The Thursday Toads - A. M. Lightner, ebook, CALIBRE SFF 1970s, Temp 2
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//-->THE THURSDAY TOADSTo ANDRE NORTON… for help and encouragement, much thanks!ContentsMany a SlipGetting There Is Half the FunToday Ifs ThursdayHome Is the HeroSummit ConferenceThe only good ToadMicrobe MiracleThe Thursday PrimitivesDoctor, Heal My Son!The Child Is FatherRite of PassageSerendipityTHE THURSDAY TOADSSUTTER COUNTY 750 FORBES AVENI YUBA CITY, CA.MANY A SLIPWhen I'm excited, I have always been inclined to fumble. Add to that anunusual measure of curiosity and you can see—well, there's the old adageabout the cat's untimely end.In this case I was poking into every lab at the Gamow Institute. That's onEstrada, as you probably know, where I'd just planeted, armed with my newPh.D. degree and unbounded optimism and expectations. After all, notmany kids my age have an advanced degree in their pockets.I'd been told to look around while getting my bearings. That's one of thegreat things about the Institute. They never put pressure on the newrecruits. They realize that it takes a little time to adjust to a new planet andthey aren't looking for plodders. When they sign you up, they know thatthey're buying brains. So nobody tells you what to do at first. You'reencouraged to look in on all the projects and choose what interests you.That's what I was doing my second day on Estrada —exploring. Since I'dbeen trained as an ecologist, I gravitated to the work that might come underthat heading. Of course, X-Tee ecology (extra-terrestrial animals, to you)can be a far cry from what you've learned on Earth. But that was what I'dcome for. New life forms. New mysteries. New challenges.My mind was running along these lines when I looked into that lab and sawthe elderly scientist and his young assistant bending over an odd little boxwhile they adjusted the controls and levers on a large machine."Just hold it steady now, Luki," said the man. His voice started off as acommanding bass, but was inclined to go up the scale as he talked. In fact,if he talked long enough, it might squeak in the higher registers, as thoughhis mind had gone on to something else and what he was saying was of noimportance after all."Let me know when he's in the right position, girl. We don't want to mess itup again this time.""It's hard to see clearly, Dr. Thursby," said the assistant in a worried tone.She wore a white lab coat and her hair was tied back, concealed by a scarf,as she fluttered around, shifting her hold on the box and peering through anopening."They should have given us a larger window." She raised her head and indoing so she noticed me."In that case, the animal would see more and might get excited. We've gotto be sure that the ray hits it exactly right. Try again, girl—er—who's this?You were looking for me, young man?""Just looking. I'm a new recruit and they told me it was all right to lookaround.""Why can't he help?" asked the girl. "He could hold the box while I adjustthe nozzle, so you can concentrate on throwing the switch, Doctor.""Excellent! If you would be so kind. Please don't get the idea that we'retrying to preempt your services. But you might like to get the feel of things.That's right, show him how to hold the box, Miss Sorrell." His voice trailedoff as he fingered the controls on his machine.I was not surprised to find my services in demand so soon after my arrival.At the same time, there was something the girl had just said which rang abell in the back of my mind."Anybody would be proud to serve you, Dr. Thursby, sir," I said, acceptingthe box from the young assistant."Eh—what—you know me, boy?" He seemed to be genuinely surprised."Who doesn't know of Dr. Cyril Thursby, the discoverer of the Toxic Toad?Thursby's Terror," I added, giving the X-Tee its popular name."Ah, yes indeed. And unfortunately still involved with the toad. Guess theywish I'd never discovered it. It's played hob with the colony on ThursdayPlanet.""They named the planet after the doctor, you know," said the girl. "Only theearly settlers kept getting the name wrong."Dr. Thursby coughed modestly. "Probably just as well. We're still trying tolearn how to control the species. In fact, that's one you've got right there inyour hands."This was when I began to get excited. Thursby's Terror was the mostpoisonous creature for its size on seven planets, and here I was holdingone in my hands! Inside a box, of course. But what was to prevent it fromboring its way out—from squirting a lethal attack? Hurriedly, I tried toremember just how the beastdidattack. By fang? By sting? By spray?"Hold it steady! Don't shake so!" The lab assistant stooped to peer into thelittle window. "I think he's positioned properly now, Doctor. If you'll makecontact when I