aled deeply. Oxygen, obviously,
should be an antidote for panic, since the symptoms of terror act to
increase the oxygenation of the bloodstream and muscles, and to make
superhuman exertion possible if necessary.

Breathing ninety-five percent oxygen produced the effect the
terror-inspiring gas strove for, so his heart slowed nearly to normal
and his body relaxed. He held out his hand and it did not tremble.
He'd been affronted to see it shake uncontrollably when he pushed the
microphone button for Maril.

He turned to her. She hadn't spoken into the mike.

"They may not be from Dara!" she said shakily. "I just thought! They
could be somebody else, maybe criminals who planned to raid the mine
for a shipload of its ore."

"Nonsense," said Calhoun. "I saw one of them clearly enough to be
sure. But they're skeptical characters. I'm afraid there may be more
on the way here from wherever they keep themselves. Anyhow, now we
know some of them are in hearing! I'll take advantage of that and
we'll go on."

He took the microphone. An instant later his voice boomed in the
stillness outside the ship, cutting through the thin shrill whirring
of invisible small creatures.

"This is the Med Ship _Aesclipus Twenty_," said Calhoun's voice,
amplified to a shout. "I left Weald four days ago, one day after the
cargo ship from here arrived with everybody on board dead. On Weald
they don't know how it happened, but they suspect blueskins. Sooner or
later they'll search here.

"Get away! Cover up your tracks! Hide all signs that you've ever been
here! Get the hell away, fast! One more warning! There's talk of
fusion-bombing Dara. They're scared! If they find your traces, they'll
be still more scared! So cover up your tracks and get away from here!"

The many-times-multiplied voice rolled and echoed among the hills. But
it was very clear. Where it could be heard it could be understood, and
it could be heard for miles.

But there was no response to it. Calhoun waited a reasonable time.
Then he shrugged and seated himself at the control board.

"It isn't easy," he observed, "to persuade desperate men that they've
outsmarted themselves! Hold hard, Murgatroyd!"

The rockets bellowed. Then there was a tremendous noise to end all
noises, and the ship began to climb. It sped up and up and up. By the
time it was out of atmosphere it had velocity enough to coast to clear
space and Calhoun cut the rockets altogether.

He busied himself