Then she was screaming, screaming and sobbing and crying at the top of her lungs. "Please, please, Mr. Harmon!" she begged. "Don't kill me! I'll tell you everything, all about the water! Only don't shoot me, please!" Harmon leaned further out the port. Nick was actually nauseated with disgust. "Don't!" he snapped at her. "For Pete's sake don't give him that satisfaction!" Susan ignored him. "Please, Mr. Harmon! I'm too young to die! I'll tell you everything! Just get me away from this man!" Harmon's shoulders appeared as he leaned out. "Tell me now," he ordered. "Where is the--" His sentence ended in a bellow of terror as a dark shape catapulted down along the polished curve of the hull. Long arms clutched Harmon's beefy neck in a death grip. For a moment two figures struggled and wrestled furiously on the rim of the port. [Illustration: _His sentence ended in a bellow of terror_] Then Harmon lost his grip and they fell, missing the tilted stairway by inches. Harmon emitted one choked wail as he whirled through the air with the dark figure still clutching his throat. Mud spattered as they struck, and in a last effort Harmon tripped the trigger of his weapon. A sheet of flame billowed out, followed by a spreading cloud of steam tinged with the stench of charred flesh. The two humans clung to the stairway, sickened and gasping for breath. "Nick, oh Nick!" Susan choked out. "He must have climbed up over the tail fins." "Who?" Nick was still half stunned. "Klev." Susan was crying. "It was Klev. I had to hold Harmon's attention and give him a chance." Nick shook his head to clear it and once more started up the stairway on hands and knees. A searchlight came on in one of the towers, swept erratically across the camp, flickered across them, moved back and stopped. Nick tried to rush the last few steps, knowing that bullets would follow the light, but his injured arm gave no support. * * * * * Then, amazingly, the beam shifted. He looked down. Merlo had gotten up from where the detonation of the flame gun had tossed him. Still carrying his package of yeast he was splashing through the mud, running with no effort at caution. The searchlight operator, in doubt, followed the moving target. Seconds seemed like hours and inches like miles, but at last with Susan pushing him from behind Nick tumbled into the airlock. Susan Jones scrambled across his body. Together they swung against the heavy circular door, and it was then they had their last sight of Merlo. The Martian paused directly in the light, shifted the small, precious package to one armpit, and clawed hastily at his living clothing. "My gun!" Nick said. "The one he took from me below."