He came leaping at me. CHAPTER XII _The Weightless Combat_ I was taken wholly by surprise. There was an instant when I stood numbed, fumbling for a weapon at my belt, undecided whether to run or stand my ground. Miko was no more than twenty feet from me. He checked his forward rush. The light from an overhead tube was on him; I saw in his hand the cylinder projector of his paralyzing ray. I plucked my heat-cylinder from my belt, and fired without taking aim. My tiny heat-beam flashed. I must have grazed Miko's hand. His roar of anger and pain rang out over the turmoil. He dropped his weapon; then stooped to pick it up. But Moa forestalled him. She leaped and seized it. "Careful! Fool--you promised not to hurt him!" A confusion of swift action. Rankin had turned and darted away. I saw George Prince stumbling half in front of the struggling Miko and Moa. And I heard footsteps beside me; a hand gripped me, jerked at me. Over the turmoil Prince's voice sounded: "Gregg--Haljan!" I recall I had the impression that Prince was frightened; he had half fallen in front of Miko. And there was Miko's voice: "Let go of me!" And Moa: "Come!" It was Balch gripping me. "Gregg! This way--run! Get out of here! He'll kill you with that ray--" Miko's ray flashed, but George Prince had knocked at his arm. I did not dare fire again. Prince was in the way. Balch, who was unarmed, shoved me violently back. "Gregg--the chart-room!" * * * * * I turned and ran, with Balch after me. Prince had fallen, or been felled by Miko. A flash followed me. Miko's weapon, but again it missed. He did not pursue me; he ran the other way, through the port-side door of the library. Balch and I found ourselves in the lounge. Shouting, frightened passengers were everywhere. The place was in wild confusion, the whole ship ringing now with shouts. "To the chart-room, Gregg!" I called to the passengers: "Get back to your rooms!" I followed Balch. We ran through the archway to the deck. In the starlight I saw figures scurrying aft, but none were near us. The deck forward was dim with heavy shadows. The oval window and door of the chart-room were blue-yellow from the tube-lights inside. No one seemed on the deck there; and then, as we approached, I saw, further forward in the bow, the trap-door to the cage standing open. Johnson had been released. From one of the chart-room windows a heat-ray sizzled. It barely missed us. Balch shouted, "Carter--don't!" The captain called, "Oh--you, Balch--and Haljan--" He came out on the deck as we rushed up. His left arm was dangling limp.