away from it in surprise. I heard
Potan's voice, his shout of protest and anger.

But down in the Earth glow at the crater base, Miko's lights had not
vanished! I had missed! An error in the range? Abruptly I knew it was
not that. Miko's lights were still there. His signals still coming.
And I noticed now a faint distortion about them, the glow of his
little group of hand lights faintly distorted and vaguely shot with a
greenish cast. Benson curve lights!

My thoughts whirled in the few seconds while I stood there at the
tower window. Miko had feared he might be summarily fired on. He had
gone back to his camp, equipped all his lights with the Benson curve.
He was somewhere at the crater base now. But not where I thought I saw
him! The Benson curve light changed the path of the light rays
traveling from him to me, I could not even approximate his true
position!

Anita was plucking at me. "Gregg, come."

"I can't hit him," I gasped.

Should I try the flash signal to Earth? Did we dare linger here? I
stood another few seconds at the window. I saw Potan down in the
confusion of the deck, training a telescope. He had shouted up
violently at his duty man here not to fire again.

And now he let out a roar. "I can see them! It's Miko! By the
Almighty--his giant stature--Brotow, look! That's not an Earth man!"

He flung aside his telescope finder. "Disconnect that projector! It's
Miko down there! This Haljan is a trickster! Where is he?
Braile--Braile, you accursed fool! Are Haljan and the girl up there
with you?"

But the duty man lay in his blood at our feet.

I had dropped back from the window. Anita and I crouched for an
instant in confusion, fumbling with our helmets.

The ship rang with the alarm. And amid the turmoil we could hear the
shouts of the infuriated brigands swarming up the tower ladder after
us!

XXXII

I was only inactive a moment. I had thought Anita would have on her
helmet. But she was reluctant, or confused.

"Anita, we've got to get out of here! Up through the overhead locks to
the dome."

"Yes." She fumbled with her helmet. The climbing men on the ladder
were audible. They were already nearing the top. The trap door was
closed; Anita and I were crouching on it. There was a thick metal bar
set in a depressed groove for the grid. I slid it in place; it would
seal the trap for a short time.

A degree of confidence came to me. We had a few moments before there
could be any han