Staggering with fatigue, Scott swayed into Central Control, and sagged into a seat. He had been too long in a space suit. A dull pounding beat behind his eyes. "I came as soon as you called the pit, Captain Elderburg. You sounded pretty urgent." "It's urgent," Elderburg said. "We're beaten." Scott stiffened. Fatigue fell from him as he gazed closely at the Captain, saw for the first time the bitter dullness of Elderburg's eyes. "You better come with me," the Old Man said heavily. He rose stiffly, led the way from the room. In silence they shuffled down the corridor toward the engine room. A tic worked at the corner of the Captain's mouth, but he did not seem to notice it. "Durval held the cats off with ultra-sonics. He purified about ten tons of the stuff and stored it." They threaded their way along a chill black catwalk to the center of the ship. In the engine room, men slumped sullenly among the big atomics. As Scott and Elderburg passed a group of the black gang, mutely dangling wrenches, there was a sudden stir. "That's him!" One of the men had leaped up. The wrench whipped back over his shoulder. He leaped raging toward Scott. "There's the rotten...." "Easy, Billy." He was dragged back, disarmed. "How'd the _Kastil_ know...." The Captain tugged Scott's arm. "Don't bother with them. Come on." Scott nodded numbly, followed, his head aching and a nameless wave of apprehension sliding through him. "Where are the cats?" he asked once. Elderburg ignored him. "Put on a radiation suit." They had stopped before a side door of the main hold. As Scott struggled into the suit his mind swirled in a chaos of thoughts. When the suit was adjusted he dropped the helmet shut and stepped forward. Through the lighter gravity of the air lock they lumbered. Then Elderburg spun the controls that opened the door. "There you are," he said to Scott. He sounded completely deflated. No sting remained in his voice. Scott stepped forward into the hold, then froze. His body went cold. The hold was a writhing mass of cats. Their queer angled bodies darted in a great pile beyond the door. Their red bodies glowed and twisted strangely. They flew about a huge stack of lead containers--uranium cells secured for the long trip home. And Scott went sick with understanding. Through rigid lips, he forced the words: "Energy-eaters!" The Captain laughed oddly. "And you wondered how they lived on this naked rock. They ate the raw ore, of course. No wonder they hung around Durval's machines sucking up what free energy they could. They broke through the air feeder system here. No wonder. With cells of 80% pure uranium waiting for them." His voice broke. "So we're finished," he continued. "The _Kastil_ will be loaded before we can even clean the cats out. We're done." He swayed back against the bulkhead. Scott took his arm.