."

"No!" Scott caught Elderburg's shoulder, gripped him. "There isn't time
for an armed attack. I have a better idea."

"Scott, I order you to...."

"Get me a box," Scott cried desperately. "Made of lead and six feet
deep."

Elderburg jerked his shoulder free. His face contorted. "Get to your
cabin, Jerill. You're under arrest."

"Captain Elderburg, listen to me. We can...."

"That's a direct order. Go to your cabin." He whirled away from Scott,
slammed down the intercom lever. "Attention all hands. Prepare full
battle equipment...."

Scott slashed his blaster hard across the back of the Captain's head.
Elderburg staggered, clutched the back of the seat. Scott hit him again.
Elderburg's legs went loose. He toppled face forward, struck the
intercom and sagged to the floor.

Scott stepped to the intercom. "Attention. All men, prepare full battle
equipment and stand by. Stand by. Durval, get the largest lead-lined box
you have and set it outside the entrance of the main cargo hatch. Shake
it up. We have half an hour till the _Kastil_ jets off."

He cut off the intercom, lugged Elderburg to the chart room and locked
him inside.

* * * * *

The hold was beastly hot. Standing inside the hatchway, holding
suspended over his head a three-foot long cell of uranium ore, Scott
felt a moment of shuddering panic. Over the storage cells along the
wall, over the tumbling bodies of the cats, an eerie glow quivered--the
menacing flare of radio-activity.

Scott glanced nervously at the forward screen. Chief Durval waved toward
him. "Your men ready, Durval?"

The Chief nodded. "Don't go getting yourself hurt now, Scott."

Scott grinned although he did not feel much like grinning.

He shuffled forward under the light gravity of the hold. The uranium
cell balanced easily in his hands. Too easily. He could scarcely feel it
press against his gloves. The heat control in his suit was jammed again.
His hands streamed sweat.

He inched past the cats. A quick cold thrill passed through his stomach.
With the energy of the ore almost gone, the scarlet beasts were growing
increasingly uneasy. They were casting about for a new supply. It would
be easy enough for a foot to slip, he thought. To spill the ore across
the floor. New food for the cats--and the loss of the _Bertha's_ last
chance as strange space beasts sucked away the last purified ore.

He slipped cautiously past the last row of cells. A