I admit it.
Let's calm down and start over again. I--"

"Ten minutes ago it was no mercy."

"It's hard for me to behave reasonably about this business. You know
what it means to me, what it meant to my father and _his_ father. But
I'm willing to do anything, Shearing, if you'll make a deal."

"I'll make a deal. Readily. Eagerly. Give back what your grandfather
stole from us, and we'll call it square."

"Oh no we won't," said Hyrst grimly, breaking in. "Not until I find who
killed MacDonald."

"All right," said Bellaver. "Wilson, break out the grenades."

The entire surface of Hyrst's body burst into a flaring sweat. For one
panic-stricken second he wanted to rush out the crack pleading for
mercy. Then he got his feet against the wall and pushed hard, and went
plunging across the chamber in a sort of floating dive. Shearing got
there at the same time and helped to pull him down. They huddled
together on the floor, with the coffin-shaped block between them and the
crack. Hyrst sent out a frantic mental call to hurry, directed at the
spaceship of the brotherhood.

"They're all going to hurry," said Shearing. "Vernon has found the ship
now. He's telling Bellaver. Here comes the grenade--"

Small round glittering thing of death, curving light and graceful
through the airless gloom. It comes so slowly, and the flesh shrinks
quivering upon itself until it is nothing more than a handful of simple
fear. Outside the men are running away, and the one who has thrown the
grenade from the cramped, constructing vantage of the crack is running
after them, and Shearing is crying with his mind Will it to fall short,
_will it to fall sh_--

There is a great brilliance, and the rock leaps, but there is not the
slightest sound.

CHAPTER VI

"_The Ram, the Bull, the Heavenly Twins,
And next the Crab the Lion Shine.
The Virgin and the Scales--_"

The old zodiacal rhyme was running through Hyrst's mind, and that was
the only thing that was in his mind.

The Virgin and the Scales.

Yes. And she's very beautiful, too, thought Hyrst. But she shouldn't be
_holding_ the Scales. That's all wrong. The Scales come next, and then
the Scorpion--Scorpio--and the Archer--Sagittarius--

And anyway they aren't scales, they're a pair of big golden stars, and
she's putting them down, and they're melting together. There's only one
of them, and it's not a star at all, really. It's a polished metal jug,
reflecting the li