ere red, with heavy lines of disgust and bitterness
running from his eyes and the corners of his mouth. "You stinking little
liar! _Talk_, damn it! You're not messing with the captain now, you're
messing with _me_, and I'll have the truth if I have to cave in your
skull--"

"I told you the truth! I don't know what you mean--"

Sabo's palm smashed into his face, jerking his head about like an apple
on a string. "That's the wrong answer," he grated. "I warn you, don't
lie! The captain is an ambitious ass, he couldn't think his way through
a multiplication table. He's a little child. But I'm not quite so dull."
He threw the little man down in a heap, his eyes blazing. "You silly
fool, your story is so full of holes you could drive a tank through it.
They just up and died, did they? I'm supposed to believe that? Smashed
up against the panels the way they were? Only one thing could crush them
like that. Any fool could see it. Acceleration. And I don't mean atomic
acceleration. Something else." He glared down at the man quivering on
the floor. "They had Interstellar drive, didn't they, Brownie?"

Brownie nodded his head, weakly, almost sobbing, trying to pull himself
erect. "Don't tell the captain," he sobbed. "Oh, Johnny, for god's sake,
listen to me, don't let him know I lied. I was going to tell you anyway,
Johnny, really I was. I've got a plan, a good plan, can't you see it?"
The gleam of excitement came back into the sharp little eyes. "They had
it, all right. Their trip probably took just a few months. They had a
drive I've never seen before, non-atomic. I couldn't tell the principle,
with the look I had, but I think I could work it." He sat up, his whole
body trembling. "Don't give me away, Johnny, listen a minute--"

Sabo sat back against the bunk, staring at the little man. "You're out
of your mind," he said softly. "You don't know what you're doing. What
are you going to do when His Nibs goes over for a look himself? He's
stupid, but not that stupid."

Brownie's voice choked, his words tumbling over each other in his
eagerness. "He won't get a chance to see it, Johnny. He's got to take
our word until he sees it, and we can stall him--"

Sabo blinked. "A day or so--maybe. But what then? Oh, how could you be
so stupid? He's on the skids, he's out of favor and fighting for his
life. That drive is the break that could put him on top. Can't you see
he's selfish? He has to be, in this world, to get anything. Anything