"Are you sure Zeburzac was missing his left hand?"--he flexed the fingers of his own left hand for emphasis--"and not--his right?" There was a sickening click in the sudden, dead stillness of the room as he twisted at his right hand. It came away at the wrist, the thumb dropped lifelessly down. The fingers of his left hand curled around it. The wrist of the severed member was pointed toward them. In fascinated horror they stared down the muzzle of a tiny, short-range, atomic projector concealed in the artificial hand. Crystal recoiled, one faltering step. "Serono--Grenville was trying to warn us!" Brian caught her before she fell. "There is no cause for excitement. Sit down, please." The quiet courtesy of Serono's voice did not alter, but the steel thread of command was subtly woven into his words. "You have been very clever, Hanson, too clever. I thought, almost, you had escaped me, but no one ever does. My enemies are delivered into my hands; soon there will be none on Venus." The moment of shock passed. Brian's superlatively keen faculties keyed acutely to the emergency. They needed time first. "How do we rate as your enemies?" he stalled. "Mr. Hanson, we are not children. You know why you are my enemy. I recognized you years ago, you are far too brilliant a man to have against me, and you would never be with me. Your loyalty to Venus Consolidated made you dangerous." "My loyalty? What about yours? I thought you were working with McHague and the company." "Oh, of course, as long as it suits my purpose." "Suppose someone got word to the Earth Council. You wouldn't last long, then." "Perhaps not, but Venus Consolidated controls all communication with Earth and soon I will control Venus Consolidated. But I'm sure you must be tired. Max will show you to your quarters." The guard ushered them out with the muzzle of a projector. * * * * * They started across the huge, ruined hall. Crystal stumbled blindly over a fragment of broken masonry. She sagged to her knees. The guard stopped abruptly. "Don't try nothin', you guys," he snarled warningly. "Quit being a fool, you idiot," Brian barked to cover Crystal's quick whisper of instructions. "This girl's sick. Give me a hand. You take her feet," he directed, as he lifted her shoulders. The guard hesitated doubtfully; his instructions didn't cover this. "O. K., but just don't try nothin'." He hung the projector on his belt and bent down. One startled yelp gurgled and died in his throat as Crystal's feet slammed into his jaw and Brian's clenched hands rabbit-punched down on the back of his neck. "That ought to hold him," Crystal muttered as she struggled to her feet. Brian picked up the projector. He recognized it; it was a new model, two of this type had been sent to his laboratory for testing before the company invested in them. "Well, what are we waiting for? C'mon, we'll go shoot Serono's other hand off," Crystal suggested grimly.