t.

"Take me to Admiral Forbes, Doctor Weeks. I am Captain Virginia Crane."

I acknowledged curtly her introduction of herself and told her the
admiral was dead. Her cheeks, already pale, grew white. I asked her the
number of the space flyer's crew. She said ten. So far, four were dead,
three alive, including myself, and the rest unaccounted for, I told her.
She winced. In a moment, though, she pulled herself together with a grit
which I could not deny, despite my disapproval of her being here.

"I suppose you wonder why you're here," she said suddenly, "and where we
are."

"I don't need to be told where I am," I said coldly, "but a little
information as to who was responsible for my coming to Orcon wouldn't be
amiss. I suppose it was Forbes."

She cut me off with a look.

"It wasn't the admiral." Her really beautiful eyes narrowed. "It was I
who planned your abduction and got him to execute it."

"You!"

I drew back. My manner was formal and cold.

And after that I guess I pretty well boiled over. But did it gain me
anything? Before I had said half enough to soothe my lacerated feelings,
the girl simply shrugged and looked bored.

"Don't be a fool," she ordered curtly. "We needed you, and I, for one,
was not going to see your egotistical ideas about an unimportant piece
of work--your cosmological chemistry--jeopardize the safety of the
world. Oh, I know the government wanted you in your laboratory. But with
Ludwig Leider loose on Orcon, and you the only one in our Zone who knew
much of anything about the planet, what could you expect?"

* * * * *

I hardly know what might have happened between us if she had not
mentioned Leider's name when she did. The insults with which she had
begun had hardly been atoned for by her half understanding of my refusal
to join Forbes, and I was still in a rage. Yet, as it was, at the
mention of Leider I snapped to attention.

"Ludwig Leider! Here?"

"Yes," she replied significantly.

"But that makes a difference! Why wasn't I told? Why this silly
kidnapping?"

She moved a little on the couch and looked at me.

"There was not time to tell you and to chance putting up with further
silly arguments on your part. When the secret service detail which had
been handling the Leider case brought in word of his whereabouts, there
was time only to get a ship specially outfitted for such a tremendous
journey and start. We _had_ to kidna