TEMPTRESS OF PLANET DELIGHT
By B. CURTIS
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Planet Stories May 1953.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
When the alarm signalled the first whiff of the atmosphere of the nextplanet on his route, Herl Hofner stopped chinning by his strappingsix-foot self and left the little gym. Slipping into the swivel chairat the desk he clipped the pile of loose papers into an empty nicheat the side of the desk, spun the chair around to the instrumentpanel of the Krylla. Dialing with his left hand, he swept the bankfor incoming signals while his right hand adjusted the microphonefrequencies.
"Class M-for-Mary ship requesting permission to land. Do you haveautomatic beam landing device? Class M-for-Mary ship requestingpermission to land. Do you have automatic beam landing?" His dialpointer swept back and forth.
"Come in, class M-for-Mary."
Herl's left hand moved to the autobeam switch. "What band forM-for-Mary landing? What band for M-for-Mary landing?"
"Come in on seventy-three point eight, M-for-Mary. Come in onseventy-three point eight, M-for-Mary."
Herl's left hand now centered the needle neatly on the appropriatesetting as his right pressed the stud for extending the wings withtheir powerful atmosphere motors; and he sank back into the chaircushions with a relieved sigh. This was still a civilized planet. He'dbe able to get back maybe a month sooner than he'd expected after themost recent setback. Forty years, he frowned, was too long betweenvisits from Galactic Central, even if Central had no responsibilityfor autonomous groupings. A lot could happen in forty years onthese isolated planets. The unprecedented mutation leaving half thepopulation deaf and dumb had made the last call a long and tediousone. But by the signs so far, this planet was still ticking alongsatisfactorily with radio and radar and standard language, a space-portand all the comforts of civilization.
The speaker hummed into activity. "Please state vessel name,registration, number of crew, destination, and nature of business,M-for-Mary entering on band seventy-three point eight."
Herl grinned comfortably to himself. Familiar red tape had a homelikering. "This is the Krylla, registered J-John five two L-Lomax onefive on Earth Sol at headquarters of Galactic Coordination, on routineround trip of thirty planets carrying only Captain Herl Hofner, yoursears-monkey, to governmental centers for trading coordination."
He heard the snort from the speaker before the bellow. "What in sevenlight years is a sears-monkey?" He could visualize the veritable bullof a man at the port control tower.
"Traditional term on Earth for a trading catalogue, now used tosignify the man who carries it. I've got five hundred thousand feet ofmicrofilm of the latest manufactured articles and raw materials andtheir descriptions and prices from about three thousand planets in thegalaxy. Anything you need?"
"I don't know. Nobody tells me anything." A pause. "How long do youwish to remain on Delight?"
"That depends on what's needed and how long it takes me to find out.How lo