witched off the light; my cubby was Stygian black. A heat
cylinder was in the bunk-bracket over my head. I searched for it,
pried it loose softly.

I was fully awake. Alert. I could hear a faint sizzling--someone
outside trying to unseal the door. In the darkness, cylinder in hand,
I crept softly from the bunk. Crouched at the door. This time I would
capture or kill this night prowler.

The sizzling was faintly audible. My door seal was breaking. Upon
impulse I reached for the door, jerked it open.

No one there! The starlit segment of deck was empty. But I leaped and
struck a solid body, crouching in the doorway. A giant man. Miko!

His electronized metallic robe burned my hands. I lunged against
him--I was almost as surprised as he. I shot, but the stab of heat
evidently missed him. The shock of my encounter, short-circuited his
robe; he materialized in the starlight. A brief, savage encounter. He
struck the weapon from my hand. He had dropped his hydrogen torch, and
tried to grip me. But I twisted away from his hold.

"So it's you!"

"Quiet, Gregg Haljan! I only want to talk."

Without warning, a stab of radiance shot from a weapon in his hand. It
caught me. Ran like ice through my veins. Seized and numbed my limbs.

I fell helpless to the deck. Nerves and muscles paralyzed. My tongue
was thick and inert. I could not speak, nor move. But I could see Miko
bending over me, and hear him:

"I don't want to kill you, Haljan. We need you."

He gathered me up like a bundle in his huge arms; carried me swiftly
across the deserted deck.

Snap's radio room in the network under the dome was diagonally
overhead. A white actinic light shot from it--caught us, bathed us.
Snap had been awake; had heard the commotion of our encounter.

His voice rang shrilly: "Stop! I'll shoot!" His warning siren rang out
to alert the ship. His spotlight clung to us.

Miko ran with me a few steps. Then he cursed and dropped me; fled
away. I fell like a sack of carbide to the deck. My senses faded into
blackness....

"He's all right now."

I was in the chart room with Captain Carter, Snap and Dr. Frank
bending over me. The surgeon said,

"Can you speak now, Gregg?"

I tried it. My tongue was thick, but it moved. "Yes." I was soon
revived. I sat up, with Dr. Frank vigorously rubbing me.

"I'm all right." I told them what had happened.

Captain Carter said, "Yes, we know that. And it was Miko also who
killed Anita Prince. She t