The pounding in Ray's head flashed streams of light through the blackness. Only faintly could he feel his own hands beating for air. Then suddenly his tortured lungs heaved, sucking in life. The grinding clutch dropped from his throat. For a moment he could only gulp, rub his agonized neck. Then slowly sight returned. McVane stood holding a gun. There was a foolish, startled look on his lined face as he stared at Lodar. The captain, gritting his teeth and leaning on the control board, held a hand to his shoulder. It was a mass of blood and rags. "You--you fool!" Lodar swayed, starting at the engineer. "You bleary-eyed little Sir Galahad!" The girl was pressing a cup of water to Ray's lips. He drank, still gagging, staring at her bruised face. He was conscious of her arm around him, of the pleasure her nearness lent. He shook his throbbing head. McVane was speaking petulantly. "Let's--let's have no more arguments." The little man's eyes were pleading. "I had to do it, Lodar. And you're the only real friend I had!" "Some friend!" Lodar ground his teeth in pain, then grimaced as blood dripped from the smashed gums. "Here, help me patch up this shoulder." Obediently McVane hunted up bandages. Lodar's eyes were somber as the engineer and Ellenor tied up his burned shoulder and put the useless arm in a sling. "I lost my temper," he muttered at last. "Forget it." He probably meant it for a declaration of peace. Ray's own fury had cooled now he knew what lay behind the other's violence. After all, the girl's words must have stung Lodar to a hopeless frenzy. She had blasted at his innermost longing to see Earth for the last time. Deep in his own heart he'd known all along that he would die like a dog in space. Her words had only drawn the searing truth from his own subconscious hell. They all jumped as the interphone shrilled. Ray switched on the speaker. There was a medley of sound, smashing glass, shouts, and laughter. "They've got into McVane's liquor." Lodar crossed the room painfully till he stood beside Ray. "Ay--and the gas didn't stop them," the engineer added. "They plugged the lines." Suddenly Jenkins' voice cut shrilly above the background din on the speaker. "Can you hear me, Lodar?" "I hear you." Lodar's eyes were slitted with pain. "Okay." There was a fumbling sound. "We're going on to Mars. Take it or leave it. You set the course and we'll get your damned engines going." "You can rot!" "Better think it over, Captain. If you monkey around too long, the boys will get impatient. We'll wreck the engines!" "You wreck those engines and none of you will see Mars or any other place," Lodar said heavily. "There's only one escape boat and the only way to it is through this control room. I'll leave you stranded!" Jenkins' laughter rattled the speaker. "We'll shoot you down with the broadsides if you try!" There was a rustling, then, "Hang on, Lodar, a friend of yours wants to talk!" VI