,
his rheumy old eyes glowing with a feverish excitement.

Nelson stood up.

"Will you excuse me, Bert?" he asked. "I'd better see if I can help the
warden."

Doyle, too, sat up, swung his feet to the steel floor, stood up and
stretched. "Sure," he said. His hard face was pale but otherwise he
seemed quite calm. "You've been a great help, Father." He looked
quizzically at the old inmate. "You lying, Danny? Seems to me the boys
have got nothing to beef about here."

"Heh, they sure have now."

"What?"

"Well, I got this from a guy who got it from Vukich who heard it from
Joe Mario. Seems there's a big-shot general and some kinda scientist in
Mr. Halloran's office." He shifted his grip on the mop-handle. "You
gents maybe won't believe this, but it's what Joe heard 'em say to the
warden. Outside is all covered with radium and this general and this
here scientist are goin' to Mars an' they want the warden to go along.
Leavin' us behind, of course. That's what the boys are riotin' about."

Bert Doyle burst into harsh laughter.

"Danny! Danny!" he cried. "I've been predicting this! You've gone
stir-bugs!"

"Ain't neither!"

"Just a moment, Bert," Nelson whispered. Aloud he said, "Dan, go call
the guard for me, please." When the old man had shuffled out of earshot
the priest said to the condemned man, "It could be true, Bert. By
radium, he means radioactive material. And there's no reason spaceships
can't get to Mars. We'd reached the Moon before the war started, you
know."

Doyle sank back on his bunk.

"Well, I'll be damned!" he breathed.

"Bert!"

Doyle grinned sheepishly. "Force of habit." Then, more soberly, "So
they're off to Mars, eh? Father, you better get down there and pick up
your reservations!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" The priest's voice softened and he patted the
killer's shoulder. "I will go down and see what's what, Bert. And I'll
be back just as soon as the men have quieted down. That is, if they
_are_ creating a disturbance."

The footsteps of the approaching guard sounded loud in the corridor.
Doyle frowned a little.

"When you come back, Father, you'll tell me the truth? No kidding, now!"

The guard stood in front of the door of heavy steel bars. Father Nelson
looked down at the man on the bunk.

"I'll tell you everything, Bert. I swear it."

"Uh, Father?" the guard's voice was nervous--and embarrassed.

"Yes, Perkins?"

"I ... I can't let you out right now. Orders from the war