Lors grabbed a mechanic by the arm. "Spacer! I'm on an urgent mission. Where can I get a ship?" The young spacer looked thoughtful for a moment, then pointed toward a tube on the other side of the hangar. "In that tube, sir." "Thank you." "I'll help you rig it," the spacer said. "Never mind, I'll do it myself. Go about your work." "Yes, sir." The spacer turned away, a puzzled look on his face. Lors motioned to Danson and headed toward the tube door. He could well understand the spacer's bewilderment. While it was possible for the pilot of a scout ship to launch his own craft, it was highly impractical and not normally done. He hoped it didn't arouse their suspicions. He yanked the door open and looked over his shoulder. Danson was almost to him, running hard. Heads turned as the mechanics watched him run. "Hurry!" Danson reached the door and Lors shoved him into the tube. "Where's Brice," Danson demanded. Lors slammed the door and whirled the wheel of the spider lock. He didn't answer. He was too concerned with getting the door secured. Through the port in the heavy door, he could see spacers gesturing and pointing at the blast tube. "Where's Brice!" "He's dead." Lors secured the wheel and noticed that a Vice-commander had come into the hangar area. "Get in the ship! Fast!" Outside, the hanger workers were milling about like a fleet of bees. Lors turned to Danson and saw him standing beside the ship, his eyes wild with disbelief. "Get in the ship!" "Not without Brice!" Lors exploded in his native tongue. "Get in that ship, Danson! How long do you think it'll be before they come in the emergency door?" Nick's eyes were wide and violent. "I'm not leaving Nolan up here, goddammit! Get out of my way!" Lors shoved the Terran as he came in and watched him backpedal into the side of the scout ship. Danson muttered a curse and dived at the spaceman. Lors had no choice in the matter. He swung hard, Terran style, in what had come to be known as the "ole one-two." His left fist dug into Nick's stomach and, when he bent with the blow, Lors brought his right fist up from the floor and felt it smash into Danson's face. The Terran slammed backwards against the ship, his head striking the metal sides. He crumpled into an unconscious blue mound beside the ship. He wasted no time. Casting a glance at the lifeless panel that was the emergency door at the far end of the blast tube, he grabbed Danson under the arms and hauled him up the short ladder to the cockpit of the ship. If they came through that emergency door, he was finished. He could not push the button in the wall that would open the huge port in the side of the starship. They would die if he did!