ng to look everywhere. In that case, his best chance
lay in evading them and hiding in a section of the ship already
searched.

He slipped a respirator over his head and moved into the corridor.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Half an hour later, Barrent still hadn't figured out a way of getting
past the check squad. They had finished inspecting the lower levels and
were moving up to the control room deck. Barrent could hear them
marching down the hallways. He kept on walking, a hundred yards in
front, trying to find some way of hiding.

There should be a staircase at the end of this passageway. He could take
it down to a different level, a part of the ship which had already been
searched. He hurried on, wondering if he were wrong about the location
of the staircase. He still had only the haziest idea of the layout of
the ship. If he were wrong, he would be trapped.

He came to the end of the corridor, and the staircase was there. The
footsteps behind him sounded closer. He started down, peering backwards
over his shoulder.

And ran headfirst into a man's huge chest.

Barrent flung himself back, bringing his plastic gun to bear on the
enormous figure. But he stopped himself from firing. The thing that
stood in front of him was not human.

It stood nearly seven feet high, dressed in a black uniform with
INSPECTION TEAM--ANDROID B212 stenciled on its front. Its face was a
stylization of a human's, cleverly sculptured out of putty-colored
plastic. Its eyes glowed a deep, impossible red. It swayed on two legs,
balancing carefully, looking at Barrent, moving slowly toward him.
Barrent backed away, wondering if a needlebeam could stop it.

He never had a chance to find out, for the android walked past him and
continued up the stairs. Stenciled on the back of its uniform were the
words RODENT CONTROL DIVISION. This particular android, Barrent
realized, was programmed only to look for rats and mice. The presence of
a stowaway had made no impression on it. Presumably the other androids
were similarly specialized.

He stayed in an empty storage room on a lower level until he heard the
sounds of the androids leaving. Then he hurried back to the control
room. No guards came aboard. Exactly on schedule, the big ship left the
checkpoint. Destination: Earth.

* * * * *

The rest of the journey was uneventful. Barrent slept and ate and,
before the craft entered subspace, watched the endless