CodalSearch this book — or all of Codal…⌘K
nydus/Short FictionPublic

A collection of science fiction stories by Harry Harrison, ordered by date of publication.

Page 114 of 173
Table of Contents

The K-Factor

sun.

“Sit down and relax,” Costa told him. “Everything is in the green so far. The ship wasn’t spotted on the way down. Now all we have to do is wait for transportation.”

In theory at least, Adao Costa was Neel’s assistant. In practice he took complete charge of moving their equipment and getting it under cover in the capital city of Kitezh. Men and trucks appeared to help them, and vanished as soon as their work was done. Within twenty hours they were installed in a large loft, all of the machines uncrated and plugged in. Neel took a no-sleep and began tuning checks on all the circuits, glad of something to do. Costa locked the heavy door behind their last silent helper, then dropped gratefully onto one of the bedding rolls.

“How did the gadgets hold up?” he asked.

“I’m finding out now. They’re built to take punishment⁠—but being dropped twelve feet into mud soup, then getting baked by rockets isn’t in the original specs.”

114