The Makeshift Rocket Read Online Free PDF Page A

‘’Tis the necessity of so usin’ yourpeople that hurts every true Erse soul,’ he said, ‘an’ be sure if it were not certain that no harm could come to the civilians here, we’d never have embarked on the adventure.’ He brightened. ‘An’ faith, is it not well we did, since it has given me the sight of your sweet face?’
    Emily turned her back and stamped one little foot.
    ‘Also your sweet legs,’ continued McConnell blandly, ‘an’ your sweet – er – Drink, Mister Syrup, drink up wi’ me to the rightin’ of wrongs an’ the succorin’ of the distressed!’
    ‘Like me,’ mumbled the engineer.
    The girl whirled about. ‘But people will be hurt!’ she cried. ‘Don’t you understand? I’ve tried and tried to explain to you, my father’s tried, everyone on Grendel has and none of you will listen! It’s been forty years since our nations were last close enough together to have much contact. I mean, you just don’t know how the situation has changed in Anglia. You think you can steal Lois, and our government will swallow a
fait accompli
rather than start a war – the way yours did when we first took it. But ours won’t. Old King James died ten years ago. King Charles is a young man – a fire-eater – and the P.M. claims descent from Sir Winston Churchill – they won’t accept it! I mean to say, your government will either have to repudiate you and give Lois back, or there’ll be interplanetary war!’
    ‘I think not,
acushla
, I think not,’ said McConnell. ‘Ye mustn’t trouble your pretty head about these things.’
    ‘I t’ink maybe she ban right,’ said Herr Syrup. ‘I ban in Anglia often times.’
    ‘Well, if the Sassenach want a fight,’ said McConnell merrily, ‘a fight we’ll give them!’
    ‘But you’ll kill so many innocent people,’ protested Emily. ‘Why, a bomb could destroy the Greek theatre on Scotia! And all for what? A little money and a mountain of pride!’
    ‘
Ja
, you ruin my business,’ croaked Sarmishkidu.
    ‘And mine. My whole ship, said Herr Syrup, almost tearfully.
    ‘Oh, now, now, now, man, ye at least should not be tryin’ to blarney me,’ said McConnell. ‘What harm can a six or seven weeks’ holiday here do to yez?’
    ‘Ve ban carrying a load of Brahma bull embryos in exogenetic tanks,’ said Herr Syrup. ‘All de time, dose embryos is growing.’ He banged his mug on the table. ‘Dey is soon fetuses, by Yudas! Ve have only so much room aboard ship; and it takes time to reash Alamo from here. If ve are held up more dan two, t’ree veeks—’
    ‘Oh, no!’ whispered McConnell.
    ‘Ja,’ said Herr Syrup. ‘Brahma bull calves all over de place. Ve cannot possibly carry dem, and dere is a stiff penalty in our contract.’
    ‘Well, now.’ McConnell looked uneasy. ‘Sure, an’ ’tis sorry I am, an’ after this affair has all been settled, if yez wish to file a claim for damages at Teamhair I am sure the O’Toole government will—Oh, oh.’ He stopped. ‘Where did ye say your owners are?’
    ‘Anguklukkakok City, Venus.’
    Well—’ Major McConnell stared at his toes, rather like a schoolboy caught in the cookie jar. ‘Well, now, I meself think ‘twas a good thing the Anguklukkakok Venusians were all converted last century, but truth ’tis, Jiniral O’Toole is pretty strict an’—’
    ‘I say,’ broke in Emily, ‘what’s the matter? I mean, if your owners are—’
    ‘Baptists,’ said Rory McConnell.
    ‘Oh,’ said Emily in a small voice.
    McConnell leaped to his feet. One huge fist crashed on the table so the beer steins leaped. ‘Well, ’tis sorry I am!’ heshouted. Sarmishkidu flinched from the noise and folded up his ears. ‘I’ve no ill will to anyone, meself, ’tis a dayd done for me country, an’ – an’ – an’ why must all of yez be turn-in’ a skylarkin’ merry-go into hurt an’ harm an’ sorrow?’
    He stormed toward the exit.
    ‘The score!’ thundered Sarmishkidu in his thin, reedy