"'I'll come back, Maureen,'" Mike mimicked Sean's last words to his black-haired Maureen when the Earthlings had first been driven aboard the Krak ship many weeks before. Then Mike's big fist lashed out. Sean's strong hands reached out, caught the arm, pushed it to Mike's side as he said quietly: "Easy, Mike, easy." He added: "There are more important things to consider now than jealousy." A movement from Marcia turned Sean's head quickly. Then he smiled that slanted grin. "Look, Mike, she's just a feather, blown about by what takes her fancy." Sean jerked his flame head at Marcia. She was smiling up at a tall, slim blond--a stranger to Sean who had been hovering in the background. Mike looked, and the fire in his dark eyes died a little. Muscles worked in the sides of his jaw. His barrel chest lifted in a deep breath. Then he grinned a little shamefacedly. His voice was abrupt then. "How did the Krak die, Sean?" Sean said enigmatically: "By an Earthling's cruelest weapon. A weapon which has been lost to most humans since the Kraks came. A sort of prodigal weapon. I used it once on Klash, and didn't know it. I couldn't see it then. But Marcia's killing Shel Lur gave me the answer." Sean McKenna took Mike's arm, led him to the door. They moved outside where two Krak guardsmen stood. They paced out into the black paved street. "Watch them," Sean said softly, triumph in his voice. * * * * * Sean McKenna began to laugh, the deep waves of it pouring up out of his chest, filling the sullen air with its joy. There it was, he thought humbly, the weapon. _Laughter!_ The two Kraks stood impassive. Their dark eyes were quiet. They were unperturbed. Sean stopped laughing. His bright green eyes were dull as he turned to Mike O'Hara. "It doesn't work," he said. They were just words. There was no emotion in them. He might have been talking about the weather. "I was sure this was it. Laughter. David's sling against Goliath." Then Sean McKenna shrugged. His voice was flippant now. His green eyes stared at Mike's dark ones unblinkingly. He wondered: Are my eyes as blank and dull as Mike's? He said: "I could think of the worse places for mankind to die--" he swept his left arm encompassing the red sky and black city--"but not many." He laughed again. This time his voice was high-pitched, almost with a note of hysteria in it. "You were right, Mike, we didn't have much chance against the Universe Champion." "Wait!" Mike said urgently. "Look!" The two Krak guardsmen were staggering drunkenly toward them. This Sean saw as he turned. Their faces were twisted, working convulsively. "Stop it," the foremost one muttered hoarsely. "It hurts the ears." His figure towered over Sean, clutching fingers reaching. Sean darted aside. The second Krak had fallen, huge spatulate fingers scrabbling at the black-paved blocks. The first one turned hesitantly as if he could no longer control his feet, stumbled after Sean.