The Weather on Mercury
By WILLIAM MORRISON
Illustrated by VIDMER
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Galaxy Science Fiction July 1953.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Anyone mad enough (1) to land on that crazy
world (2) in order to rescue that screwball
explorer should (3) have his head examined!
I
The first thing McCracken did was shoot a Mercurian native. But thenMcCracken, although he had powerful muscles, was never supposed to bevery strong in the head.
The expedition was in the Twilight Zone, naturally, at the time.Without special clothing, which no one had, both the perpetual nightof the Cold Side and the furnace heat of the Hot Side were out of thequestion. The Twilight Zone at this point was about forty miles wide,and the Astrolight had been skillfully brought down smack in themiddle of it. Two hours after the landing, having ascertained that theair was as breathable as Kalinoff had reported, McCracken went out andaimed his explosive bullet at the Mercurian.
If it hadn't been for Carvalho, who accompanied him, the rest of thegroup would have known nothing of the incident. It was Carvalho whoreported what had happened to Lamoureux, captain of the expedition.
McCracken, of course, burst into vigorous denials that he had shot anative. "You don't think I'd be fool enough to go around looking fortrouble, do you?"
Lamoureux thought he would, but didn't say so. "You did shoot atsomething. We heard the report."
"I tried to hit a dangerous bird."
"What sort of bird was it?"
"Kind of like a penguin, I'd say, but with a broader face. No bill tospeak of—"
"Then don't speak of it," snapped Lamoureux. "Did you score a hit?"
"I think the explosion caught it in the shoulder. It got away."
"Thank God for small favors," said Lamoureux. "That bird, youpigeon-brain, was a Mercurian. How do you expect intelligentinhabitants of other planets to look? Like you? They'd die ofmortification."
"Damn it, how was I to know?"
"I told you not to shoot unless you were attacked." Lamoureux scowled."Kalinoff is somewhere in the Twilight Zone and we were supposed tofind him with the help of the Mercurians. It may interest you to knowthat, while you were out at target practice, some of them came aroundhere and began to behave as if they wanted to be friendly. Then theysuddenly disappeared. I imagine they got news of what you had done. Afat lot of help they'll give us now."
"We'll run across Kalinoff without them," said McCracken confidently.
Carvalho, who had a habit of looking for the dark side of everysituation, and finding it, suggested, "Suppose the Mercurians attackus?"
McCracken said, "They haven't any weapons."
"How do you know?"
"Kalinoff didn't mention any."
Lamoureux emitted a laugh that sounded like an angry bark. "Kalinoffwouldn't know. He was friendly with them. He did report thatthey were an intelligent race. It'll be too bad if they use theirintelligence against us."
McCracken thrust out his jaw. There was a streak of stubbornness inhim, and he was not going to take too many dirty cracks lying down. Hegrowled, "I thin