aking me along for
something a little more special. But they'll have to skip the fun if the
Spy shows up, or I'll be telling twenty armed Fleetmen exactly what
kind of thieving cheats they have leading them!" She looked back at
Calat, smiled, placed the tip of her tongue lightly between her lips for
an instant, then pronounced a few dozen Fleet words in a clear, precise
voice.

It must have been an extraordinarily unflattering comment. Calat went
white, then red. Half-smart tough had been Duomart's earlier description
of him. It began to look like an accurate one ... Dasinger felt a surge
of pleased anticipation. His legs already were drawn well back beneath
the bench; he shifted his weight slowly forwards now, keeping an
expression of anxious concern on his face. Calat spoke in Fleetlingue
again, voice thickening with rage.

Miss Mines replied sweetly, stood up. The challenge direct.

The Fleetman's face worked in incredulous fury. He shifted the gun to
his left hand and came striding purposefully towards Miss Mines, right
fist cocked. Then, as Dasinger tensed his legs happily, a muffled thump
from deep within the wreck announced the opening of the star hyacinth
vault.

The sound was followed by instant proof that Hovig had trapped the
vault.

Duomart and Calat screamed together. Dasinger drove himself forward off
the bench, aiming for the Fleetman's legs, checked and turned for the
gun which Calat, staggering and shrieking, his face distorted with
lunatic terror, had flung aside. Dr. Egavine, alert for this
contingency, already was stooping for the gun, hand outstretched, when
Dasinger lunged against him, bowling him over.

* * * * *

Dasinger came up with the gun, Quist pounding at his shoulders, flung
the little man aside, turned back in a frenzy of urgency. Duomart
twisted about on the floor near the far end of the compartment, arms
covering her face. The noises that bubbled out from behind her arms set
Dasinger's teeth on edge. She rolled over convulsively twice, stopped
dangerously close to the edge of the jagged break in the deck, was
turning again as Dasinger dropped beside her and caught her.

Immediately there was a heavy, painful blow on his shoulder. He glanced
up, saw Quist running toward him, a rusted chunk of metal like the one
he had thrown in his raised hand, and Egavine peering at both of them
from the other side of the compartment. Dasinger flung a leg across