"He says," grunted Tipene--as near a grunt as the high-pitched Zenian voice is capable of, "that they're down there. He asks that we go and get them; he is afraid. They have killed two of the Aranians already with their atomic pistols." "For which I don't blame them in the least," said Correy. "I'd get as many as I could before I let them sink their mandibles into me." "But I thought they were hostages, and being treated as such?" "The Aranians got tired of waiting; some of the younger ones tried to do their own executing," explained Tipene. "The whole brood of them is in an ugly mood, the old fellow tells me. We were fools to come!" I didn't argue the matter. You can't argue such a matter with a man like Tipene. Instead, I lifted my voice in a shout which echoed down the long corridors. "Brady! Inverness! Can you hear us?" For a moment there was no reply, and then, as our _ethon_ lights played hopefully along the passage, a circular door opened, and Inverness, his pistol drawn, peered out at us. A moment later, both he and Brady were running toward us. "Hanson!" cried Inverness. "Man, but we're glad to see a human face again--but why did you come? Now they've got us all." "But they'll let us all go," I said, with a confidence I did not feel. "I've demonstrated to one of their leaders just what the _Ertak_ can do--and will do--if we aren't aboard, safe and unhurt, in three hours." "The young bloods don't obey well, though," said Brady, shaking his head. "Look at them, milling around there in the central passage! They didn't see your demonstration, whatever it was. They started for us some time back, and we had to rip a couple of them to pieces, and barricade ourselves." "Well," said Correy grimly, "we'll soon find out. Ready to start back, sir?" * * * * * I turned to Tipene, who was staring at the packed mass of Aranians, who choked the tunnel in both directions. "Tell them to make way," I commanded. "We're leaving." "I've--I've been in communication with him," moaned Tipene. "And he hasn't any power over these youngsters. They want blood. Blood! They say the ship won't dare do anything so long as so many of us are here." "It will, though," I snapped. "Kincaide will obey my orders to the letter. It'll be a wholesale slaughter, if we're not there by the specified time." "I know! I know!" groaned Tipene. "But I can't make them understand that. They can't appreciate the meaning of such discipline." "I believe that," put in Brady. "Their state of society is still low in the scale. You shouldn't have come, Commander. Better the two of us than the whole group." "It may not be so simple as they think. Mr. Correy, shall we make a dash for it?" "I'd be in favor of that, sir!" he grinned.