Barton looked around. "Use -that goddamn laser!" Ab- dul unfroze and obeyed; Hishtoo's ship would not lift

soon again.

"Okay, we're down," said Barton. "But that last part

wasn't my idea."

He flipped switches, checked instruments. "Well," he said finally, "it looks as if Hishtoo isn't the only one who's grounded. The Demu had a weapon we didn't know about-probably in the Washington ^onument up there. Because some way, I don't know how, our drive has gone dead as a mackerel."

The outside view-scan showed no one, Demu or other- wise, within its range.

'Too bad," said Barton. "We might have got lucky and caught somebody in the sleep-field. It's still on, isn't it, Abdul?" The man nodded.

"Well then-I guess I go calling on Hishtoo. I'll need-"

300.

"You may look. Barton," said Limila, "and with care, of course. But I think that ship is empty. For a moment as we came here, I saw-here, it is recorded, I think."

She ran the tape into the screen circuits. Reduced to slow motion the flash of view, lightning-fast as it had been, stretched into seconds. Speed and magnification blurred the picture, but one thing was clear. On the op- posite side of Hishtoo's ship, the main airlock was open, its ramp down. "They are gone, you see."

"Maybe," said Barton, "maybe not-could be a mousetrap, a setup. 1*11 have a look, anyway."

"And I with you. Barton," said Limila. "You do noti go alone," ,

"But-" He saw there was no use arguing. "All right."

"And I, Barton," said Eeshta. "I too must go."

He turned to her. 'Wo-and that's flat. We need you for later, when we meet your people and-I hope- talk with them. You can't be risked in some dumb shoot- out, at this stage."

"And can you?" But Eeshta shrugged in resignation.

"Very well-it will be as you say."

"All right-now here's what we do-" .

A cloverlike growth carpeted the ground. It did not show footprints; if Hishtoo was gone, there would be no tracking him. Circling one-to either side, Barton and Limila approached the other ship. To their right, Alene Grover moved toward a pile of boulders-to take cover and then, if necessary, give it. On the ground beside Ship One, Cheng and Myra waited in reserve- If there were no fight, they would begin a search, circling outside of view- screen range-for Hishtoo, his hostages, or anything else of interest.

All five wore the nonguaranteed portable Shields and carried sleep-guns-redundant, in view of the ship's sleep-field-and either ion beam or laser handguns. No breathing gear: Demu presence meant the atmosphere was suitable.

On Ship One, Abdul Muhammed-carrying the new title of second-in-command-was left at the weapons board and Eeshta at the comm-board.

Out of the corner of his eye. Barton saw Alene reach her position. All right-time to move in. He gestured to Limila and she returned it; then they moved forward and the bulk of the crippled ship came between them. Round- 301.

ing it. Barton stayed close to the hulk-remembering an- other time, another ship.

The ramp was down, all right. He saw it and Umila, rounding the ship from the other side, almost at the same time. They exchanged signals-he to approach, she to move past and cover the airlock at the top of the ramp.

Nothing barred him from walking up the ramp and into the ship-nothing at all. It was too easy. On the ground, Barton found a dead branch of wood, thick as his arm and over a meter long. He picked it up and threw it at the ramp. At the impact, the ramp snapped shut, up into the body of the ship. Fragments of wood feu. Then, slowly, the ramp lowered again.

Mousetrap wasn't a bad guess at all, thought Barton- Hishtoo must have really souped the hell out of those motor circuits. He saw smoke drifting from the -airlock, and on a hunch, threw another piece of wood. Nothing happened-a one-shot trap, now burned out.

"Umila? I'm going in. If you don't hear anything that sounds like trouble, come on up in about five minutes. If you do hear trouble, play it from out here-and get help." , ^

"I will do as I think best. But most likely as you

say."

Cautiously but not slowly. Barton climbed the ramp.

At the airlock he paused and listened. From inside, no sounds came; he entered. After a quick inspection he re- turned and beckoned to Limila.

"There is nothing here," she said after further explora- tion, "to show that Hishtoo or livajj were ever on this ship. Gerain, yes-a few belongings that are of a male Tilaran. Nothing more."

"At least there's no sign that Hisntoo hurt them any.

All right-we might as well get out of here and back to the snip." - ^

Outside, Barton waved for Alene to join them; to- gether they trudged back to Ship One. "Where's Cheng and Myra?" Barton asked.

Alene answered. "I gave them the high-sign to start search, as soon as you came back out the first time. Was that all right?"

"Fine." said Barton. "Let's go on in and button it up.

We'll set the screen to watch for them-a perimeter

watch."

The two scouts were beyond view-range. Barton dis-

302.

covered when he reached Control. Eeshta had last seen them going behind a low range of hills at perhaps a kilo- meter's distance. An hour later, after the reconnaissance of Hishtoo's ship had been discussed thoroughly, the two reappeared in line-of-sight, moving slowly and showing fatigue.

'They look as hungry as I feel," said Alene. "I'm go- ing to cook up some stuff. Anyone who's chicken to try i Grover Special, never before tasted by man or beast, raise your hands-and cook your own dinner!" No hand raised. "All right, you're not chicken-you're just lazy."

She exited toward the galley.

When the entrance alarm sounded, the screen showed Myra and Cheng waiting. Soon the two entered Control.

"I'm bushed," said Myra. "It's been too long since I walked so much. But one thing's certain-our sleep-field didn't catch anything, unless you want to count a few small furry creatures."

"Perhaps I should turn it off for a time," said Abdul, "and allow those a chance for escape."

"Sure," Barton said. "Set it to go on again if anything big-people-size-trips the alarm."

Before he could ask more questions, Alene called din- nertime. "Here's trays made up for whoever has the watch. Everybody else dish up for yourselves, in the gal- ley." Abdul and Eeshta stayed on duty; the rest ad- journed.

Sarton decided not to ask what Alene had put into dinner; it tasted better than it looked. He did have an- other question, though.

"Cheng? Myra? You sure we don't have any sleeping beauties around here?"

"Quite sure," said Myra. "We scouted to the perimeter of the field."