heavy service boot into the place where scaly neck and head
joined. The Nevian fell, and instantly Costigan leaped at the leader,
ahead of the girl. Leaped; but dropped to the floor, again paralyzed.
For the Nevian leader had been alert, his four eyes covering the entire
circle of vision, and he had acted rapidly. Not in time to stop
Costigan's first Berserk attack--the First Officer's reactions were
practically instantaneous, and he moved like chain lightning--but in
time to retain command of the situation. Another Nevian appeared and,
while the stricken guard was recovering, all four arms wrapped tightly
around his convulsively looping, knotting neck, the three helpless
Terrestrials were lifted into the air and carried bodily into the
quarters to which Nerado had assigned them. Not until they had been
placed upon cushions in the middle room and the heavy metal doors had
been locked upon them did they again find themselves able to use arms or
legs.

"Well, that's another round we lose," Costigan commented, cheerfully. "A
guy can't mix it very well when he can neither kick, strike, nor bite. I
expected those lizards to rough me up, but they didn't."

"They don't want to hurt us. They want to take us home with them,
wherever that is, as curiosities, like wild animals or something,"
decided the girl, shrewdly. "They're pretty bad, of course, but I like
them a lot better than I do Roger and his robots, anyway."

"I think you have the right idea, Miss Marsden," Bradley rumbled.
"That's it, exactly. I feel like a bear in a cage. I should think you'd
feel worse than ever. What chance has an animal of escaping from a
menagerie?"

"These animals, lots. I'm feeling better and better all the time," Clio
answered, and her serene bearing bore out her words. "You two got us out
of that horrible place of Roger's, and I'm pretty sure that you will get
us away from here, somehow or other. They may think we're stupid
animals, but before you two and the Secret Service get done with them
they'll have another think coming."

"That's the old fight, Clio!" cheered Costigan. "I haven't got it
figured out as close as you have, but I see you, eye to eye. These
four-legged fish carry considerably heavier stuff than Roger did, I'm
thinking; but they'll be up against something themselves pretty quick,
that is NO light-weight, believe me!"

"Do you _know_ something, or are you just whistling in the dark?"
Bradley demanded.

"I know a litt