I followed his orders but it was like a dream of horror. The turmoil
of the ship gradually quieted. Snap went to the radio room; Blackstone
and I sat in the tiny chart room; how much time passed, I do not know.
I was confused. Anita hurt! She might die ... murdered.... But why? By
whom? Had George Prince been in his own room when the attack came? I
thought now I recalled hearing the low murmur of his voice in there
with Dr. Frank.

Where was Miko? It stabbed at me. I had not seen him among the
passengers in the lounge.

Carter came into the chart room. "Gregg, you get to bed. You look like
a ghost."

"But--"

"She's not dead. She may live. Dr. Frank and her brother are with
her. They're doing all they can." He told us what had happened. Anita
and George Prince had both been asleep, each in his respective room.
Someone unknown had opened Anita's corridor door.

"Wasn't it sealed?"

"Yes. But the intruder opened it."

"Burst it? I didn't think it was broken."

"It wasn't broken. The assailant opened it somehow, and assaulted Miss
Prince--shot her in the chest with a heat ray. Her left lung."

"Shot her?"

"Yes. But she did not see who did it. Nor did Prince. Her scream
awakened him, but the intruder evidently fled out the corridor door of
A22, the way he entered."

I stood weak and shaken at the chart room entrance. Anita--dying,
perhaps; and all my dreams were fading into a memory of what might
have been.

I was glad enough to get away. I would lie down for an hour and then
go to Anita's stateroom. I'd demand that Dr. Frank let me see her.

I went to the stern deck where my cubby was located. My mind was
confused but some instinct within me made me verify the seals of my
door and window. They were intact. I entered cautiously, switched on
the dimmer of the tube lights, and searched the room. It had only a
bunk, my tiny desk, a chair and clothes robe. There was no evidence of
any intruder here. I set my door and window alarm. Then I audiphoned
to the radio room.

"Snap?"

"Yes."

I told him about Anita. Carter cut in on us from the chart room. "Stop
that, you fools!"

We cut off. Fully dressed, I flung myself on my bed. Anita might
die....

I must have fallen into a tortured sleep, I was awakened by the sound
of my alarm buzzer. Someone was tampering with my door! Then the
buzzer ceased; the marauder outside must have found a way of
silencing it. But it had done its work--awakened me.

I had s