none were near us. The deck
forward was dim with heavy shadows. The oval window and door of the
chart-room were blue-yellow from the tube-lights inside. No one seemed
on the deck there; and then, as we approached, I saw, further forward in
the bow, the trap-door to the cage standing open. Johnson had been
released.

From one of the chart-room windows a heat-ray sizzled. It barely missed
us. Balch shouted, "Carter--don't!"

The captain called, "Oh--you, Balch--and Haljan--"

He came out on the deck as we rushed up. His left arm was dangling
limp.

"God--this--" He got no further. From the turret overhead a tiny
search-beam came down and disclosed us. Blackstone was supposed to be on
duty up there, with a course-master at the controls. But, glancing up, I
saw, illumined by the turret lights, the figures of Ob Hahn in his
purple-white robe, and Johnson the purser. And on the turret balcony,
two fallen men--Blackstone and the course-master.

* * * * *

Johnson was training the spotlight on us. And Hahn fired a Martian ray.
It struck Balch beside me. He dropped.

Carter was shouting, "Inside! Gregg, get inside!"

I stopped to raise up Balch. Another beam came down. A heat-ray this
time. It caught the fallen Balch full in the chest, piercing him
through. The smell of his burning flesh rose to sicken me. He was dead.
I dropped his body. Carter shoved me into the chart-room.

In the small, steel-lined room, Carter and I slid the door closed. We
were alone here. The thing had come so quickly it had taken Captain
Carter, like us all, wholly unawares. We had anticipated spying
eavesdroppers, but not this open brigandage. No more than a minute or
two had passed since Miko's siren in his stateroom had given the signal
for the attack. Carter had been in the chart-room. Blackstone was in the
turret. At the outbreak of confusion, Carter dashed out to see Hahn
releasing Johnson from the cage. From the forward chart-room window now
I could see where Hahn with a torch had broken the cage-seal. The torch
lay on the deck. There had been an exchange of shots; Carter's arm was
paralyzed; Johnson and Hahn had escaped.

Carter was as confused as I. There had simultaneously been an encounter
up in the turret. Blackstone and the course-master were killed. The
lookout had been shot from his post in the forward observatory. His body
dangled now, twisted half in and half out of his window.

*