er overwhelmed by the impossible
behavior of a pair of unpredictable children. It was a jubilant reunion.
They broke open the cabinets and refrigerator in the back of the lounge
and pulled out surro-ham and rolls, while Johnny got some coffee going.
Tom was so famished he could hardly wait to make sandwiches of the ham.
He ate it as fast as he got it.

But finally he slowed up, got his mouth empty enough to talk. "All
right, let's have the story," Greg said, still looking as though he
couldn't believe his eyes. "The last we saw, you were blown into atoms
out there in that _Scavenger_ ... you've got some nerve turning up now
and scaring us half out of our skins...."

"You want me to go back in my hole?"

"Just sit still and talk!"

Tom told them, then, starting from the beginning.

Through it all Greg stared in admiration. "We've got a genius among us,
that's all," he said finally. "And I always thought you were the timid
one...."

"But what else could I do?" Tom said. "You know what they say about
grabbing a tiger by the tail ... once you get hold, you've got to hold
on."

"Okay," Greg said, "but the next time I make a crack about your retiring
nature, remind me to stick my foot in my mouth."

"I'll do it for him," Johnny Coombs rumbled.

Tom nodded toward the open grill. "The only thing I don't see is how you
knew I was back there."

Johnny grinned. "We were busy taking down the grill when you came
along. We'd found three microphones in this place, and figured they
might have one behind the grill. And then we heard somebody breathing
back there ... we thought they'd posted a guard back there, just to snoop
us."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't hit him any harder...."

Johnny started to say something, then stopped, cocked his head toward
the door. There were footsteps in the corridor outside; they came
closer, stopped by the door. "Quick," Johnny hissed, "back inside!"

There was no time to look for other concealment. Tom leaped across the
room, jumped up into the shaft again, and Greg slammed the grate up into
place just as the hatchway door swung open.

Merrill Tawney walked into the room, with two burly guards behind him.

* * * * *

For the first few seconds, Greg was certain that they were lost. He
stood with his back to the ventilator grill, frozen in his tracks as the
fat little company man came in the room. He tried to keep his face
blank, but he knew he wasn't succ