instrument console,the back of one hand to her mouth. "That ... the thing!"

  "Thing?"

  "Big ... yellow ... wet ... _ugh_! It's ducked behind the console,Dasinger! It's lurking there!"

  "Oh!" Dasinger said, relaxing. He smiled. "That's all right. Don't worryabout it."

  "_Don't worry about_ ... are you crazy?"

  "Not in the least. I thought you were for a second, but it's verysimple. You've worked off the kwil and now you're in the hangoverperiod. You get hallucinations then, just as I usually do. For the nexteight or nine hours, you'll be seeing odd things around from time totime. So what? They're not real."

  * * * * *

  "All right, they're not real, but they seem real enough while they'rearound," Duomart said. "I don't want to see them." She caught her breathand her hand flew up to her mouth again. "Dasinger, please, don't youhave something that will put me back to sleep till I'm past the hangovertoo?"

  Dasinger reflected. "One of Doc Egavine's hypno sprays will do it. Iknow enough of the mumbo jumbo to send you to dreamland for another tenhours." He smiled evilly. "Of course, you realize that means you'reputting yourself completely in my power."

  Duomart's eyes narrowed for an instant. She considered him, grinned."I'll risk it," she said.

  THE END

  Transcriber's Note:

  This etext was produced from _Amazing Stories_ December 1961. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.