overt, direct and physical danger by an officer to normal passengers.
He might be able to weasel it through a court, or he might be found
guilty of mutiny. It left me in a pretty position.

Jenny fluttered around. "Now, now--" she began.

I cut her off. "Shut up, Jenny. And you two damned fools cool down.
Damn it, we've got an emergency here all right--we may not have air
plants enough to live on. Pietro, we can't run the ship--and neither
can Muller get through what's obviously a mess that may call for all
our help by confining us. Why don't you two go off and fight it out in
person?"

[Illustration]

Surprisingly, Pietro laughed. "I'm afraid I'd put up a poor showing
against the captain, Paul. My apologies, Captain Muller."

Muller hesitated, but finally took Pietro's hand, and dropped the
issue.

"We've got enough plants," he said, changing the subject. "We'll have
to cut out all smoking and other waste of air. And I'll need Jenny to
work the hydroponics, with any help she requires. We've got to get
more seeds planted, and fast. Better keep word of this to ourselves.
We--"

A shriek came from Jenny then. She'd been busy at one of the lockers
in the chamber. Now she began ripping others open and pawing through
things inside rubber-gloves. "Captain Muller! The seeds! The seeds!"

Hal took one look, and his face turned gray.

* * * * *

"Chromazone," he reported. "Every bag of seed has been filled with a
solution of chromazone! They're worthless!"

"How long before the plants here will seed?" Muller asked sharply.

"Three months," Jenny answered. "Captain Muller, what are we going to
do?"

The dour face settled into grim determination. "The only sensible
thing. Take care of these plants, conserve the air, and squeeze by
until we can reseed. And, Dr. Pietro, with your permission, we'll turn
about for Earth at once. We can't go on like this. To proceed would be
to endanger the life of every man aboard."

"Please, Danton." Jenny put her hand on Pietro's arm. "I know what
this all means to you, but--"

Pietro shook her off. "It means the captain's trying to get out of the
expedition, again. It's five months back to Earth--more, by the time
we kill velocity. It's the same to Saturn. And either way, in five
months we've got this fixed up, or we're helpless. Permission to
return refused, Captain Muller."

"Then if you'll be so good as to return to your own quarters," Muller