"Oh," said Miss Webb. Then increasing her pace she repeated with rising inflection: "Oh! Well let's not loiter along like this. Let's get there!" III At his room, Jaro locked the door under the girl's suspicious eyes. "If I were to listen to my better judgment," she remarked dryly, "I would leap out the window right now." "And probably get sunstroke before you hit the street," he supplemented. "I'm hungry enough to eat a cow, hoofs, horns, and tail." He went to the telescreen and ordered dinners to be brought to the room. "Am I going to spend the rest of my life here?" she asked. "Heaven forbid." Joan stood in the middle of the floor like a skater on thin ice. Jaro went over to the bed, sat down, lit a cigarette. He flipped the match out the window. "Sit down," he said abruptly. "Unless, of course, you can rest on your feet like a horse." Joan sank primly into a chair across from the bed. "What are we going to do?" He shrugged. "We're in a spot. Albert Peet probably has another gunman after us by this time. We might have lost his men when we ducked out the back of that bar, but I doubt it. He has a very efficient spy system. Karfial Hodes' men have been tailing me since last night. Actually Miss Webb--uh--Joan--we're in a state of siege. There's something big afoot. So big they can't afford to let us escape." Joan gulped, her eyes big as saucers. "But what do we know?" "Well," he replied seriously; "we know first that Peet is hiring a bunch of gunmen to rub out Karfial Hodes--and incidentally, us." "Us? What's incidental about that?" Joan interrupted vigorously. "Maybe you consider having gunmen take a pot shot at you incidental, but as far as I'm concerned it's the nub of the whole nasty business." Jaro ignored the interruption. "Furthermore, we know that the Latonka Trust is almost on the rocks because the Earth Congress is about to grant the Mercurians their freedom. And this time Albert Peet and his combine haven't been able to block it. Not yet anyway." "Don't forget the revolution," said Joan. "I'm not. A revolution would burst open the Latonka Trust like a ripe watermelon. Peet would be lucky if he got away with his pants. But...." A discreet knocking at the door interrupted him. Miss Webb clapped her hand to her mouth as if to stifle a scream. "Don't open it," she hissed loud enough to be heard on the next floor. Jaro drew his slug gun, threw off the latch, then with a swift cat-like movement yanked open the door. Just outside stood a serving wagon loaded with food. The native waiter looked up, startled at the sudden opening of the door, and found himself staring down the barrel of Jaro's slug gun. His yellow eyes popped out like agates and he almost completed a back somersault. "Bring it in," said Jaro sheathing the gun. With a reproachful glance the waiter set the dishes on the table and retreated hastily. The serving wagon took the curve into the hall on two wheels.