thoughts were whirling. Anita was
alive. Masquerading as her brother. And, with the joy of it, came a
shudder. Above everything, Miko must not know.

"A great adventure we are upon, Haljan."

My thoughts came back. Miko was talking with an assumption of friendly
comradeship. "All is well--and we need you, as I have said before. I
am no fool. I have been aware of everything that went on aboard this
ship. You, of all the officers, are most clever at the routine
mathematics. Is that so?"

"Perhaps."

"You are modest." He fumbled at a pocket of his jacket, produced a
scroll-sheaf. I recognized it. Blackstone's figures. The calculation
Blackstone made of the asteroid we had passed.

"I am interested in these," Miko went on. "I want you to verify them.
And this." He held up another scroll. "This is the calculation of our
present position and our course. Hahn claims he is a navigator. We
have set the ship's gravity plates--see, like this."

He handed me the scrolls. He watched me keenly as I glanced over them.

"Well?" I said.

"You are sparing of words, Haljan. By the devils of the airways, I
could make you talk! But I want to be friendly."

I handed him back the scrolls. I stood up. I was almost within reach
of his weapon, but with a sweep of his great arm he knocked me back to
my bunk.

"You dare?" Then he smiled. "Let us not come to blows!"

In truth, physical violence could get me nothing. I would have to try
guile. And I saw now that his face was flushed and his eyes
unnaturally bright. He had been drinking alcolite; not enough to
befuddle him, but enough to make him triumphantly talkative.

"Hahn may not be much of a mathematician," I suggested. "But there is
your Sir Arthur Coniston." I managed a sarcastic grin. "Is that his
name?"

"Almost. Haljan, will you verify these figures?"

"Yes. But why? Where are we going?"

He laughed. "You are afraid I will not tell you! Why should I? This
great adventure of mine is progressing perfectly. A tremendous stake,
Haljan. A hundred million dollars in gold leaf. There will be fabulous
riches for all of us--"

"But where are we going?"

"To that asteroid," he said. "I must get rid of these passengers. I am
no murderer."

With a half-dozen killings in the recent fight this was hardly
convincing. But he was obviously wholly serious. He seemed to read my
thoughts.

"I kill only when necessary. We will land upon the asteroid. A perfect
place to maroon the pas