y. He
might be suspicious of George Prince wandering around: it would be
difficult to get near enough to assail him. This cylinder, I knew, had
an effective range of only some twenty feet.

"Coniston is the sharpest, Gregg. He will be the hardest to get near."

"Where is Miko?"

The brigand leader had gone below a few moments ago, down into the
hull corridor. Anita had seized the opportunity to come to me.

"We can attack Hahn in the chart room first," I whispered. "And get
the other weapons. Are they still there?"

"Yes. But the forward deck is very bright, Gregg."

We were approaching the asteroid. Already its light, like a brilliant
moon, was brightening the forward deck space. It made me realize how
much haste was necessary.

We decided to go down into the hull corridors. Locate Miko. Fell him
and hide him. His nonappearance back on deck would very soon throw the
others into confusion, especially now with our impending landing upon
the asteroid. And, under cover of this confusion, we would try to
release Snap.

We were ready. Anita slid my door open. She stepped through, with me
soundlessly scurrying after her. The empty, silent deck was
alternately dark with shadow patches and bright with blobs of
starlight. A sheen of the Sun's corona was mingled with it; and from
forward came the radiance of the asteroid's mellow silver glow.

Anita turned to seal my door; within my faintly humming cloak I stood
beside her. Was I invisible in this light? Almost directly over us,
close under the dome, the lookout sat in his little tower. He gazed
down at Anita.

Amidships, high over the cabin superstructure, the radio room hung
dark and silent. The guard on its bridge was visible. He too, looked
down.

A tense instant. Then I breathed again. There was no alarm. The two
guards answered Anita's gesture.

Anita said aloud into my empty cubby: "Miko will come for you
presently, Haljan. He told me that he wants you at the turret controls
to land us on the asteroid."

She finished sealing my door and turned away; started forward along
the deck. I followed. My steps were soundless in my elastic-bottomed
shoes. Anita swaggered with a noisy tread. Near the door of the
smoking room a small incline passage led downward. We went into it.

The passage was dimly blue lit. We descended its length, came to the
main corridor, which ran the length of the hull. A vaulted metal
passage, with doors to the control rooms opening from