ere'll be no trouble, folks. I just
want her a lot worse than you do."

Trigger frowned in puzzlement. Next came an angry roar, some thumping
sounds, a sudden crack.

"Oops!" the deep voice said happily. "A little too hard, I'm afraid!"

Why, of course, Trigger thought. She opened her eyes and twisted her
head around.

"Still awake, Trigger?" Quillan asked from the door of the room. He
looked pleasantly surprised. There was a very large bellmouthed gun in
his hand.

That was an odd-looking little group in the doorway, Trigger felt. On
his knees before Quillan was a fat, elderly man, blinking dazedly at
her. He wore a brilliantly purple bath towel knotted about his loins and
nothing else. It was a moment before she recognized Belchik Pluly. Old
Belchy! And on the floor before Belchy, motionless as if in devout
prostration, Virod lay on his face. Dead, no doubt. He shouldn't have
got gay with Quillan.

"Yes," Trigger said then, remembering Quillan's question. "I've got a
very fast snap-back--but they fed me a fresh load of dope just a moment
ago."

"So I saw," said Quillan. His glance shifted beyond Trigger.

"Lyad," he said, almost gently.

"Yes, Quillan?" Lyad's voice came from the other side of Trigger.
Trigger turned her head toward it. Lyad and Flam both stood at the far
side of the room. Their expressions were unhappy.

"I don't like at all," Quillan said, "what's been going on here. Not
one bit! Which is why Big Boy got the neck broken finally. Can the rest
of us take a hint?"

"Certainly," the Ermetyne said.

"So the Flam girl quits ogling those guns on the shelf and stays put, or
they'll amputate a leg. First Lady, you come up to the table and get
Trigger unclamped."

Trigger realized her eyes had fallen shut again. She left them that way
for a moment. There was motion near her, and the wrist clamps came off
in turn. Lyad moved down to her feet.

"The fancy-looking gun is Trigger's?" Quillan inquired.

"Yes," said Lyad.

"Is that what happened to Pilli and the other gent out there?"

"Yes."

"Imagine!" said Quillan thoughtfully. "Uh--got something to seal up the
clothes?"

"Yes," Lyad said. "Bring it here, Flam."

"Toss it, Flam!" cautioned Quillan. "Remember the leg."

Lyad's hands did things to the clothes at her back. Then they went away.

"You can sit up now, Trigger!" Quillan's voice informed her loudly.
"Sort of slide down easy off the table and see if you can stand."

Trigge