"Very good idea men," the Colonel said, and went upstairs to write another chapter in his book. At nine the men disappeared into their bunks. O’Connors won the responsible job of peering through the narrow slit in the wall. Behind him could be heard the labored breathing of twenty-seven distraught men. One man snored. "Wake up, you stupid ass," Pane told Lanham. "You’ll wreck the show." At last the door opened and Blunt came in—with the girl. She was breath-taking. She wore, O’Connors reported, a dress cut to here—and her hair was piled high on her patrician head. Blunt had not lied. She was even prettier than the usual run of Engraham girls. "He’s offering her a drink," O’Connors whispered. "She take it?" "No—she’s sitting at the bar. He’s having one, though. He’s turning on the hi-fi." He did not have to tell them, since all could hear the soft music. They had selected a program of melodies considered sure-fire. "He’s talking to her—putting his arm around her waist. Oh-oh. She knocked it off. She’s laughing, though." In the silence they all heard her laugh. Several men moved uncomfortably. "He’s leading her toward the couch—oh-oh—she stopped to look at the radar screen." It was the auxiliary radar, not the important one in the control room. "What’s he doing?" "Telling her—he’s edging her to the couch again—now she’s asking about the Bassett Blaster. They’re fooling around with the gun. He’s showing her how it works—trying to put his hands—!" This last was lost, for there was a sudden, resounding blast. Their bunks, the entire ship, trembled. The meaning was clear to all. They flattened to their bunks, and waited tensely. They heard a sound, the sound of a foot kicking a body. A hand scratched tentatively along the wall. No one moved. "She killed him." O’Connors voice was no more than a slight whisper. "Lay low—lay low."’ Then a woman’s voice said, in perfect English, "All right, you men. Come out of there." The door was found and flung open. Catataphinaria stood in the dim light—still holding the Blaster. She said again, more sharply, "I said, Come out of there!" Clumsily, they came down from their bunks. "Now," she said, as she had them all against the wall, "call down the others." But this was unnecessary, for the Doctors and the Colonel were already descending the ladder. They turned quite white at the sight of her. Wordlessly, she indicated that they were to join the others. The Doctors found it harder to adjust to a purely military sort of emergency. Ankers asked clearly, "What on earth is this nonsense?" "No nonsense," the girl said. "Just do as I say. First, surrender all your papers." "Our papers?" "Your research. Your conclusions. Everything." Henderson said, "I’ll go get it, Ma’am." "I would also like the Colonel’s amusing work on the coming occupation." "I know where it is, sir," Martin said swiftly. "I’ll get it."