ugh the room.

"What do you want, Jason--what are you trying to do? Why did you lead
those animals in here ..." His voice cracked and broke as anger choked
him and spilled over.

"Watch your tongue, Kerk," Jason said with soft menace. "These _men_ you
are talking about are the only ones on Pyrrus who have a spaceship. If
you want them to share it with you, you had better learn to talk nicely.
Now come over here at once--and bring Brucco and Meta." Jason looked at
the older man's florid and swollen face and felt a measure of sympathy.
"Don't look so unhappy, it's not the end of the world. In fact, it might
be the beginning of one. And another thing, leave this channel open when
you go. Have it hooked into every screen in the city so everyone can see
what happens here. Make sure it's taped too, for replay."

Kerk started to say something, but changed his mind before he did. He
left the screen, but the set stayed alive. Carrying the scene in the
control room to the entire city.

XXVII.

The fight was over. It had ended so quickly the fact hadn't really sunk
in yet. Rhes rubbed his hand against the gleaming metal of the control
console, letting the reality of touch convince him. The other men milled
about, looking out through the viewscreens or soaking in the mechanical
strangeness of the room.

Jason was physically exhausted, but he couldn't let it show. He opened
the pilot's medbox and dug through it until he found the stimulants.
Three of the little gold pills washed the fatigue from his body, and he
could think clearly again.

"Listen to me," he shouted. "The fight's not over yet. They'll try
anything to take this ship back and we have to be ready. I want one of
the techs to go over these boards until he finds the lock controls. Make
sure all the air locks and ports are sealed. Send men to check them if
necessary. Turn on all the screens to scan in every direction, so no one
can get near the ship. We'll need a guard in the engine room, my control
could be cut if they broke in there. And there had better be a
room-by-room search of the ship, in case someone else is locked in with
us."

The men had something to do now and felt relieved. Rhes split them up
into groups and set them to work. Jason stayed at the controls, his hand
next to the pump switch. The battle wasn't over yet.

"There's a truck coming," Rhes called, "going slow."

"Should I blast it?" the man at the gun controls asked.

"Hold your