Feebly, Shane clutched for the Venusian's ankle, and missed. Shaking, sobbing for breath, he struggled to a sitting position, bracing himself with his arms. The _Pervod_ dangled the belt tantalizingly. "Do you want it, Earthman?" he mocked. "Come get it--quick, while you have the chance!" Veins stood out at Shane's temples. His fingers dug into the dirt. He brought one leg forward--levered up on it, lurched to his feet, stood swaying. "The belt of the _Chonyas_!" the _Pervod_ shrilled gleefully. "Here it is, _starbo_! The belt of a _gar_ for the taking!" He flicked the belt past Shane's face. The Earthman lunged for it, staggering wildly. Only collision with the hull of the space ship kept him from pitching to the ground again. "What? You don't want it?" cried the _Pervod_, sidling closer. "I thought you were _gar_ of the asteroids, _yanat_--high chief of the _Chonyas_! Why don't you take your belt?" Again Shane lunged. But this time the Venusian did not dart away. Instead, he ducked beneath the Earthman's outstretched arms and hurled his whole weight into Shane's middle. Shane catapulted backward under the impact and crashed against a heavy-thewed Uranian. "Not there, _Gar_ Shane! Here! This way!" shrilled the Venusian. The Uranian gave Shane a monstrous shove toward the _Pervod_. But the Venusian side-stepped swiftly. Shane lurched past him, into the arms of a ghoulishly grinning Martian. The Martian, in turn, shoved Shane on, sent him caroming off at yet another angle. From one to another they drove him, bouncing him about the ring they had formed like the huge ball in a game of _ha lao_. And all the time the _Pervod_ danced and waved the belt and shrieked sadistic laughter. And then, just once, he came too close. Like the flash of a meteor, Shane's hand shot out. He caught one end of the belt and let it bring him up short. His weight jerked the Venusian off balance. Before the _Pervod_ could recover, Shane was upon him. Claws slashing, the reptilian fought to hold the belt. Only then, of a sudden, Shane let go of the precious links of iron. Catching the _Pervod's_ wrist, turning as he moved, he ducked between arm and body and levered the arm up behind the Venusian's back. * * * * * The brittle reptilian bones snapped with a sound like the crackling of an angry fire. The _Pervod_ shrieked in anguish. The crowd stood frozen in stunned, unbelieving silence. Shane caught the end of the iron belt and flicked it out in a loop that circled the _Pervod's_ scaly throat. Then, one end in each hand, he whipped it tight. The Venusian's scream cut off in mid-breath. His legs, his unbroken arm, flailed desperately. But Shane stayed behind him, out of reach of the murderous claws, drawing the belt ever tighter. The _Pervod_ sagged. The crowd's paralysis broke. The air rang with shouts. Beings from a dozen far-flung planets rushed forward.