or nearly
another minute. She was gasping for breath, blue eyes furious, muscles
tensed.

* * * * *

Suddenly he felt her relax. An expression of stunned surprise appeared
on her face. "Why," she began incredulously, "he _did_ ..."

"Gave you the spray treatment, eh?" Dasinger said, satisfied. "I was
pretty sure he had."

"Why, that-- At his beck and call, he says! Well, we'll just see about
... let me up, Dasinger! Just wait till I get my hands on that bony
partner of yours!"

"Now take it easy."

"Take it easy! Why should I? I ..."

"It would be better," Dasinger explained, "if Egavine believes you're
still under the influence."

She scowled up at him; then her face turned thoughtful. "Ho! You feel it
isn't that he's a depraved old goat, that he's got something more
sinister in mind?"

"It's a definite possibility. Why not wait and find out? The ointment
will immunize you against further tricks."

Miss Mines regarded him consideringly for a few seconds, then nodded.
"All right! You can let me up now. What do you think he's planning?"

"Not easy to say with Dr. Egavine. He's a devious man." Dasinger got
himself disentangled, came to his feet, and reached down to help her
scramble up.

"They certainly wrap you up with that hypno stuff, don't they!" she
observed wonderingly.

Dasinger nodded. "They certainly do!" Then he added, "I'm keeping the
doctor and his little sidekick locked up, too, until we get to the
planet. That leaves you and me with the run of the ship."

Duomart looked at him. "So it does," she agreed.

"Know how to use a gun?"

"Of course. But I'm not allow-- I don't have one with me on this trip."

* * * * *

He reached into his coat, took out a small gun in a fabric holster.
Duomart glanced at it, then her eyes went back to his face.

"Might clip it to your belt," Dasinger said. "It's a good little
shocker, fifty-foot range, safe for shipboard use. It's got a full load,
eighty shots. We may or may not run into emergencies. If we don't,
you'll still be more comfortable carrying it."

Duomart holstered the gun and attached the holster to her belt. She
slid the tip of her tongue reflectively out between her lips, drew it
back, blinked at the flight screens for a few seconds, then looked
across at Dasinger and tapped the holster at her side.

"That sort of changes things, too!" she said.

"Changes what?"

"Tell you