; and above it all, Miko's roar:

"Stand quiet! Everyone! No movement!"

On the descending incline there was chaos. The disembarking women were
clinging to the gang rail; some of them had evidently surged forward
and fallen. Down on the ground in the purple-shadowed starlight, I
could vaguely see the chained line of men. They too, were in
confusion, trying to shove themselves toward the fallen women.

Miko roared: "Light those tubes! Gregg Haljan! By the Almighty, Moa,
are you up there? What is wrong? The light tubes--"

Dark drama of unknown plot! I wondered if I should try and leave the
turret. Where was Anita? She had been down there on the deck when I
flung out the lights.

I think twenty seconds would have covered it all. I had not moved. I
thought, "Is Snap concerned with this?"

Moa's knife could have stabbed me. I felt her lunge against me. And
suddenly I was gripping her, twisting her wrist. But she flung the
knife away. Her strength was almost the equal of my own. Her hand went
for my throat, and with the other hand she was fumbling.

The deck abruptly sprang into light again. Moa had found the switch
and threw it back.

She fought me as I tried to reach the switch. I saw down on the deck.
Miko was gazing up at us. Moa panted, "Gregg--stop! If he sees you
doing this, he'll kill you."

The scene down there was almost unchanged. I had answered my cue. To
what purpose? I saw Anita near Miko. The last of the women were on the
plank.

I had stopped struggling with Moa. She sat back, panting. And then she
called:

"Sorry, Miko. It will not happen again."

Miko was in a towering rage. But he was too busy to bother with me;
his anger swung on those nearest him. He shoved the last of the women
violently at the incline. She bounded over. Her body, with the gravity
pull of only a few Earth pounds, sailed in an arc and dropped near
the swaying line of men.

Miko swung back. "Get out of my way!" A sweep of his huge arm knocked
Anita sidewise. "Prince, damn you, help me with those boxes!"

The frightened stewards were lifting the boxes, square metal storage
chests each as long as a man, packed with food, tools, and equipment.

"Here, get out of my way! All of you!"

My breath came again; Anita nimbly retreated before Miko's angry rush.
He dashed at the stewards. Three of them held a box. He took it from
them; raised it at the top of the incline, poised it over his head an
instant, with his massive arms