The wiry Venusian twisted out of Flint's arm before he could get a head-lock grip. Coming up with his other hand, he threw an uppercut at Hudson. The lawyer saw it coming, jerked his head back like a turtle. But Flint didn't see it coming.

The full force of Greeno's swing caught him exactly on the point of his chin.

The room spun wildly. Then it dissolved into blackness.

When Flint came to, he was lying on the floor. Hudson stood over him. He had acquired Flint's ice pistol, seemed prepared to use it at any moment.

As Flint sat up and looked around, Leggett said, "Just a moment and I'll let you in," and got up from the controls where he'd been talking into the radio. He went over to the door, twirled the wheel and Flint realized what he'd thought was his own head ringing was the safety bell. Through the glass he saw a slim light cruiser lying alongside where Greeno's ship had been. On its gleaming hull were the letters SP—the Stellar Patrol.

What were they doing here? Flint grabbed one of the seats, pulled himself up.

"Stay where you are!" Hudson waggled the ice gun threateningly. Then the door opened and three red-uniformed patrolmen crowded into the cabin, jet pistols leveled, eyes searching the room quickly.

"This him?" One of the patrolmen, blue-chinned and beefy, sized Flint up.

"I took his gun," Hudson said. He handed the ice pistol to the nearest patrolman as if he was glad to get rid of its responsibility. The group stood around Flint as if he were an animal they'd caught.

"The boys are on the way out to the Ring," the big patrolman said. "There's several billion planetoids out there, though—like looking for a needle in a haystack, isn't it, Flint?"

Flint was getting his thinking up to date now. He must have been out half an hour or so. Hudson and Leggett must have radioed the Patrol, told them the story. Of course they suspected him, the way he'd talked to Greeno. And now he was accused of something he'd tried his best to stop. Poetic justice had caught him red-handed.

"You were the bright boy who dreamed up the whole thing, weren't you, Flint?" the patrolman continued. "Headquarters works fast. We got a report on you on the way out here. We know you had reasons for wanting to get rid of Miss Vaun. We know all about your little talk 

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