Chahda, wait a while, get a note, and walk right
into the arms of a reception committee. That's mighty good
organization."

"They had plenty of time to get the junk ready for us," Rick pointed
out. "We sat in Charlie's and cooled our heels for a long while."

"We should have had knives a foot long." Zircon smiled. "Then we could
have given ourselves a manicure, like the Portuguese who left right
after we arrived." He put his key in the lock and pushed the door open.

Rick had a confused impression of wild sounds, then something crashed
into him and he landed flat on his back. As he scrambled to his feet,
plaster showered down on him, and his ear separated the sounds. From
within their room, a voice screamed, "Watch out! Take cover!" There was
a blurred racket, as though a giant was running a stick along a monster
picket fence at jet speed. Scotty was yelling something and Zircon was
bellowing with rage. Then the thunderous stitching noise stopped.

All three of them started into the room at the same time, and Rick
reached the door first. It was dark in the room, but in the faint light
from the hallway he saw two figures struggling. He acted without
thought. On a dresser just inside the door he had left a big flashlight.
He grabbed it, jumped into the fray, and brought it down on the head of
the man on top. The man slumped.

With a catlike twist the man who had been underneath wriggled free. Rick
started to say, "What's going..." Then an open hand drove into his face
and pushed him backward into Scotty and Zircon. The three of them fought
for balance as Rick's assailant ran to the window, leaped out on to the
fire escape, and was gone.

Scotty snapped on the light just as the man Rick had slugged staggered
to his feet, blinking. He was of medium height, with a thin, dark face.
He was dressed like a seaman, and apparently he was a Eurasian. Black
eyes blazed at the three of them.

"Shut that blasted door! And bolt it!" the man commanded.

Zircon bellowed, "Don't be giving us orders! Explain..."

"I'm Carl Bradley," the man said.

Rick swallowed. Of the two men in the room, he had lowered the boom on
the wrong one!

Scotty shut the door and threw the bolt.

"I've got to talk fast," Bradley said. "The hotel people will be up here
in a few seconds and I don't want them to find me. It would mean too
many explanations, and the police would want a statement I'd rather not
have to give."

He straddled a chair. "I