she knew he would blast her without mercy. They fell in behind her.

When they reached the doors of the tower a pair of women barred their way.

"We have received no notice of work to be done," one of them said. Ben saw
her eyes narrow with sudden suspicion, and then her hand darted for the
cylinder at her side.

Ben's ray gun spouted violet death and the charred bodies of three women
lay in the doorway. Ben scooped up their guns and thrust them at Bannon and
Murchison.

"We'll give you five minutes before we take off," he shouted as they ran
past him for the control room.

Behind him and Davies and Sally there were shouts as the two men went into
action. But they had their own job to do. The closest inspection ship was
several hundred feet away and already women were running to cut them off.
Ben cut loose with his cylinder before they had a chance to use theirs.

Then he and Davies were lifting Sally into the ship. While they covered the
open door Ben ran for the controls. Somewhere an alarm was wailing and as
he swung the ship about Ben saw other ships being boarded. But Bannon and
Murchison had not failed. Just beyond the tower a lock swung open.

Ben skimmed along the ground, figuring to pick up the two men as they came
out of the tower. Then he saw Murchison wave him on. He had planted himself
in the doorway and was refusing to budge. Ben saw why as Murchison blasted
away at a group of giant women who were trying to rush the tower.

There was no more time. Already other ships were taking off. Another wasted
minute and they would beat him to the lock. Ben yelled to Davies to close
the hatch as he turned on the power.

A moment later they were in the blackness of the tube. Davies ran forward
to the controls. "There's a light on the ship," he said. He found the
switch and threw it in time for them to see the next lock open for them.

"Three to go," Ben muttered. "Looks like we're going to make it."

"Maybe not." Davies tapped his shoulder and pointed to the rear of the
ship. Looking back through a porthole, Ben could see other ships behind
them.

"As long as we're in the tube they won't fire," Davies said. "But neither
can we get very far ahead!"

While he spoke the ship had gone through another lock with the others still
directly behind. It looked like Davies was right. But Ben was not yet ready
to concede defeat. The fourth lock loomed ahead and he watched it swing
open. Just a few minutes more and they