ran for the ramp, her
bare feet padding swiftly against the stone floor. Handus was waiting
for her at the foot of the ramp in an awkward crouch. She had a glimpse
of Raj Shiva and Pandit straining together, then Handus struck her with
his balled fist. It was a puny blow, but Sria staggered back, her jaw
numb. Laughing shrilly, Handus leaped at her. She was shoved back,
tripped over something, and fell. For a moment all the lights blinked
out inside her head.

Inside--no! Raj Shiva and Pandit stumbled about the room, struck
something, there was a loud popping sound, a tinkling, and the lights in
the storage room went out.

"Where is she?" Handus called. "I can't find her!"

She heard him groping about, heard the others struggling together. She
got to her feet and stood perfectly still, waiting for anything. She
wished she had a weapon--something--she was only a woman--

Then a voice whispered: "Hurry, Sria! Hurry!"

"Pandit?"

He took her arm in the darkness. She couldn't see him. They went to the
crates and wrestled one on their trundle-sled.

"Not the open one?" Sria gasped.

"No. No."

They heard footsteps.... Saw a figure for a moment silhouetted against
starlight. Handus was fleeing, probably for help.

They took their sled out into the night and dragged it across the sand
toward their waiting jet. They loaded the crate in the cargo bay. While
Pandit was finishing the job in the darkness, Sria sat down at the
controls.

"Ready?" she shouted above the whine of the jets.

Pandit said that he was. She hardly heard his voice.

A moment later, she took the small cargo jet up.

* * * * *

She heard Pandit moving in the small cabin behind her. She said: "We
ought to take it to the League authorities, don't you think?" She had to
shout to be heard above the whining roar of the jets.

"Why?"

"I was able to read the writing. It's Procyonian, Pandit. Do you know
anything about the Procyonians?"

"Well, a few centuries ago, they were the most warlike people in the
galaxy. It was rumored they had a cache of thermonuclear bombs hidden
somewhere, after such weapons were outlawed in the twenty-fifth century.
The cache was never found, until tonight. We found it, Pandit."

"But Orkap and--"

"That's true. It was found by the Denebians first. Don't you see,
Pandit? Orkap and the others, private Denebian traders. It wasn't the
government. It never is the government these day