Jungle in the Sky
By Milton Lesser
The hunters wanted animals that lived on far Ganymede—
though not as badly as the animals wanted the hunters.
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Worlds of If Science Fiction, May 1952.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
The big man looked at home among his trophies.
The big man looked at home among his trophies. Somehow his scowl seemedas fierce as the head of the Venusian swamp-tiger mounted on the wallbehind him, and there was something about his quick-darting eyes whichreminded Steve of a Callistan fire-lizard. The big man might have beenall of them wrapped into one, Steve thought wryly, and there were a lotof trophies.
He was the famous Brody Carmical, and rumor had it he was worth amillion credits for each of the many richly mounted heads.
"So you're fresh out of school with a degree in Extra-terrestrialzoology," Carmical grumbled. "Am I supposed to turn cartwheels?"
Steve cleared his throat. "The Placement Service thought you might havea job—"
"I do, I do. That doesn't mean any young pup who comes along can fillit. Ever been off the Earth, Mr. Stedman?"
"No."
"Ever been off the North American continent?"
"No."
"But you want to go galavanting around the Solar System in search ofbig game. Tell me—do you think they have a Harvard club on everystinking satellite you'll visit? Do you think you can eat beefsteakand drink martinis in every frontier-world dive? Let me tell you, Mr.Stedman, the answer is no."
"Try me, sir. That's all I ask—try me."
"We're not running a school, Mr. Stedman. Either a man's got it orhe hasn't. You haven't. Come back in ten years. Ship out around theSolar System the hard way, and maybe we can use you then—if you stillremember what you learned about Extra-terrestrial zoology. What inspace ever made you study extra-zoo, anyway?"
"I found it interesting," Steve said lamely.
"Interesting? As a hobby, it's interesting. But as business, it'shard work, a lot of sweat, a lot of danger, squirming around on yoursoft belly in the muck and mud of a dozen worlds, that's what it is.Just how do you think Carmical Enterprises got where they are? Sweatand grief, Mr. Stedman." Carmical yawned hugely and popped a glob ofchocolate into his mouth. His fat lips worked for a moment, then hisAdam's apple bobbed up and down.
Steve got up, paced back and forth in front of the desk. "I won't takeno for an answer, Mr. Carmical."
"Eh? What's that? I could have you thrown out of here."
"You won't," Steve told him calmly. "Maybe I'm just what the doctorordered, but you'll never know until you try me. So—"
"So nothing! I said this isn't a school."
"They tell me the Gordak leaves on a ten-world junket tomorrow. All Iask is this: let me ship along as the zoology man. Then, if you're notsatisfied, you can leave me at your first port-of-call—without pay."
Carmical smiled triumphantly. "You know where we space out for first,Mr. Stedman? Mercury, that's wher