something and thought better of it. He leaned
back in his chair. From his belt hung a heat pistol.

Chambers eyed the pistol with ill-concealed disgust. "There's no point
in playing soldier. We aren't going to try to upset your mutiny. So far
your taking over the ship hasn't made any difference to us ... so why
should we fight you?"

"It isn't going to make any difference either," said Craven. "Because
there are just two things that will happen to us. We're either lost
forever, will never find our way back, will spend the rest of our days
wandering from star to star, or Manning will come out and take us by the
ear and lead us home again."

Chambers started, leaned forward and fastened his steely eyes on Craven.
"Do you really think he could find us?"

"I have no doubt of it," Craven replied. "I don't know how he does it,
but I'm convinced he can. Probably, however, he'll find that we are lost
and get rid of us that way."

"No," said Chambers, "you're wrong there. Manning wouldn't do that.
He'll come to get us."

"I don't know why he should," snapped Craven.

"Because he's that sort of man," declared Chambers.

"What you going to do when he does get out here?" demanded Stutsman.
"Fall on his neck and kiss him?"

Chambers smiled, stroked his mustache. "Why, no," he said. "I imagine
we'll fight. We'll give him everything we've got and he'll do the same.
It wouldn't seem natural if we didn't."

"You're damned right we will," growled Stutsman. "Because I'm running
this show. You seem to keep forgetting that. We have power enough, when
we get those accumulators filled, to wipe him out. And that is exactly
what I'm going to do."

"Fine," said Craven, mockingly, "just fine. There's just one thing you
forget. Manning is the only man who can lead us back to the Solar
System."

"Hell," stormed Stutsman, "that doesn't make any difference. I'll find
my way back there some way."

"You're afraid of Manning," Chambers challenged.

Stutsman's hand went down to the heat pistol's grip. His eyes glazed and
his face twisted itself into utter hatred. "I don't know why I keep on
letting you live. Craven is valuable to me. I can't kill him. But you
aren't. You aren't worth a damn to anyone."

* * * * *

Chambers matched his stare. Stutsman's hand dropped from the pistol and
he slouched to his feet, walked from the room.

Afraid of Manning! He laughed, a hollow, gurgling laugh. Afraid of
Man