The Project Gutenberg EBook of Impact, by Irving E. Cox

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Title: Impact

Author: Irving E. Cox

Release Date: May 23, 2008 [EBook #25567]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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IMPACT

By IRVING E. COX, Jr.

Illustrated by GRAYAM

_They were languorous, anarchic, shameless
in their pleasures ... were they lower
than man ... or higher?_

Over the cabin 'phone, Ann's voice was crisp with anger. "Mr. Lord, I must
see you at once."

"Of course, Ann." Lord tried not to sound uncordial. It was all part of a
trade agent's job, to listen to the recommendations and complaints of the
teacher. But an interview with Ann Howard was always so arduous, so stiff
with unrelieved righteousness. "I should be free until--"

"Can you come down to the schoolroom, Mr. Lord?"

"If it's necessary. But I told you yesterday, there's nothing we can do to
make them take the lessons."

"I understand your point of view, Mr. Lord." Her words were barely civil,
brittle shafts of ice. "However, this concerns Don; he's gone."

"Gone? Where?"

"Jumped ship."

"Are you sure, Ann? How long ago?"

"I rather imagined you'd be interested," she answered with smug
satisfaction. "Naturally you'll want to see his note. I'll be waiting for
you."

The 'phone clicked decisively as she broke the connection. Impotent fury
lashed Lord's mind--anger at Don Howard, because the engineer was one of
his key men; and, childishly, anger at Don's sister because she was the one
who had broken the news. If it had come from almost anyone else it would,
somehow, have seemed less disastrous. Don's was the fourth desertion in
less than a week, and the loss of trained personnel was becoming serious
aboard the _Ceres_. But what did Ann Howard expect Lord to do about it?
This was a trading ship; he had no military authority over his crew.

As Lord stood up, his desk chair collapsed w