a muffled roar, the lookout's
voice tautened. "No. No. Not an explosion. It's the _Kastil_. They're
attacking the mine. They're attacking the mine."

* * * * *

They crammed into the observation blister on the _Bertha's_ nose.
Scanners swept smoothly over the wilderness of stone jutting up between
the ship and the mine.

"There's a fire fight going out there." Elderburg's square face knotted
with anger. "Scott, take a party. Blow that livid scum crew off this
rock."

"Right, sir!" Scott bolted from the observation port. The emergency
alarm howled through the ship. He buckled on a pair of blasters with
unsteady hands, a black fury sweeping him. He stabbed one long finger
down on the intercom.

"Masters," he yelled. "Get the cargo jet ready. With full battle
equipment."

"Right, lieutenant. What's up?"

"Piracy." He spun toward the door. Then jolted to a halt, hands balling
at his sides.

A picture was forming on the Master Communication Screen.

Elderburg pounded to his side. "Who is it?"

The picture on the screen was very definite now--a swarthy giant of a
man, cynically grinning down at them. "Gentlemen," the figure on the
screen said, and Scott needed no further introduction.

It was Randell, master of the ship _Kastil_.

"We've had a very entertaining two days," Randell said. His thick hands
rubbed easily together. "It's been a real pleasure watching you work.
But I'm afraid the pleasure is over. We're leaving you now. Oh, that
disturbance at your mine pit?" He laughed, but only with his mouth; the
close-set eyes remained unchanging, watchful. "It seemed so unnecessary
to bother mining ore when so much of it was stacked near our pit."

"You bloody murdering bandit," Elderburg thundered. "We'll blast
you...."

"You'll blast nobody. Any party approaching the _Kastil_ will get
blasted. Any party near the claim--our claim--will get burned down. By
the way, I'm afraid your men at the mine contracted space-sickness, or
something. They seem to be dead. You needn't bother coming after them."

He began to chuckle. "I think the ore my men are bringing in now will
just complete our cargo. See you back on Earth."

The screen went gray. The sound shut off with a loud click.

Elderburg swung on Scott. "Take your men. Clean out that nest of thieves
before they remove any more ore. Order out full battle gear. We'll blast
the _Kastil_ apart if it takes every man on board this ship