as still.

It was a room where nothing moved--where no person so much as
breathed....

Then came the Master Pilot's voice, and it was speaking with quiet
finality.

"And that," he said, "is your answer. Our ship has made its last
flight."

His eyes held steadily upon the blanched face of Herr Schwartzmann,
whose limp arms released the body of Diane; the pistol hung weakly at
the man's side. And the pilot's voice went on, so quiet, so hushed--so
curiously toneless in that silent room.

"What was it that you said?--that Harkness and I would be staying here?
Well, you were right when you said that, Schwartzmann: but it's a hard
sentence, that--imprisonment for life."

Chet paused now, to smile deliberately, grimly at the dark face so
bleached and bloodless, before he repeated:

"Imprisonment for life!--and you didn't know that you were sentencing
yourself. For you're staying too, Schwartzmann, you contemptible,
thieving dog! You're staying with us--here--on the Dark Moon!"

CHAPTER VI

"_Six to Four_"

Perhaps to every person in that control room there came, as Chet's
quiet, emotionless tones died away, the same mental picture; for there
was the same dazed look on the countenances of all.

They were seeing an ocean of space, an endless void of empty black. And
across that etheric sea was a whirling globe. They had seen it from
afar; they had seen its diminutive continents and its snow-clad
poles.... They would never see it again....

Earth!--their own world!--home! And now for them it was only a moon, a
tremendous, glorious moon, whose apparent nearness would be taunting and
calling them each day and night of their lives....

It was Diane Delacouer who dared to break the hard silence that bound
them all. From wide eyes she stared at Walt Harkness; then her lips
formed a trembling smile in which Chet, too, was included.

"You saved us," she whispered; "you saved us, Chet ... but now it looks
as if we all were exiles."

She crossed slowly, walking like one in a dream, to stand close to Walt
Harkness. And Chet Bullard also roused himself; but it was toward the
stupefied, hulking figure of Schwartzmann that he moved.

He reached for the detonite pistol, and this man who had been their
captor was too stunned to make any resistance. Chet jammed the weapon
under his belt.

"Close that port!" he ordered the two men who had half-opened it at
Schwartzmann's command. "Keep that poison gas out."