"Not exactly," Quillan told him. "When we got up to the fifth level, the suit was stuck against the wall--like that--about eight feet above the floor. That was in the big room where the cubicles are. When Kinmarten and Orca and I finally got the suit worked away from the wall, I expected frankly that we'd find half the body of the guard still inside. But he'd vanished." Ryter cleared his throat. "Apparently," he said, "the creature drew the upper section of the suit into the wall by whatever means it uses, then stopped applying the transforming process to the metal, and simply moved on with the upper part of the suit and the man." Quillan nodded. "That's what it looks like." "But he had _two grenades_!" Orca burst out. "He had sprayguns! How could it get him that way?" "Brother," Quillan said, "grenades won't help you much if you don't spot what's moving up behind you!" Orca glared speechlessly at him. Ryter said, "All right! We've lost another man. We're not going to lose any more. We'll station no more guards on the fifth level. Now, get everyone who isn't on essential guard duty to the main room, and split 'em up into life-detector units. Five men to each detail, one to handle the detector, four to stay with him, guns out. If the thing comes back to this level, we want to have it spotted the instant it arrives. Orca, you stay here--and keep _your_ gun out!" The men filed out hurriedly. Ryter turned to Quillan. "Were you able to get the cubicle baited?" Quillan nodded. "Kinmarten figured out how the thing should be set for the purpose. If the Hlat goes in after the sea beef, it's trapped. Of course, if the hunting it's been doing was for food, it mightn't be interested in the beef." "We don't know," Ryter said, "that the hunting it's been doing was for food." "No. Did you manage to get the control device from Cooms?" Ryter shook his head. "He's refused to hand it over." "If you tried to take it from him," Quillan said, "you might have a showdown on your hands." "And if this keeps on," Ryter said, "I may prefer a showdown! Another few rounds of trouble with the Hlat, and the entire operation could blow up in our faces! The men aren't used to that kind of thing. It's shaken them up. If we've got to take care of the Brotherhood, I'd rather do it while I still have an organized group. Where did you leave Kinmarten, by the way?" "He's back in the little room with his two guards," Quillan said. "Well, he should be all right there. We can't spare--" Ryter's body jerked violently. "_What's that?_" There had been a single thudding crash somewhere in the level. Then shouts and cursing. "Main hall!" Quillan said. "Come on!" * * * * * The main hall was a jumble of excitedly jabbering Star men when they arrived there. Guns waved about, and the various groups were showing a marked tendency to stand with their backs toward one another and their faces toward the walls.