ut
suicide for them! He'd do it though, if it weren't for Ora. She was so
sweet and innocent. She must not die; must not suffer. Another way
must be found. He groaned aloud as he realized that her predicament
was the result of his own bullheadedness. If only he hadn't insisted
on the trip to Ganymede. But then there was the problem of preserving
the civilization of the inner planets. It had to be met.

There was a commotion behind him; a feminine shriek from the after
cabins; loud shoutings from the beast called Rapaju. Carr's heart
skipped a beat. He was paralyzed with fear. But only for an instant.
With a bellow of rage he whirled around and started for the door,
charging the two guards with head down and arms flailing.

CHAPTER IX

_Nemesis_

The Llotta did not use their ray-pistols. They were too busy
attempting to elude the mad rushes of the powerful Terrestrial.
Besides, there were good reasons they should not kill him--yet. Carr
drove one of them halfway down the passageway with a well-planted
punch. The other was on his back, hairy legs twined around his waist,
an arm under his chin, drawing his head back with a steady and
terrible pressure. He whirled around, trying to shake off his beastly
antagonist.

But these powerful legs and arms held fast. He tore at the hairy
ankles where they crossed in the pit of his stomach; wrenched them
free. Still the creature clung to him, twisting his head until it
seemed his neck must break. He found a waving foot with his right
hand; wrenched it mightily. There was a sharp snap and the foot
dangled limp in his fingers. He had broken the ankle. With a howl of
pain his assailant let go and dropped to the floor to crawl away like
a whipped cur.

In a flash Carr saw that the brute was reaching for his ray-pistol
where it had dropped during the encounter. He kicked it from the reach
of that hairy paw and sprang after it. With one of those little
weapons in his hands the odds would change! His fingers closed on its
grip just as Ora rushed into the room, closely followed by Rapaju,
whose distorted features were terrible to behold. The cabin was full
of them now; the guard he had first knocked down; the lust-crazed
commander--the one with the broken ankle. All but Detis and Mado. Carr
faced them alone.

So close was Rapaju to the girl that he dared not use the pistol, and
now the uninjured guard was circling him, trying to get in a position
where he could use his ray-pist