"No"--Hodaki contradicted him--"someday one of you will make a little mistake and then----" "And then whatever bully boys you're running will clobber us?" asked Jansen. "That'll be the day! Anyway, truce for now." "Granted!" The lights of the arena went on and the plains vanished into a dark, tiled floor. "Any time you want a return engagement it'll be fine with me," said Ashe, getting up. Jansen grinned. "Put that off for a month or so, Gordon. We push into time tomorrow. Take care of yourselves, you two. I don't want to have to break in another set of players when I come back." Ross, finding it difficult to shake off the illusion which had held him entranced, felt a slight touch on his shoulder and glanced up. Kurt stood behind him, apparently intent upon Jansen and Hodaki as they argued over some point of the game. "See you tonight." The boy's lips hardly moved, a trick Ross knew from his own past. Yes, he _would_ see Kurt tonight, or whenever he could. He was going to learn what it was this odd company seemed determined to keep as their own private secret. CHAPTER 3 Ross stood cautiously against the wall of his darkened room, his head turned toward the slightly open door. A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring. But he did not hurl himself at the figure now easing the door farther open. He waited until the visitor was approaching the bunk before he slid along the wall, closing the door and putting his shoulders against it. "What's the pitch?" Ross demanded in a whisper. There was a ragged breath, maybe two, then a little laugh out of the dark. "You are ready?" The visitor's accent left no doubt as to his identity. Kurt was paying him the promised visit. "Did you think that I wouldn't be?" "No." The dim figure sat without invitation on the edge of the bunk. "I would not be here otherwise, Murdock. You are plenty ... have plenty on the ball. You see, I have heard things about you. Like me, you were tricked into this game. Tell me, is it not true that you saw Hardy tonight." "You hear a lot, don't you?" Ross was noncommittal. "I hear, I see, I learn more than these big mouths, like the major with all his do's and don'ts. That I can tell you! You saw Hardy. Do _you_ want to be a Hardy?" "Is there any danger of that?" "Danger!" Kurt snorted. "Danger--you have not yet known the meaning of danger, little man. Not until now. I ask you again, do you want to end like Hardy? They have not yet looped you in with all their big talk. That is why I came here tonight. If you know what is good for you, Murdock, you will make a break before they tape you----" "Tape me?"