he lock-door and spoke into a microphone when he
heard the skipper stamping on the steel lock-flooring.

"Brush yourself off," commanded the sergeant, "and sweep the stuff
outside. Part of its methane and there's some ammonia in those
crystals."

There was a suitable pause. The outer door closed. The lock filled with
air, and gas-crystal fragments turned to reeking vapor as they warmed.
The skipper bled them out and refilled the lock. Then he came inside. He
opened his face plate.

"Well?"

"There's Huks here," Sergeant Madden told him, "their hair in a braid
and all set to go. They popped off a marker I stuck out for them to
shoot at in thirty-four seconds by the clock. Bright boys, these Huks!
They don't wait to ask questions. When they see something, they shoot at
it."

The skipper tilted back his helmet and said beseechingly:

"Scratch my head, will you?"

When Patrolman Willis reached out his hand, the skipper revolved his
head under it until the itchy place was scratched. Most men itch
instantly they are unable to scratch. The skipper's space gloves were
sprouting whiskers of moisture-frost now.

"Thanks," he said gratefully. "What are you going to do, sergeant?"

"Open communication with 'em," said the sergeant, heavily.

The skipper waited. Opening communication with someone who shoots on
detector-contact may be difficult.

"I figure," rumbled the sergeant, "they're a lot like delinks. A cop can
figure how they think, but they can't figure how a cop thinks."

"Such as?" asked the skipper.

"They can't understand anybody not tryin' to be important," said
Sergeant Madden. "It baffles 'em."

"What's that got to do with the people on the _Cerberus_?" demanded the
skipper. "It's our job to get them and the _Cerberus_ back on the way to
port!"

"I know!" conceded Sergeant Madden, "and the girl my son Timmy's going
to marry is one of them. But I don't think we'll have much trouble. Have
you got any multipoly plastic on the _Aldeb_?"

The skipper nodded, blankly. Multipoly plastic is a substance as
anomalous as its name. It is a multiple polymer of something-or-other
which stretches very accommodatingly to a surprising expanse, and then
suddenly stops stretching. When it stops, it has a high and obstinate
tensile strength. All ships carry it for temporary repairs, because it
will seal off anything. A one-mill thickness will hold fifteen pounds
pressure. Ships have been known to come down for landing