"Ever see little boy skipping stones across water?" His hand shot out and described a series of violent ricocheting motions. "Like that? We land that way, I think. _Splat-splat!_ First splat knock us all ... all ... what you say?" "Knock us out?" Gladney supplied. Rat shrugged. Gray caught his eyes. "Goodnight, Rat," she smiled at him. "When I wake up, I want to see you again. You won't be in jail for awhile, not until the hospital releases you, and perhaps by that time...." "All no bother, please. I liked you Patti Gray. But your memory pretty punk too. Forget your Fleet training, I think. Yes! But Patti ..." he stopped, helpless. "Yes?" "I'm sorry about something. I kicked you." "Rat, please forget it. I won't forgive you for there is nothing to forgive you for!" She smiled at him, winked once and closed her eyes. "Goodnight everyone." [Illustration: _The ocean rushed up with incredible speed._] They felt the nose dip as Rat dropped toward the moonlit sea. The ocean rushed up. The ship struck with titanic force, blasting through the white-caps, metal crumpling from the monstrous dive. And then all consciousness blacked out for those on board. * * * * * Patti Gray awoke, pressed the button under her pillow for a nurse, smiled about the clean hospital room. Gladney was waiting to see her. He wheeled himself in and stopped the chair beside her bed. "Hello. Feel human again?" "Do I?" She laughed. "Gladney, I'm going to stay right here the rest of my life!" "Yeah ... that's what I said yesterday. But today I'm itching to get back up yonder." He dug a thumb at the sky. "Is Judith all right?" "Sure. She wants to see you. Frankly, Miss Gray," he lowered his voice, "I expected that first 'splat' of Rat's would kill her." Gray shivered. "I have a hazy memory of that landing. How did we do it?" "Easy. A coast-guard cutter saw us and picked us up about ten miles out." "Gladney," she said quickly, "you've got to help me clear Rat. We've got to ... why Gladney, you don't mean they got him...?" "_They_ didn't get him. _Earth_ did. Don't you remember what he said about Earth being a nice place for us? Centaurians can't endure Earth's gravity and atmosphere; the Centaurian Embassy is very specially built, and all Centaurians come to Earth in what are virtually fish bowls. "Rat was beginning to die even as we dove for the water." Patti Gray stared at him a moment in frozen horror, then buried her face in the pillow. "Some day, he will be remembered, Miss Gray," Gladney whispered. "Some day, after all the bitterness over Ganymede is forgotten, they'll remember _why_ Rat left his post, and they'll remember how he drove." End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Prison Planet, by Bob Tucker