locked automatically. But when one door was unlocked, the other was also unlocked. He leaned against the outside door, his mind racing. If he could stay conscious against the air pressure—if he could slip through this outside door when they opened the inner one—he'd be in the police plane—

The pressure gauge was calibrated in pounds. With each mark the pointer climbed, he shuddered. He jammed his fingers into his ears, closed his eyes, swallowed constantly. His face turned white under rivulets of sweat.

His shirt was quickly soaked through, his big arms wet and glistening. Swiftly he felt his strength leaving him. The pointer on the gauge quivered at the hundred mark, slowly climbed higher.

Flint found his knees sagging. His heart pounded with the exertion of standing up. His body had turned to lead. And in his mind was the terrible fear that he'd black out completely, be lying there on the floor when the other door unlocked and gave him his only chance.

But he couldn't black out! He had to keep on his feet! He was Karen's and Greeno's only chance.

The pointer stood at a hundred and fifty. His ribs felt as if steel bands were being tightened around his chest. He couldn't breathe. He knew he couldn't stand much more.

He turned his head toward the inside door and with all the lung power he could find yelled, "Let me out! I'll talk!"

They heard him. The whistling in his ears ceased for one second, then returned, but now it was the sucking sound of air going out. He got hold of the outer door handle, leaned his weight back against it. His glazed eyes were on the pressure dial. He knew the men in the ship were watching its counterpart.

The pointer came back around slowly and each jump brought blessed relief as the pressure slackened. It was like a tremendous weight being lifted from every square inch of his body.

When the pointer hit zero, he heard the lock click in the door behind him and the door against which he was pulling swung suddenly open. He almost fell backward, then managed to struggle forward through the door.

"Stop him! He's trying to get into our ship!"

He heard feet clattering through the chamber after him. He slammed the door against a beefy blurred face. Stumbling through the double doors of the police plane's 

 Prev. P 18/25 next