done very well at it so far._"

"_In the excitement, they may get careless. But it's up to you._"

More foul language, but Bellaver did not repeat his threat. He and
Vernon, with a couple of other men, got into vac-suits and lumbered
across the snow to the hoist tower. From inside the cold dark buried
building, Hyrst watched them, and thought hard and fast, and smiled.
Presently he left the building and circled cautiously through the snowy
gloom until he was in range of their helmet-communicators. He could hear
them aurally now, but he kept watching them, esper-fashion.

* * * * *

They inspected the empty lead box, and the young men told what had
happened, and Bellaver turned his raging fury against them. There was no
longer any doubt that the Titanite had been found and taken away, and
Bellaver saw the stars and worlds and moons, the bright glowing plunder
of a galaxy, slipping away from him. He threatened the two young men
with every punishment he could think of for not having stopped the
thieves, and one of the young men turned white and anxious, and the
other one flushed brick red and shook his fist close to Bellaver's
helmet.

"You go to hell," he said. "I don't care who you are. You go to hell."

He walked out of the hoist tower, with his companion stumbling at his
heels, and Bellaver screamed after them, and behind him the crewmen
looked shocked and contemptuous, and Vernon laughed openly, showing the
edges of his teeth.

The two young men got into their ship and went away. Bellaver turned and
stood looking at the empty box. He seemed exhausted now, hopeless, like
a child about to break down and cry. Vernon went over and kicked the
box.

"Hyrst had the advantage," he said. "He knew MacDonald and he knew the
refinery. Even so, it must have been pure guesswork. Nobody could probe
through that fog."

"What are we going to do?" asked Bellaver. "Vernon, what are we going to
do?"

Hyrst spoke for the first time, his voice ringing loud and startling in
their ears.

"Don't ask Vernon," he said. "Ask me."

There was a moment of complete silence. Hyrst felt Vernon's mind brush
his, and he permitted himself one cruel flash of triumph. Then everybody
spoke at once, Vernon explaining why he hadn't spotted Hyrst--who could
have figured he'd stay behind at a time like this?--the crew-members
nervously fingering their guns, and Bellaver crying,

"Hyrst! Is that you, Hyrst? Where a