me. Hey,
_roooob_!"

Oliver was with him, and the other three of the crew sprang into the
group. I saw Muller duck a shot from Grundy's gun, and leap out of the
room. Then I was in it, heading for Grundy. Beside me, Peters was
trying to get a chair broken into pieces. I felt something hit my
shoulder, and the shock knocked me downward, just as a shot whistled
over my head.

Gravity cut off!

Someone bounced off me. I got a piece of the chair that floated by,
found the end cracked and sharp, and tried to spin towards Grundy, but
I couldn't see him. I heard Eve's voice yell over the other shouts. I
spotted the plate coming for me, but I was still in midair. It came on
steadily, edge on, and I felt it break against my forehead. Then I
blacked out.

V

I had the grandaddy of all headaches when I came to. Doc Napier's face
was over me, and Jenny and Muller were working on Bill Sanderson.
There was a surprisingly small and painful lump on my head. Pietro and
Napier helped me up, and I found I could stand after a minute.

There were four bodies covered with sheets on the floor. "Grundy, Phil
Riggs, Peters and a deckhand named Storm," Napier said. "Muller gave
us a whiff of gas and not quite in time."

"Is the time up?" I asked. It was the only thing I could think of.

Pietro shook his head sickly. "Lottery is off. Muller says we'll have
to hold another, since Storm and Peters were supposed to be safe. But
not until tomorrow."

Eve came in then, lugging coffee. Her eyes found me, and she managed a
brief smile. "I gave the others coffee," she reported to Muller.
"They're pretty subdued now."

"Mutiny!" Muller helped Jenny's brother to his feet and began helping
him toward the door. "Mutiny! And I have to swallow that!"

Pietro watched him go, and handed Eve back his cup. "And there's no
way of knowing who was on which side. Dr. Napier, could you do
something...."

He held out his hands that were shaking, and Napier nodded. "I can use
a sedative myself. Come on back with me."

Eve and I wandered back to the kitchen. I was just getting my senses
back. The damned stupidity of it all. And now it would have to be
done over. Three of us still had to have our lives snuffed out so the
others could live--and we all had to go through hell again to find out
which.

Eve must have been thinking the same. She sank down on a little stool,
and her hand came out to find mine. "For what? Paul, whoever poisoned
the plants k