Piling all the heat guns in the center of the room, he gave them the same treatment. The beam left them almost unrecognizeable in the midst of a shallow crater. He had come very near to burning a hole through into the navigation deck. The last step was the most daring of all. It meant that he must trust absolutely to the accuracy of the two blast tapes he had run through the automatic pilot. He threw the switches that jettisoned the fuel tanks. In the screens, he watched the spheres of hydrazine and nitric acid, hurled from the ship by spring action, go drifting slowly away into the void. In effect, the _By Jove!_ was now a voiceless derelict. Albrekt went below. "This means that I intend to stand for no more foolishness," he said harshly when he had told the others what he had done. "If you prefer, you may draw lots to decide which two I shall kill and which one shall have the pleasure of my company for the rest of the trip. The continued existence of all three of you will depend strictly on your good behavior." Migl, lolling on a bunk, curled a sardonic lip at him. "You seem to have gone to a great deal of unnecessary trouble, _ladrón_," he said. "It is still worth the risk of at least one of our lives to destroy or capture you." "You're wrong, Migl," said Carrel soberly. "Now we have no fuel, we have no radio. The ship is in orbit, and we're helpless to change it. No matter what we do aboard, the Flanjo ship will intercept us. The Flanjos will destroy us then if they don't find Albrekt alive and safe." "An accurate analysis," agreed Albrekt briskly. "You're showing good sense now, Carrel." Carrel shrugged and spread his hands. Albrekt felt a little sorry for him in defeat. He admired Carrel's bravery and resourcefulness. Albrekt's sleep that night was more carefree than it had been since the _By Jove!_ pulled free from its satellite orbit around Mars. There was still danger, of course. He had to be on the alert for a desperate attempt to disarm him, or an effort to overcome him in the control room by tampering with the ship's machinery, despite Carrel's surrender. But it was less likely now. * * * * * Relations were on a much more cordial basis from then on. Their conversation returned, almost, to the friendly terms of the earlier portion of the trip. "Ever been to the outer planets before, Albrekt?" Carrel asked casually one day, munching a beef sandwich. "I spent ten years at the base, before they sent me back to work on Mars and Earth," Albrekt replied. "I was born on Earth. My father took me out to the base when I was a boy." "The base?" repeated Carrel, even more casually. "On Rhea," said Albrekt deliberately. His faint smile recognized the attempt to elicit information. "Now, figure some way to tell them back on Mars!" He thought Carrel flushed slightly, but could not be sure. "Ever been to Venus?" asked Carrel. "Never that far in, I'm afraid," answered Albrekt.