on I
chose it. But if the control unit is not adjusted immediately to enable
it to take us out of this section, the attacks will continue until the
ship--and we--have been destroyed."

Gefty drew a deep breath. "There's another solution to that problem,
Maulbow. Miss Ruse and I prefer it. And if you meant what you said--that
you'd see to it we got back eventually--you shouldn't object either."

The voice asked sharply, "What do you mean?"

Gefty said, "Shut the control unit off. From what you were saying, that
throws us automatically back into normspace, while we're still close
enough to the Hub. You'll find plenty of people there who'll stake you
to a trip to the future if they can go along and are convinced they'll
return. Miss Ruse and I don't happen to be that adventurous."

There was silence from the passage. Gefty added, "Take your time to make
up your mind about it, if you want to. I don't like the idea of those
lights hitting us, but neither do you. And I think I can wait this out
as well as you can...."

The silence stretched out. Presently Gefty said, "If you do accept,
slide that fire-shooting device of yours into the room before you show
up. We don't want accidents."

He paused again. Kerim was chewing her lips, hands clenched into small
fists in her lap. Then Maulbow answered, voice flat and expressionless
now.

"The worst thing we can do at present," he said, "is to prolong a
dispute about possible courses of action. If I disarm, will you lay
aside your gun?"

"Yes."

"Then I accept your conditions, disappointing as they are."

He was silent. After a moment, Gefty heard the white rod clatter lightly
along the floor of the passage. It struck the passage wall, spun off it,
and rolled into the instrument room, coming to rest a few feet away from
him. Gefty hesitated, picked it up and laid it on the wall table. He
placed his own gun beside it, moved a dozen steps away. Kerim's eyes
followed him anxiously.

"Gefty," she whispered, "he might ..."

Gefty looked at her, formed the words "It's all right" with his mouth
and called, "Guns have been put aside, Maulbow. Come on in, and let's
keep it peaceable."

He waited, arms hanging loosely at his side, heart beating heavily, as
quick footsteps came up the passage. Maulbow appeared in the entrance,
glanced at Gefty and Kerim, then about the room. His gaze rested for a
moment on the wall table, shifted back to Gefty. Maulbow came on into
the room, t