auxiliary compartment into space. As soon
as the compartment was empty, he led a hose from it to the tank.

The pumps sucked and the acid level fell slowly.

Docchi felt the ship lurch familiarly. "Hurry," he called out to
Jordan.

The gravital unit was acting up. Presumably it was getting ready to
cut out. If it did--well, a free-floating globe of acid would be as
destructive to the ship and those in it as a high velocity meteor
cluster.

Jordan jammed the lever as far as it would go and held it there. "All
out," said Jordan presently, and let the hose roll back into the wall.
Done in plenty of time. The gravital unit remained in operation for a
full minute.

As soon as she was weightless, Anti rose out of the tank.

In all the time Docchi had known her, he had seen no more than a face
framed in blue acid. Periodic surgery, where it was necessary, had
trimmed the flesh from her face. For the rest, she lived submerged in
a corrosive liquid that destroyed the wild tissue as fast as it grew.
Or nearly as fast.

Docchi averted his eyes.

"Well, junkman, look at a real monster," snapped Anti.

* * * * *

Humans were not meant to grow that large. But it was not obscene to
Docchi, merely unbelievable. Jupiter is not repulsive because it is
the bulging giant of planets; it is overwhelming, and so was Anti.

"How will you live out of the acid?" he stammered.

"How really unobservant some men are," said Anti loftily. "I
anticipated our little journey and prepared for it. If you look
closely, you will notice I have on a special surgery robe. It's the
only thing in the Solar System that will fit me. It's fabricated from
a spongelike substance and holds enough acid to last me about
thirty-six hours."

She grasped a rail and propelled herself toward the corridor. Normally
that was a spacious passageway. For her it was a close fit.

Satellites, one glowing and the other swinging in an eccentric orbit,
followed after her.

* * * * *

Nona was standing before the instrument panel when they came back.
There was an impressive array of dials, lights and levers in front of
her, but she wasn't interested in these. A single small dial, separate
from the rest, held her complete attention. She seemed disturbed by
what she saw or didn't see. Disturbed or excited, it was difficult to
say which.

Anti stopped. "Look at her. If I didn't know she's a freak like the