s. And, physically, it was a
very capable body indeed. Also, it was armed and armored with mechanisms
of Gharlane's own devising; and Eddore's second-in-command was in no
sense a coward.

But Roger, while not exactly a ground-gripper, did not know how to
handle himself without weight; whereas Costigan, given six walls against
which to push, was even more efficient in weightless combat than when
handicapped by the force of gravitation. Keeping his projector upon the
pirate, he seized the first club to hand--a long, slender pedestal of
metal--launched himself past the pirate chief. With all the momentum of
his mass and velocity and all the power of his good right arm he swung
the bar at the pirate's head. That fiercely-driven mass of metal should
have taken head from shoulders, but it did not. Roger's shield of force
was utterly rigid and impenetrable; the only effect of the frightful
blow was to set him spinning, end over end, like the flying baton of an
acrobatic drum-major. As the spinning form crashed against the opposite
wall of the room Bradley floated in, carrying Clio's armor. Without a
word the captain loosened the helpless girl's grip upon the bracket and
encased her in the suit. Then, supporting her at the window, he held his
Lewiston upon the captive's head while Costigan propelled him toward the
opening. Both men knew that Roger's shield of force must be threatened
every instant--that if he were allowed to release it he probably would
bring to bear a hand-weapon even superior to their own.

Braced against the wall, Costigan sighted along Roger's body toward the
most distant point of the lofty dome of the artificial planet and gave
him a gentle push. Then, each grasping Clio by an arm, the two officers
shoved mightily with their feet and the three armored forms darted away
toward their only hope of escape--an emergency boat which could be
launched through the shell of the great globe. To attempt to reach the
_Hyperion_ and to escape in one of her lifeboats would have been
useless; they could not have forced the great gates of the main airlocks
and no other exits existed. As they sailed onward through the air,
Costigan keeping the slowly-floating form of Roger enveloped in his
beam, Clio began to recover.

"Suppose they get their gravity fixed?" she asked, apprehensively. "And
they're raying us and shooting at us!"

"They may have it fixed already. They undoubtedly have spare parts and
duplicate generators,