The crew was split into two parties, five remaining aboard the _Dog Star_ to unload and the other six going over to the _Northern Cross_ to load the treasure aboard the crates. The work began and moved along smoothly, but it was going to be a drawn-out operation, if not a rigorous one. Carrying the containers of ore down the corridors of the _Northern Cross_ was a simple matter since they were perfectly weightless and so had only to be guided along by the touch of a hand. The hours dragged along slowly as load after load was drifted down the corridors of the ghost ship and pushed across the vacuum to the _Dog Star_. The storage bins of the smaller ship bulged higher and higher with the valuable mineral. As the transference neared completion, Rock took Shep aside, near one of the ports of the _Northern Cross_. Then he began speaking very softly so that none of Kalmus’ men working in the ship could pick up the conversation by helmet radio. “We’re nearly through, Shep,” he whispered, “and you know what that means for Kalmus.” “It means he’s got what he came for and that he should be satisfied,” Shep finished. “To me it’s more than that,” Rock continued. “It means that he doesn’t need any ex-cadets anymore. You heard him say that Judas could run the ship.” Rock could barely see the frown on Shep’s face through the filtered facepiece of his helmet. “What are you getting at, Rock?” “The fewer men who return to port with the treasure ore, the fewer there will be to share the profits,” Rock said, his radio-altered voice carrying a sinister inflection. “You mean you think that Kalmus is going to ditch us?” Shep asked in a fierce whisper. “Right out here in the middle of space?” “I’m not saying I believe that definitely,” Rock corrected, “but I do think we should start being on our guard for any funny moves Kalmus might make. You’ve seen yourself how greedy he is.” “What, exactly, do you think we should do?” Shep asked. “I think that you, Johnny, Hugh, and myself should go on over to the _Dog Star_ right now and tell Kalmus that we believe the ship has got as much ore as she should carry. That will prevent his stranding us over here. If he wants to, let him come over and get the rest of the ore himself.” “Since we’re making wild guesses,” Shep said, “maybe Kalmus has other plans for dealing with us, such as making us prisoners on the _Dog Star_ as we head back.” “That’s possible too,” Rock agreed, “but he would need weapons for that, since we outnumber them. I took a quick look through their things before we left port to make sure he and his men had no weapons, and I don’t think they brought any along.” “Maybe we’re being unfair with the guy, suspecting him at all,” Shep said. As the words left his lips, he happened to glance out the port and saw Ben Spooner, who had been working on the _Northern Cross_, thrust out across the gulf empty-handed.