count three. One, two…"It was at this point that I dropped the box."Oh! We were just ready? How could you!" the girl demanded."Careful now—mustn't damage it—invaluable to the work." Thursbyemerged from behind his machine.Naturally, I felt I must do something to reestablish trust. Otherwise, far fromcompeting for my services, nobody would want me on any project. Asquickly as I could, I scooped up the box. To my horror, the lid came off inmy hand. It's fastening must have been jarred loose when the container hitthe floor. For a second time the box fell, and this time the occupant rolledout.I found myself facing a Toxic Toad. A Thursby Terror, very much alive andhopping mad!It was not at all like an earthside toad. Later explorers have described it asresembling a large spider, or a crab. Indeed, it has a superficialresemblance to all of those. Like the Terran spider at home, it has manyhairy legs. Like the crab, its eyes are on stalks, enabling it to see in alldirections. And like the toad, it can jump. But it is much larger than any ofthese Terran species, being at least a foot in length—and it is much, muchmore deadly. To all who cross its path, this fact is advertised by its color—anasty bright red.I had read a great deal about its potent poison. Enough to make anyoneskip a visit to Thursday Planet. Now unpredictably, the beast had turned upon Estrada, where it had no business being, and it was jumping at me!I jerked away and fell over the floor cables of the doctor's machine. As Iwent down, I heard Miss Sorrell scream, and then a most excruciating painshot up my leg."Stay right where you are, everyone! I have the net!" cried Thursby. "Lookout, Luki! Don't let him squash it!"Through my haze of pain, I heard them scrabbling about and then Thursby'ssnort of triumph as he snapped shut some other, safer box."Got him! Intact, I hope. Now how's the boy? This is what happens whenyou try amateur help."Miss Sorrell was bending over me, pulling at my arm, but I was quite unableto move."You'd better look, Doctor. I'm afraid it bit him.""Oh, surely not!" cried Thursby. "How careless!"I was dimly aware that Dr. Thursby came to survey me. The pain in my leghad dulled, but in its place came a creeping numbness along my wholebody. As from a great distance, I heard them talking."Hadn't we better rush him to the hospital, Doctor?""What good would that do? He'd be dead on arrival. They haven't a thing tocounteract the poison there. But we have the new serum!""But it hasn't finished testing, sir!""No time to quibble! Here, help me move him to the cot."Thursby took my shoulders and the girl took my feet. I tried to protest, butfound that I could not speak. My lips would not move to my command. Nosound came up from my throat. I was heaved across the room onto a campcot and they moved beyond the limits of my hazy sight.Just when I thought all feeling had left me, I was jarred by a sharp jab in thearm. I might have screamed, but all I could do was silently curse the fatethat had brought me to Estrada and led me down this particular corridorthrough the door of this lab.I had thought I was smart to achieve my doctorate at the age of seventeen.And while everyone knows that space trips and X-Tee work are dangerous,I confidently expected to survive, at least until I had made a name formyself by some long-sought breakthrough or unlooked-for discovery. Withall my brains, I was sure to get to the top. But here I was on my firstassignment, finished off by a nasty X-Tee creature that I never should havetangled with in the first place. All this was churning in my mind as I sankrapidly into suffocating night.I awoke in a hospital bed; somebody was massaging my legs. Life flowedback to prick me with a thousand little stabs and cramps."Mr. Abbott!" The voice was urgent. "Gillian Abbott! Oh, thatishis name,isn't it? Are you sure?""That's what his papers say."I recognized the voice of Luki Sorrell, the lab assistant, and I opened myeyes to stare straight into hers. She did not seem as cool and confident asshe had been earlier, for she was frowning. Her working kerchief hadslipped, loosing fair hair to hang about her face almost to her shoulders.Beyond her, I could see the nurse, still bent over my legs, watching me withhopeful concentration."I think we're getting results," she said."Oh, thank the stars!" cried Luki. "Do you think he should have a secondshot of serum? Shall I call the doctor?""I wouldn't risk it, since it hasn't been fully tested. Let's give him moreoxygen and trust to luck."A mask was fitted efficiently over my face, and as the good air rushed intomy lungs, memory sharpened. I'd been bitten by a Toxic Toad—and I wasstill alive! To the best of my knowledge, such a thing had never happened
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