re tsith. Clutching the Josmian as though it
were his life's blood, Joel Latham staggered away from there and began
the long route back.

* * * * *

The men at the compound would not soon forget the night when Joel
Latham returned. Penger was there of course; some prospectors from the
near-by hills, the crew of a supply freighter, a motley scattering of
others whose business was unknown and unasked.

They stared in disbelief at the caricature that suddenly came out of
the night to stand in the doorway of Penger's place. Clothes ripped in
shreds, mud and blood bespattered, one arm dangling, tangled hair that
looked unreal as if sewed to his scalp. An awful whiteness about the
lips and eyes that were dark empty pools. Maybe it had once been an
Earthman, but it was unrecognizable now! Joel Latham stood there for
an instant, seeking out Penger behind the bar. Black exhaustion
threatened to take him, but with an effort he hoisted himself up.

He made his way across the room and slumped against the bar. Spacemen
moved out of his way. There was something about his eyes.

Penger moved down to him, stood staring in amazement.

"So it's you!" said Penger, and seemed unable to say more.

"It's me, all right." Latham's eyes were searching out the rows of
bottles. Martian thasium, Earth bourbon, the potent arack from
Ganymede. It all left him cold. He was looking for the deadly tsith,
and he saw no sign of it. "It's me, all right," Joel Latham said
again, and he placed a closed fist upon the bar. "I've come to make
that deal with you, Penger!"

His fist opened slowly, and Penger was staring down at the Josmian.

"So it was true! And you really went after that thieving pair ... you
took it from them...." Penger's voice was unbelieving, but he
continued to stare at the Josmian.

"It's yours if you want it, Penger. Dirt cheap! One thousand credits.
That'll be enough to get me out of here on the first freighter, and
set up for another try at the Callisto iridium fields. That's all I
want."

Penger nodded, took the gem from Latham's hand and held it to the
light. "It's a beauty!" He replaced it in Latham's open palm. "But I
didn't promise to buy it! All I said was, I'd make you a deal."

Latham felt his stomach turning over. Kueelo had said this man was a
devil! He got the words out: "What kind of a deal?"

"You ask one thousand credits. I offer you one thousand glasses of
tsith! That'll las