Venza
had mentioned that Shac the gambler was carrying.

"What are you doing with that?" the captain demanded.

"None of your business! Is it criminal? Carter, I'll have the Line
officials dismiss you for this! Take your hands off me, all of you!"

"Look at this!" exclaimed Dr. Frank.

From Johnson's breast pocket the surgeon drew a folded document. It was
the scale drawing of the Planetara's interior corridors, the lower
control rooms and mechanisms. It was always kept in Johnson's safe. And
with it, another document: the ship's clearance papers--the secret code
pass-words for this voyage, to be used if we should be challenged by any
interplanetary police ship.

Snap gasped. "My God, that was in my helio-room strong box! I'm the only
one on this vessel except the captain who's entitled to know those
pass-words!"

Out of the silence, Balch demanded, "Well, what about it, Johnson?"

The purser was still defiant. "I won't answer your questions, Balch. At
the proper time, I'll explain--Gregg Haljan, you're choking me!"

* * * * *

I eased up. But I shook him. "You'd better talk."

He was exasperatingly silent.

"Enough!" exploded Carter. "He can explain when we get to port.
Meanwhile I'll put him where he'll do no more damage. Gregg, lock him in
the cage."

We ignored his violent protestations. The cage--in the old days of
sea-vessels on Earth, they called it the brig--was the ship's jail. A
steel-lined, windowless room located under the deck in the peak of the
bow. I dragged the struggling Johnson there, with the amazed watcher
looking down from the observatory window at our lunging, starlit forms.

"Shut up, Johnson! If you know what's good for you--"

He was making a fearful commotion. Behind us, where the deck narrowed at
the superstructure, half a dozen passengers were gazing in surprise.

"I'll have you thrown out of the Service, Gregg Haljan!"

I shut him up finally. And flung him down the ladder into the cage and
sealed the deck trap-door upon him. I was headed back for the chart-room
when from the observatory came the lookout's voice.

"An asteroid, Haljan! Officer Blackstone wants you."

I hurried to the turret bridge. An asteroid was in sight. We had
attained nearly our maximum speed now. An asteroid was approaching, so
dangerously close that our trajectory would have to be altered. I heard
Blackstone's signals ringing in the control rooms; and met Carter as h