The occupants of the ball crowded one of its lower compartments at the inner entrance of the air lock chamber.

The inner slide was closed.

Jimmy said nothing. He stood tense beside Roc at the gauges of the pressure port. They saw my figure as I crawled like a fly outside the windows. I came against the outer entrance slide. Roc shoved at a lever.

They felt the vibration of the metal wall as I tumbled to the floor of the air lock.

VI WEAPONS THE AIR LOCK was black. I lay huddled on its floor. I could feel the air pressure coming into it. For a moment or two I crouched, clinging to my knife. When the air in the lock reached the pressure of the interior of the hall, the inner door would open, no doubt; and the Mercurians would leap upon me. I had an instinct to put up a -fight, if I saw that Jimmy was free. It was a chance for us. But now I felt that it would be too dangerous, shut up here in this tiny world, to start acts of violence with Rowena and Tama aboard.

I determined to keep my wits, betray myself into no rash move. ._._ I became aware that the air pressure was aboHfrTBBnnaT" The tiny gauge inside my helmet, faintly illumined, showed 15.5. The darkness continued. But my eyes were more accustomed to it now; I could see the narrow walls of a small room. Where the inner slide might be I could not yet determine.

Another moment passed and I took off my helmet, placed It on the floor and stood up cautiously. There was barely room for me to stand erect, scarce an inch above my head to the metal ceiling. As I got to my feet, I realized they were maintaining a gravity much less than that of Earth.

A sudden slit of light dazzled me. The inner slide was opening. Air of a little heavier pressure rushed in with a gust. I saw figures: squat, heavy men in crudely fashioned animalskins. One was gigantic. Then I saw a small slender fellow who was Roc. I recognized him from Guy's description.

They crowded in upon me with a rush and jerked me forward out of the lock into a metal room which seemed brightly illumined.

But though I was dazzled by the sudden light, I could see enough. Infinite relief swept me. Rowena, unharmed! Tama and Jimmy1 saw them standing in a group in the midst of the confusion. And over the babble of voices, I heard Rowena give a single cry, instantly suppressed. Joy at seeing me, yet fear, too, for my safety.

I found myself standing alone, with the Mercurians crowd ing me. The knife was still in my gloved hand; I had held it in a fold of my deflated robe.

Roc confronted me. "Who are you?" In that instant a score of wild plans flashed over me. I discarded them all. I smiled. I was holding the knife by its blade; I extended its handle.

"My only weapon. Take it. I come peacefully." He took the knife. "Who are you?"

"Jack Dean." I thought that Rowena gave a cry of protest. I could see comprehension sweep Roc's face, but to the other Mercurians the name seemed to mean nothing.

Boc demanded, "What did you come for?" ~~ace. Not war.'" I added vehemently, "The release of th~see prisoners, with my promise that then the Flying Cube wai never attack you." ~.-" Roc's face was impassive. The Mercurians were murmuring among themselves.

Jimmy said abruptly, "We had better have a talk with him. Another room. Roc, where we can talk quietly to him.

Bargain" I was aware then, as Roc ordered me to take off the pressure suit and searched me for weapons, of the smoldering undercurrent here. It seemed that Jimmy and Roc were very watchful, not of me, but of the giant and his jabbering followers.

Jimmy added, "Can the girls come with us?" Then I saw the woman Muta, standing with the smoldering dark eyes that seemed to miss nothing.

Something herea situation unexpected, to me unfathomable. I sensed at once the menace of it. I stood divested of my pressure suitbut a hidden pocket in the upper flap of my high leather boot held a small revolver. Roc had not found it when he searched me. I could reach it ' with a single swift motion.

Roc pushed me before him, roughly. Jimmy, Rowena and Tama crowded after us. The giant tried to stop them. It seemed that every other man in the room was tense, as though waiting for some signal. Muta's eyes were blazing.

Roc pushed the giant away, with a command in their native tongue. We went up a small inclined ladder to an upper level into a small room, and Roc slid the door upon us.

I could sense the relief.

Tama held onto me. Rowena flung herself into my arms.

"JackJack, dearyou should not have come into this!" I kissed her, then pushed her away.

"Rowenal" What words could tell what was in my heart? Thismy wifeagain with her arms around me. But it was no time for words, nor were they needed. She stood aside, her gaze clinging to me.

I gave Tama the message from Guy: that he would gi.yehis life to come to her. .-" '' The Mercurian said abruptly, "Sit down, all of you." There was a low metal settee, and cushions on the floor.

Roc stood over us, weapon in hand.

"You are Jack Dean, husband of Rowena here?"

"Yes."

"And you have come to rescue her?" He said it vidthout sarcasm.

"Yes," I retorted. "But not with bloodshed. I promise that the Cube will not attack."

"I know that it will not attack so long as I hold all of you here." Jimmy interrupted impatiently, "What's the use of sparring, Roc? Let me tell him our situation" In a burst Jimmy told me with lowered voice. And he ended, "You, Roc, can't you see that Dean is a help? We've got to get out of thisnot all get murdered." Roc said abruptly, "I believe I can trust you. Jack Dean."

"Yes," I agreed.

"He only wants Rowena out of this," Jimmy added. He flung a significant glance at me.

"And Tamap" Roc said. He was smiling again. A strange fellow this: I could not make him out. "You think I will release TamaP Is that what you came for. Dean? Your ship off there, threatening me."

"And meanwhile Dorrek will murder us all," Jimmy put in.

"I'm not armed, nor is Jack" I could have snapped that revolver out within a second, but I thought it best not to say so.

"If Dorrek knew I had given you a weapon," said Roc, "it would bring trouble."

"Then I'll keep it hidden," Jimmy insisted. "What weapons have you? What have Dorrek and his men? See here. Roc, you're a fool if you don't come out in the open now. Let us stand with you. Man, we're all shut up here! You're only holding Dorrek off by the grace of the Almighty1 saw his look when you crossed him as we came up here. And his menevery one of them waiting for his signal."

"True," said Roc calmly. "But they would not dare attack me now. They can handle the controls only as long as they do what I tell them. I chart our coursethe navigating.

Without me they would be helpless. When we get to Mercury"

"The danger will come then," finished Jimmy. "But that doesn't help me now. Or these girls. Or Dean."

"Dorrek will obey my orders."

"Maybe he will, maybe not. Roc, you used a lot of weapons on me. That ray-weapon"Jimmy indicated the cylinder Roc was holding"and that light-bomb in my plane, that blinded me. And gas fumeswhere are they all? Has Dorrek got them?"

"No." The Mercurian had been gazing thoughtfully at Tama. He turned abruptly to the wall of the room, pressed a hidden mechanism. A small slide opened. In a compartment like a little closet we saw an array of hidden weapons.

Roc moved the slide closed again. "Dorrek does not know this locker is here. Nor could you open it, even though you have seen me."

"All right," said Jimmy. "What weapons has Dorrek?"

"A cylinder like this. His men have knives."

"That's enough. Roc, if you'll give me and Dean each a cylinder, we'll keep them hidden, watch ourselves until we get to Mercury. Then you order a landing. That's when Dorrek will make a play to kill you. But we'll be preparedbreak awayforce a passage for you out of this" Roc was again staring fixedly at Tama. He said abruptly to Jimmy, "You spoke truth a while ago, Turk. My affairs on Mercury are none of yours. This Rowena1 wish her no harm, except that J am glad to have her as hostage so that your Earthship is not firing at me now. But there is Tama whom I love. I think I will speak to Tama a moment." He stood with Tama across the room. We could not hear what they were saying, nor could we have understood it, since it was in their native tongue; but later Tama told me.