"I was desperate," George cried, beside her, his eyes pleading. "I was afraid that once we got a divorce you'd tell them about me. But I couldn't go through with it, Silvia: that's what I meant when I said I'd changed my mind." She listened numbly. "An interesting situation," the man smiled, "but it's much too late for anybody to change his mind. At your deaths, the organization will collect ten percent of your insurance benefits, plus the insurance covering passengers killed as a result of a spaceship explosion." "Spaceship explosion," one of the male passengers said, coming out of a lethargy, "but there's been no--" "Look," another cried, pointing to a porthole. They looked, and the _Arcturus Queen_ burst into flame, erupting with a great soundless explosion that sent metal splinters flying in all directions. The man smiled again, a smile of satisfaction, of knowing his plans were ripening. "The _Arcturus Queen_ was insured by the owner, who needed money. We take ten percent from him, a nominal fee considering the risk involved." "And what of us?" one of the men passengers demanded. The man shrugged. "Each of you is married to someone who prefers your insurance money to your companionship. Not a very satisfying thought, is it?" The woman began to cry softly. "You'll never get away with this," another of the men said, fists clenching. "Can you think of any reason why not?" the man said, fondling the weapon in his hand. I can, Silvia thought; George and I aren't getting caught in our own traps if I can help it. If I can only tilt the ship, get him off balance-- Slowly, she edged toward the control panel, signaling George with a careful nod of her head. George caught the signal, and she could see him tense. "We're wasting time," the man said, a trifle impatiently. He readied the gun. "If there are no last questions--" Silvia made a sudden thrust for the control panel. * * * * * The man whirled, cursing, and brought the gun to bear on her. But George was on him, gripping the man by the throat. The gun went off, and a searing blast of flame filled the lifecraft. "The wall!" someone cried. Silvia looked up. The wall of the lifecraft hung suspended for a moment like some great jigsaw puzzle where the gun's blast had struck it. And then it fell apart, blowing outward with the hurricane of the cabin's air leaping into space. Instinctively, Silvia slammed shut the glass on her faceplate and tried to grab some solid support. But a giant hand lifted her from the floor and whisked her out into the blackness of the void. Weightlessness came with terrifying suddenness, and at first it was like falling through black silent endless waters. She tried to scream, but the sound refused to come out. She called George's name several times and then remembered the radio and turned the activating knob. "George," she said. "I'm outside the lifecraft. Can you see me?"