"Turn her?" Betty repeated sadly. "I'm afraid that she already is. I don't think she'll ever come out. I'm afraid she'll do something desperate." "I'm worried, too," the captain admitted, "but I'm certain she is the right kind. The wrong kind of people can't live here. Sugar Plum doesn't like them." Betty and Charles both looked puzzled. "I'll try to explain. It happens within a few hours, even if they aren't uninhibited. If they are, then it's practically instantaneous. It's a--" He broke off and looked up at the sky with a frown. There was an angry red glow right above them, a far-distant roar. They leaped to their feet. The glow brightened swiftly. It seemed to be headed straight for them. The sound filled the air. "We have visitors!" shouted the captain. "Wh-who?" stammered Betty. "The police?" "They don't use braking jets any more. It's an obsolete freighter." "Oh!" Betty put her hands to her face in terror. "It's the _Beautiful Joe_. That man Possett--he's coming back after Cousin Aurelia!" The red glow passed to the northward. They saw the ship's shape for a moment, spurting flame, slowing. Then it dropped out of sight. The ground shuddered briefly. There was quiet. The captain grabbed Betty's arm. "They're down in the clearing. Quick! When he dropped you, did Possett take anything with him?" "Just a fresh supply of water." "My God!" blurted Charles. "That means they're--" "_Uninhibited!_" yelled the captain. "And they're the wrong kind of people. Betty! Charles! Can you run? Hey, Steward, give them a hand!" "Aye, aye, sir," snapped the robot, hoisting the hampers and reaching an elbow to each of the Buttons. "Then let's go. I hope we can make it in time to save them!" "_Them?_" gulped Charles, as the robot started to run. But the captain already was too far ahead to have heard him. * * * * * Pulled by the untiring robot, Charles and Betty made very good time, but they couldn't catch up with the captain. They had to make several stops to get their wind back, and they were still half a mile from the house when they heard her. "Help! Murder! Police! Save me!" screamed Cousin Aurelia. "He--he's got her!" puffed Charles, as the shrieks died away. "Hurry!" When they got to the house, it was empty. Not even Herman was there. In the living room and the hall, there were signs of a titanic struggle. The door of Cousin Aurelia's room hung wide open. "Look!" Charles gave it a great goldfish stare. "She unlocked it herself!" "He probably told her--he was rescuing her--from the pirate," panted Betty. "We--we'll have to go on--" Charles felt his legs start to collapse--"to the clearing." The robot put two arms around him, and one around Betty. "You will rest for three minutes," it stated, leading them to the living room and seating them gently. "I will bring brandy."