The Jovian ship, for such it proved to be, rushed in quickly and fastened a grappling-beam on our helpless figures. In less than a minute, we were inside the cruiser and facing the leering Jovian of the _musk-parlor_ incident. "I am mosd pleased ad dis oppordunidy do renew our acquaindance," he smirked. "No doubd you know whad I am afder? I shall wasde no dime in playing cad and mouse. Give me de formula and dere shall be no drouble." Twilken came to long enough to shout: "You shan't have it!" "Bud I will," the Jovian assured him. "I have bud do search you. I am cerdain we shall find de formula on your person. Will you surrender id volundarily or musd we use force?" "Give it to him, Augie," I said. "We're cold turkey." "Misder Mulhane is quide correcd," the Jovian agreed. "You have no aldernadive bud do relinquish your secred." * * * * * Twilken groaned despairingly and removed his bulger. He dug in his pocket and brought out the formula, somewhat the worse for wear. The Jovian snatched it eagerly and beamed toothily at us, his thin, pointed tongue darting like a snake over his bloated lips. "Dank you, Misder Dwilken. Never fear, I shall make good use of your formula. Would you care do know how I indend do defead de Allied Worlds wid id?" We remained silent. "Very well, I shall dell you. Jusd as you have a podendial ally in Venus, de inhabidands of Pludo are likewise sympadedic to _our_ cause. As you know, dey long ago reached and passed de poind of greadesd indelligence, and are slowly reverding do de savage sdage from which dey evolved. I propose do hald dis redrogression, wid de assisdance of Misder Dwilken's formula, and resdore dem do deir former greadness. Dey will be dankful do us Jovians, yes, and dey will be happy do assisd us in our conquesd of de Allied Worlds." "You--you fiend!" Augie spluttered ineffectually. "You're going to use _my_ formula to swing the balance of power in _your_ favor!" "Dad's righd," the Jovian bowed. "Is nod dis de very same ding you indended to do for your own worlds? Durn aboud is fair play, I once heard on Eard." "But we weren't planning to destroy you and your crummy bunch with it!" Augie shouted, incensed at the Jovian's condescending air. "We were only going to use it to force your armies to disarm and to remove your cutthroat clique from power." "No doubd," the Jovian waved a plump, bejewelled hand. "And dad musd never be. Xan VIII has udmosd confidence in my abilidy as chief of de Jovian Secred Police and, if I fail, he would surely kill me before rediring indo exile. I remember his exacd words: 'Mon Pordo, if you bedray de drusd placed in you, dere can be nodding bud dead as a reward!' You can readily appreciate my predicamend, gendlemen. I musd give vicdory do my governmend or perish as a resuld. Nadurally, when I overheard your conversashion ad de musk-parlor, I realized dad here was a means do an end." "You're a sly devil, Mon Pordo," I said harshly.