"Besides," persisted Hale, "you have Crystals coming from the estate of the previous Commander. _He_ certainly had plenty." Hale didn't mention that the previous Commander had given him almost all of his diamonds in return for Hale's futile attempt to save his life. "That's true," Yon agreed, brightening perceptibly. "Furthermore," Hale continued inexorably, "my people will, of course, spend this money, which will be divided evenly among us. I think a man of your proven ability will be able to get most of it back in a short time." In the end, the bargain was sealed. Hale walked out to the ship and spent two days doing nothing while Yon looked on. Finally, Yon got bored and went home to Caryl, and Hale wrapped up the repair job in short order--plus one little addition of his own. Then he lifted the ship on its antigravs and flew to Taun to collect his bill. * * * * * Yon paid promptly. He was overjoyed. He positively bubbled. He learned to control it in the atmosphere very quickly, and Leland Hale decided to end the whole job as rapidly as possible. "I suggest we fly out to the Island," he said. "I'll tell my people that they can move to the mainland, and give them their share of the Crystals." It was Yon who did the piloting. He did a very creditable job of settling down to the plateau near the _Caduceus_. Hale asked him to remain with the ship while he went to the hospital ship. Hale stepped out of the ship, and he hadn't gone more than ten paces when the speaker called: "Halt! Stop or we fire!" Hale identified himself. "You can let me in now," he called. "The Plague has been completely whipped." Captain Doctor Wills met him at the airlock of the _Caduceus_ and wrung his hand. "I'm glad to see you carried it off!" He had once been a tall, strong, lean man; now he was merely lean and bent. "I haven't much time to talk, sit," Hale said rapidly. "I've got the diamond--here. Call the Health Center as soon as I leave and tell them what's happened." "Why--why--What's the matter?" "Can't you see? That ship is the _Morris_--they've repaired it!" "But I thought you said the Plague had been eliminated!" Hale shook his head. "Not completely, sir. They're still carriers. I'm not a carrier, myself; I checked that on my own instruments. But these people are; only the virulent phase has been stopped." "What are you going to do, Lieutenant?" Hale drew himself up. "The only thing I can do, sir. I'll have to blow up that ship before it reaches an inhabited planet. They insist that I go with them, but they'll leave without me if I stay here too long." "But you! If you're aboard--" "I can't see any other way, sir," Hale said bravely. "It's my life against hundreds of thousand--perhaps millions." He stopped and a look of wild hope came into his eyes. "Of course, if you've got enough power to shoot it down now, sir--"