ggering backward into Mike the Angel's arms.

Von Liegnitz grabbed the spanner out of Mellon's hand and swung it
toward the medic's jaw. It was only inches away when Keku's hand grasped
the navigator's wrist.

And when the big Hawaiian's hand clamped on, von Liegnitz' hand stopped
almost dead.

Mellon was screaming. "You ----!" He ran out a string of unprintable and
almost un-understandable words. "I'll kill you! I'll do it yet! _You
stay away from Leda Crannon!_"

"Calm down, Doc!" snapped Mike the Angel. "What the hell's the matter
with you, anyway?"

Von Liegnitz was still straining, trying to get away from Keku to take
another swipe at the medic, but the huge Hawaiian held him easily. The
navigator had lapsed into his native German, and most of it was
unintelligible, except for an occasional reference to various improbable
combinations of animal life.

But Mellon was paying no attention. "You! I'll kill you! Lecher!
Dirty-minded, filthy...."

He went on.

Suddenly, unexpectedly, he smashed his heel down on Mike's toe. At
least, he tried to; he'd have done it if the toe had been there when his
heel came down. But Mike moved it just two inches and avoided the blow.

At the same time, though, Mellon twisted, and Mike's forced shift of
position lessened his leverage on the man's shoulders and arms. Mellon
almost got away. One hand grabbed the wrench from von Liegnitz, whose
grip had been weakened by the paralyzing pressure of Keku's fingers.

Mike had no choice but to slam a hard left into the man's solar plexus.
Mellon collapsed like an unoccupied overcoat.

By this time, von Liegnitz had quieted down. "Let go, Keku," he said.
"I'm all right." He looked down at the motionless figure on the deck.
"What the hell do you suppose was eating him?" he asked quietly.

"How's your shoulder?" Mike asked.

"Hurts like the devil, but I don't think it's busted. But why did he do
it?" he repeated.

"Sounds to me," said Keku dryly, "that he was nutty jealous of you. He
didn't like the times you took Leda Crannon to the base movies while we
were at Chilblains."

Jakob von Liegnitz continued to look down at the smaller man in wonder.
"_Lieber Gott_" he said finally. "I only took her out a couple of times.
I knew he liked her, but--" He stopped. "The guy must be off his
bearings."

"I smelled liquor on his breath," said Mike. "Let's get him down to his
stateroom and lock him in until he sobers up. I'll have to repor