rapidly. Not in time to stop
Costigan's first berserk attack--the First Officer's reactions were
practically instantaneous and he moved fast--but in time to retain
command of the situation. Another Nevian appeared, and while the
stricken guard was recovering, all four arms wrapped tightly around his
convulsively looping, writhing neck, the three helpless Terrestrials
were lifted into the air and carried bodily into the quarters to which
Nerado had assigned them. Not until they had been placed upon cushions
in the middle room and the heavy metal doors had been locked upon them
did they again find themselves able to use arms or legs.

"Well, that's another round we lose," Costigan commented, cheerfully. "A
guy can't mix it very well when he can neither kick, strike, nor bite. I
expected those lizards to rough me up then, but they didn't."

"They don't want to hurt us. They want to take us home with them,
wherever that is, as curiosities, like wild animals or something,"
decided the girl, shrewdly. "They're pretty bad, of course, but I like
them a lot better than I do Roger and his robots, anyway."

"I think you have the right idea, Miss Marsden," Bradley rumbled.
"That's it, exactly. I feel like a bear in a cage. I should think you'd
feel worse than ever. What chance has an animal of escaping from a
menagerie?"

"These animals, lots. I'm feeling better and better all the time," Clio
declared, and her serene bearing bore out her words. "You two got us out
of that horrible place of Roger's, and I'm pretty sure that you will get
us away from here, somehow or other. They may think we're stupid
animals, but before you two and the Triplanetary Patrol and the Service
get done with them they'll have another think coming."

"That's the old fight, Clio!" cheered Costigan. "I haven't got it
figured out as close as you have, but I get about the same answer. These
four-legged fish carry considerably heavier stuff than Roger did, I'm
thinking; but they'll be up against something themselves pretty quick
that is _no_ light-weight, believe me!"

"Do you know something, or are you just whistling in the dark?" Bradley
demanded.

"I know a little; not much. Engineering and Research have been working
on a new ship for a long time; a ship to travel so much faster than
light that it can go anywhere in the Galaxy and back in a month or so.
New sub-ether drive, new atomic power, new armament, new everything.
Only bad thing about it is tha