in charge.

"All right," said Ushur to the new captain. "You're the boss now. We're
all behind you. What are you going to do?"

"Do? I--" Nielson looked startled. He glanced at Hargraves.

The former captain sighed. It was easy enough to elect a new leader.
Vehemently he wished that all problems could be solved so easily.

"I suggest," he said, "--and this is only a suggestion--that we attempt
to find the ship, and if possible, to regain possession of her. She is
the only tool we have to work with."

"That is exactly what I was going to say," Nielson said emphatically.
"Find the ship."

To give him credit, he set about the job in a workmanlike manner,
sending two scouts ahead of the main group, throwing out a scout on each
flank. The only way they could hope to find the ship was by following
the course it had taken through the air. Since Sarkoff, in taking over
the vessel, had not disarmed them, each possessed a vibration pistol. In
a fight against ordinary enemies they would be able to give a good
account of themselves. But would any enemy they met likely be ordinary?

Hargraves drew Usher aside. "I would like to talk to you," he said.
"What actually happened when the ship was taken?"

"I don't know, Jed," the archeologist ruefully answered. "I was in my
cabin. The first thing I knew I heard a hell of a hullabaloo going on up
in the control room. I dashed up there to see what was going on."

"What was happening?"

"Nielson, Rodney, Turner, and a couple of others were there. So
were--well, they looked like Sarkoff and Ron Val. Nielson was getting up
off the floor. Sarkoff and Ron Val had both drawn their guns and were
covering the group. When I came charging in, Sarkoff covered me. Before
I could recover from my surprise, he and Ron Val had kicked every one of
us out of the ship. Then they took off." The archeologist shook his
shaggy head.

"Ron Val was helping?"

"No question about it. Which means, of course, that he was either under
some subtle form of hypnosis, or _it_ wasn't Ron Val. I would bet my
life on his loyalty."

* * * * *

"So would I," said Hargraves. And the memory came back of how thrilled
Ron Val had been at the prospect of landing on this, world. "It would
mean a lot to find people here. We could exchange experiences, learn a
lot," Ron Val had said, his face glowing at the thought. All the others
had felt the same way. The Third Interstellar Expedition h