. Pray for me."

The blankness of her face-plate turned toward him. A glitter, dark and
opaque, was all he could make out.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I know it was the wrong answer. But don't be a
fool. He'll kill you, and I'm afraid to be in the dark, alone."

"I'll leave Charley with you."

Denver broke the girl's clasp on his arm and edged slow to the
doorway. He shouted.

"Hey, Caltis!"

There was stunning silence. Then a far, muted crackle in his
earphones.

A voice answered, "Yes? I'm here. What's on your mind, funny boy?"

"A parley."

"Nuts, but come on out. I'll talk."

"You come up," Denver argued. "I don't trust you."

Big Ed Caltis considered the proposition. "How do I know you won't try
to nail me for hostage?"

"You don't. But I'm not a fool. What good would it do even if I killed
you. Your men are down there. They'd still want the mine. I don't
think they care enough about you to deal. They'd kill us anyhow. Bring
your gun if it makes you feel more like a man."

After an interval Big Ed Caltis appeared in the doorway. As he entered
Denver retreated into the shadow-zone until he stood close beside the
rude barricade.

"I'll bargain with you, Caltis. You can have the workings. Let us go
free, with an hour's start in my space sled. I'll sign over any share
we could claim and agree never to bother you again. It's no use to a
corpse. Just let us go."

Caltis gave a short laugh. In the earphones, it sounded nasty.

"No deal, Denver. I hate your guts. And I want Darbor. I've got both
of you where I want you, sewed up. We can sit here and wait. We've
plenty of air, food and water. You'll run short. I want you to come
out, crawling. She can watch you die, slowly, because I'm not giving
you any air, water or food. Then I want her to squirm a while before I
kick her back into the sewers. You can't bargain. I have her, you, the
workings. I've got what I want."

Hate and anger strangled Denver's reply. Caltis skulked back out of
sight. Without moving, Denver hailed him again.

"Okay, puttyface!" Denver screamed. "You asked for it. I'm coming out.
Stand clear and order off your thugs or I'll squeeze you till your
guts squirt out your nose like toothpaste from a tube. I'll see how
much man there is left in you. It'll be all over the slope when I'm
through."

His taunt drew fire as he had hoped it would. He dodged quickly behind
the shelter of the barricade. A beam of dazzling fire penciled the
r