not want to do. Anita's glance seemed to tell
me to let her handle this. I turned toward one of the cubby windows;
she said sweetly:

"Are you in charge of this room? Show me how that projector is
operated; it will be invincible against the Grantline camp."

"Yes."

* * * * *

I had my back to them for a moment. Through the breast-high oval I
could see down across the deck-space and out through the side dome
windows. And my heart suddenly leaped into my throat. It seemed that
down there in the Earthlit shadows, where the spreading base of the
giant crater joined the plains, a light was bobbing. I gazed,
stricken. Miko's lights? Was he advancing, preparing to signal? I
tried to gauge the distance; it was not over two miles from here.

Or was it not a light at all? With the naked eye, I could not be sure.
Perhaps there was a telescopic finder here in the cubby....

I was subconsciously aware of the voices of Anita and the duty-man
behind me. Then abruptly I heard Anita's low cry. I whirled around.

The giant Martian had gathered her into his huge arms, his
heavy-jowled gray face with a leering grin close to hers!

He saw me coming. He held her with one arm: his other flung at me,
caught me, knocked me backward. He rasped:

"Get out of here! Go up to the dome, leave us."

Anita was silently struggling with her little hands at his thick
throat. His blow flung me against a settle. But I held my feet. I was
partly behind him. I leaped again, and as he tried to disengage
himself from Anita to front me, her clutching fingers impeded him.

My bullet projector was in my hand. But in that second as I leaped, I
had the sense to realize I should not fire it and with its noise alarm
the ship. I grasped its barrel, reached upward and struck with its
heavy metal butt. The blow caught the Martian on the skull, and
simultaneously my body struck him.

We went down together, falling partly upon Anita. But the giant had
not cried out, and as I gripped him now, I felt his body limp. I lay
panting. Anita squirmed silently from under us. Blood from the giant's
head was welling out, hot and sticky against my face as I lay sprawled
on him.

* * * * *

I cast him off. He was dead, his fragile Martian skull split open by
my blow.

There had been no alarm. The slight noise we made had not been heard
down on the busy deck. Anita and I crouched by the floor. From the
de