did not see who did it. Nor did Prince. Her scream
awakened him, but the intruder evidently fled out the corridor door of
A 22, the way he entered."

I stood weak and shaken at the chart-room entrance. "A little son, cast
in the gentle image of his mother. But with the strength of his
father...." But Anita--dying, perhaps; and all my dreams were fading
into a memory of what might have been.

"You go to bed, Gregg--we don't need you."

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, if only
for a moment.

* * * * *

I went to the stern deck-space 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 helio-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 switched off the light; my cubby was Stygian dark. A heat-cylinder
was in the bunk-bracket over my head; I searched for it, pried it loose
softly.

I was fully awake. Alert. I could hear a faint sizzling--someone outside
trying to unseal the door. In the darkness, cylinder in hand, I crept
from the bunk. Crouched at the door. This time I would capture or kill
this night prowler.

* * * * *

The sizzling was faintly audible. My door-seal was breaking. Upon
impulse I reached for the door, jerked it open.

No one there! The starlit segment of deck was empty. But I had leaped,
and I struck a solid body, crouching in the doorway. A giant man. Miko!

His electronized metallic robe burned my hands. I lunged against him--I
was almost as surprised as he. I shot, but the stab of heat evidently
missed him.

The shock of my encounter close-circuited his robe; he materialized in
the starlig