"You'll blast nobody. Any party approaching the _Kastil_ will get blasted. Any party near the claim--our claim--will get burned down. By the way, I'm afraid your men at the mine contracted space-sickness, or something. They seem to be dead. You needn't bother coming after them." He began to chuckle. "I think the ore my men are bringing in now will just complete our cargo. See you back on Earth." The screen went gray. The sound shut off with a loud click. Elderburg swung on Scott. "Take your men. Clean out that nest of thieves before they remove any more ore. Order out full battle gear. We'll blast the _Kastil_ apart if it takes every man on board this ship." "No!" Scott caught Elderburg's shoulder, gripped him. "There isn't time for an armed attack. I have a better idea." "Scott, I order you to...." "Get me a box," Scott cried desperately. "Made of lead and six feet deep." Elderburg jerked his shoulder free. His face contorted. "Get to your cabin, Jerill. You're under arrest." "Captain Elderburg, listen to me. We can...." "That's a direct order. Go to your cabin." He whirled away from Scott, slammed down the intercom lever. "Attention all hands. Prepare full battle equipment...." Scott slashed his blaster hard across the back of the Captain's head. Elderburg staggered, clutched the back of the seat. Scott hit him again. Elderburg's legs went loose. He toppled face forward, struck the intercom and sagged to the floor. Scott stepped to the intercom. "Attention. All men, prepare full battle equipment and stand by. Stand by. Durval, get the largest lead-lined box you have and set it outside the entrance of the main cargo hatch. Shake it up. We have half an hour till the _Kastil_ jets off." He cut off the intercom, lugged Elderburg to the chart room and locked him inside. * * * * * The hold was beastly hot. Standing inside the hatchway, holding suspended over his head a three-foot long cell of uranium ore, Scott felt a moment of shuddering panic. Over the storage cells along the wall, over the tumbling bodies of the cats, an eerie glow quivered--the menacing flare of radio-activity. Scott glanced nervously at the forward screen. Chief Durval waved toward him. "Your men ready, Durval?" The Chief nodded. "Don't go getting yourself hurt now, Scott." Scott grinned although he did not feel much like grinning. He shuffled forward under the light gravity of the hold. The uranium cell balanced easily in his hands. Too easily. He could scarcely feel it press against his gloves. The heat control in his suit was jammed again. His hands streamed sweat.