irl, and
we want to put plenty of kilometers behind us before he gets started."

"But do you think he will chase us?"

"_Think_ so? I _know_ so! The mere facts that we are rare specimens and
that he told us that we were going to stay there all the rest of our
lives would make him chase us clear to Lundmark's Nebula. Besides that,
we stepped on their toes pretty heavily before we left. We know
altogether too much now to be let get back to Tellus; and finally,
they'd all die of acute enlargement of the spleen if we get away with
this prize ship of theirs. I hope to tell you they'll chase us!"

He fell silent, devoting his whole attention to his piloting, driving
his craft onward at such velocity that its outer plating held steadily
at the highest point of temperature compatible with safety. Soon they
were out in open space, hurtling toward the sun under the drive of every
possible watt of power, and Costigan took off his armor and turned
toward the helpless body of the captain.

"He looks so ... so ... so _dead_, Conway! Are you really sure that you
can bring him to?"

"Absolutely. Lots of time yet. Just three simple squirts in the right
places will do the trick." He took from a locked compartment of his
armor a small steel box, which housed a surgeon's hypodermic and three
vials. One, two, three, he injected small, but precisely measured
amounts of the fluids into the three vital localities, then placed the
inert form upon a deeply cushioned couch.

"There! That'll take care of the gas in five or six hours. The paralysis
will wear off long before that, so he'll be all right when he wakes up;
and we're going away from here with everything we can put out. I've done
everything I know how to do, for the present."

Then only did Costigan turn and look down, directly into Clio's eyes.
Wide, eloquent blue eyes that gazed back up into his, tender and
unafraid; eyes freighted with the oldest message of woman to chosen man.
His hard young face softened wonderfully as he stared at her; there were
two quick steps and they were in each other's arms. Lips upon eager
lips, blue eyes to gray, motionless they stood clasped in ecstasy;
thinking nothing of the dreadful past, nothing of the fearful future,
conscious only of the glorious, wonderful present.

"Clio mine ... darling ... girl, girl, how I love you!" Costigan's deep
voice was husky with emotion. "I haven't kissed you for seven thousand
years! I don't rate you, by a mill