imbs, each of which must have weighed
a couple of tons. It lumbered toward Bartock and Jane Cummings.

Turning and starting to get up, Mayhem fired again.

His blaster jammed.

Then the bulk of the monster cut off his view of Bartock, the girl and
the scout-ship. He heard the girl scream. He ran toward them.

Jane Cummings had never been so close to death. She wanted to scream.
She thought all at once, hysterically, she was a little girl again. If
she screamed maybe the terrible apparition would go away. But it did not
go away. It reared up high, as high as a very tall tree, and its fangs
were hideous.

Bartock, who was also frightened, raised his blaster, fired, and missed.

Then, for an instant, Jane thought she saw someone running behind the
monster. He had a blaster too, and he lifted it. When he fired, there
was only a clicking sound. Then he fired again.

Half the monster's bulk disappeared and it collapsed in the snow.

That was when Bartock shot the other man.

Mayhem felt the stab of raw energy in his shoulder. He spun around and
fell down, his senses whirling in a vortex of pain. Dimly he was aware
of Bartock's boots crunching on the snow.

They fired simultaneously. Bartock missed.

And collapsed with a searing hole in his chest. He was dead before he
hit the snow.

The girl went to Mayhem. "Who--who are you?"

"Got to get you back to the ship. No time to talk. Hurry."

"But you can't walk like that. You're badly hurt. I'll bring help."

"... dangerous. I'll take you."

He'd take her, flirting with death. Because, for all he knew, his time
on Pluto, objectively, had already totalled forty-eight hours. If it
did, he would never live to get off Pluto. Once his thirty days were up,
he would die. Still, there might be danger from other animals between
the scout-ship and _Mozart's Lady_, and he couldn't let the girl go back
alone. It was almost ludicrous, since she had to help him to his feet.

He staggered along with her, knowing he would never make it to _Mozart's
Lady_ and back in time. But if he left her, she was probably doomed too.
He'd sacrifice his life for hers....

They went a hundred yards, Mayhem gripping the blaster and advancing by
sheer effort of will. Then he smiled, and began to laugh. Jane thought
he was hysterical with pain. But he said: "We're a pair of bright ones.
The scout-ship."

Inside, it was very small. They had to lie very close to each other, but
they made it. Th