to-hand conflict. That giant electronic projector
would eventually be used against Grantline: it was the brigands' most
powerful weapon. Its controls were here--by Heaven, I would smash
them! That at least I could do!

I jumped for the window. Miko's signals had stopped, but I caught a
glimpse of his distant moving curve-lights.

A flash came up at me, as in the window I became visible to the
brigands on the ship's deck. It was a small hand-projector, hastily
fired, for it went wide of the window. It was followed by a rain of
small beams, but I was warned and I dropped my head beneath the high
sill. The rays flashed diagonally upward through the oval opening,
hissed against our vaulted roof. The air snapped and tingled with a
shower of blue-red sparks, and the acrid odor of the released gases
settled down upon me.

* * * * *

The trajectory controls of the projector were beside me. I seized
them, ripped and tore at them. There was a roar down on the deck. The
projector had exploded. A man's agonized scream split the confusion of
sounds.

It silenced the brigands on the deck. Under our floor-grid those on
the ladder had been pounding at the trap-door. They stopped, evidently
to see what had happened. The bombardment of our windows ceased
momentarily.

I cautiously peered out the window again. In the wreck of the
projector three men were lying. One of them was screaming horribly.
The dome-side was damaged. Potan and other men were frantically
investigating to see if the ship's air were hissing out.

A triumph swept me. They had not found me so meek and inoffensive as
they might have thought!

Anita clutched at me. She still had not donned her helmet.

"Put it on!"

"But Gregg--"

"Put it on!"

"I--I don't want to put it on until you put yours on."

"I've smashed the projector! We've stopped them coming up for a
while."

But they were still on the ladder under our floor. They heard our
voices; they began thumping again. Then pounding. They seemed now to
have some heavy implement. They rammed with it against the trap.

But the floor seemed holding. The square of metal grid trembled,
yielded a little. But it was good for a few minutes longer.

I called down, "The first one who comes through will be shot." My
words mingled with their oaths. There was a moment's pause, then the
ramming went on. The dying man on the deck was still screaming.

* * *