I sat up on foam-rubber cushioning and this girl was looking at me with those black black eyes, so black they were almost purple. The big aristocratic guy was sitting beside her. She was young and very nice to look at. Her eyes softened, and I felt more at ease. The gent smiled; both of them gave me the idea of having a lot more energy and vitality than any ordinary person. "We saved you from the police," she said. Her body moved softly under skin-tight resensilk. She had used her voice, but I felt her thoughts. I knew she didn't have to use her lips to tell me anything. It was a funny feeling. "You're on a space-cruiser. We'll be in a La Guardia field cradle in five hours." "How?" I said. "How did it happen? How did you--?" She shook her head. "You wouldn't understand. Not yet." "All right," I said. "You saved my life, and a lot more. You may know how the Martian cops crack down. You did a lot for me." I leaned forward. "Now what's the catch?" "You can repay us personally. You can do us a big favor in return. By so doing, you can possibly save Earth from annihilation." I laughed and her eyes widened. "Wouldn't you want to do that?" My laugh faded; she meant it. Maybe she was crazy, but she didn't know it. And for crazy people, they certainly had pulled a good job of getting me off that street, into a cruiser, and to Earth. Maybe some kind of a gag. She said in a whisper. "You--_killed_ a man!" I looked into her eyes until I thought I was passing out. I clenched my hands. "An accident. Hit him too hard. I'm no killer, I--" "But you did kill him, and you've killed before...." "In self defense, sure," I said. "But out there in the Asteroids, you have to--" She said, "I understand. Now, you'll do some things for us. You won't ask questions because you wouldn't understand; later, you may understand without asking." I felt like the commonest kind of crook. "So you saved my life," I said, "just so you'd have a sucker to pull some kind of a job for you. Now I suppose if I don't want to do what you say, you'll threaten to turn me over to the Solar authorities for shipment back to the Martian cops!" She flushed a little. "Wait," she said, "until you find out the truth, then I'm sure you'll _want_ to help us. I'm sure you want to save Earth and its billions of people from death." * * * * * I shrugged. "What'd Earth ever do for me? What's it ever done for any of the poor guys dying from cosmic-rays and getting killed because there aren't any laws out there? It takes our metal for precious atomician work, and what does it give us in return? A few lousy credits, and a sign saying 'Keep out--no admission'. The devil with Earth." "You must help us," the man said very softly and yet very forcefully. "You mean I've got no choice, is that it?"