He struggled for coolness, with the action before him known. He didn't glance out the ports at the half-mile circle in which vision was possible. Beyond the mist there might be anything; an ocean, swarming metropoli of giant insects, a mountain-range. Nobody on the _Nadine_ had explored. But Moran did not think of such matters now. Hallet had tried to murder Carol, and Moran meant to take action, and there were matters which might result from it. The matter the crew of the _Malabar_ had forgotten to attend to--. He searched for paper and a pen. He found both in a drawer for the yacht's hand-written log. He wrote. He placed a small object in the drawer. He had barely closed it when Carol was at the control-room door. She said in a small voice; "They want to talk to you." He held up the paper. "Read this later. Not now," he said curtly. He opened and closed the drawer again, this time putting the paper in it. "I want you to read this after the Hallet business is settled. I'm afraid that I'm not going to look well in your eyes." She swallowed and did not speak. He went to where the others sat in official council. Burleigh said heavily; "We've come to a decision. We shall call Hallet and hear what he has to say, but we had to consider various courses of action and decide which were possible and which were not." Moran nodded grimly. He had made his own decision. It was not too much unlike the one that, carried out, had made him seize the _Nadine_ for escape from Coryus. But he'd listen. Harper looked doggedly resolved. Brawn seemed moody as usual. "I'm listening," said Moran. "Hallet," said Burleigh regretfully, "intended to murder all of us and with your help take the _Nadine_ to some place where he could hope to land without space-port inspection." Moran observed; "He didn't discuss that part of his plans. He only asked if I'd make a deal to escape being marooned." "Yes," said Burleigh, nodding. "I'm sure--" "My own idea," said Moran, "when I tried to seize the _Nadine_, was to try to reach one of several newly-settled planets where things aren't too well organized. I'd memos of some such planets. I hoped to get to ground somewhere in a wilderness on one of them and work my way on foot to a new settlement. There I'd explain that I'd been hunting or prospecting or something of the sort. On a settled planet that would be impossible. On a brand-new one people are less fussy and I might have been accepted quite casually." "Hallet may have had some such idea in his mind," agreed Burleigh. "With a few bessendium crystals to show, he would seem a successful prospector. He'd be envied but not suspected. To be sure!" "But," said Moran drily, "he'd be best off alone. So if he had that sort of idea, he intended to murder me too." * * * * *