aid Dalgetty, "and anyone else you are absolutely
certain can keep a secret and control his own greed."

Bancroft paced once around the room. His eyes flickered back and forth
over the watching men. Frightened faces, bewildered faces, ambitious
faces--it was a hard decision and Dalgetty knew grimly that his life
rested on his and Elena's estimate of Thomas Bancroft's character.

"All right! Humphrey, Zimmermann, O'Brien, stay in here. If that bird
moves shoot him. The rest of you wait just outside." They filed out.
The door closed behind them. The three guards left posted themselves
with smooth efficiency, one at the window and one at either adjoining
wall. There was a long quiet.

Elena had to improvise the scheme and think it at Dalgetty. He nodded.
Bancroft planted himself before the chair, legs spread wide as if
braced for a blow, fists on hips.

"All right," he said. "What do you want to tell me?"

"You've caught me," said Dalgetty, "so I'm prepared to bargain for my
life and Dr. Tighe's freedom. Let me show you--" He made a move as if
to rise.

"Stay where you are!" snapped Bancroft, and three guns swiveled around
to point at the prisoner. Elena backed away until she stood beside the
one near the desk.

"As you will." Dalgetty leaned back again, casually shoving his chair
a couple of feet. He was now facing the window and, as far as he could
tell, sitting exactly on a line between the man there and the man at
the farther wall. "The Union of Tau Ceti is interested in seeing that
the right kind of civilizations develop on other planets. You could be
of value to us, Thomas Bancroft, if you can be persuaded to our side,
and the rewards are considerable." His glance went for a moment to the
girl and she nodded imperceptibly. "For example...."

The power rushed up in him. Elena clubbed her gun butt and struck the
man next to her behind the ear. In the fractional second before the
others could understand and react Dalgetty was moving.

The impetus which launched him from the chair sent that heavy padded
piece of furniture sliding across the floor to hit the man behind him
with a muffled thud. His left fist took Bancroft on the jaw as he went
by. The guard at the window had no time to swing his gun back from
Elena and squeeze trigger before Dalgetty's hand was on his throat.
His neck snapped.

Elena stood over her victim even as he toppled and aimed at the man
across the room. The armchair had knocked his rifl