As the one with the ice gun opened the door and went into the police plane, the other stuck his pistol in Flint's side. "Get up." And Flint knew he was really in for it now. He'd heard of this. Third degree? This was the fourth degree!

A ship had two doors, the inside one and one opening outside the hull. Between the two was a narrow air space. It was used as an air lock in which one could return to normal pressure before entering the ship from some thin-aired world. If you put a man in there and turned the pressure wide open—

"This makes even a Venusian talk," the big patrolman told Hudson and Leggett. "When the pressure gets up around two hundred and their ear drums start cracking, they get mighty conversational."

When the patrolman who had gone into the police plane returned, he held the door open and the pistol in Flint's side pushed him toward it.

But at the door, the radio stopped them. The lawyer had left the speaker on.

"Calling Saturn Relay Station. Relay to Earth, to K. V. Vaun Fur Fashions, Inc., New York City. Message as follows: Miss Vaun has been kidnapped. She is held for one million dollars ransom. Forward to Saturn by tonight's Space Express one million dollars in raw platinum. Saturn Express Agency will be informed later how to deliver it. End of message."

The big patrolman turned to Flint standing beside the door. "Pretty smart, except that it didn't work." Then to the fellow holding the pistol at Flint's back: "Throw him in and squirt the air. I'll call Saturn and tell 'em to forget that relay message."

But once again the radio stopped them.

"Look! At the door!" The voice was sharp and high. It was Karen Vaun's.

"Keep still! Don't let it hear us!" Greeno again.

"What in hell—" the patrolman breathed.

"It's reaching in!" Karen's voice, a terrified whisper. "Look out for its claws!"

Two explosions rang out—Greeno's old bullet gun; he didn't have an ice pistol. Greeno yelled "Get back!" There was fright in even his mechanical voice as a dull crash merged with his words.

Then there was instant silence. Something had smashed Greeno's radio set.

 Prev. P 16/25 next