[11] What she'd said was, "If a man answers, hang up."

"All right," Manning said. "I'll get in touch with you later."

"I'll be around," Mickey Hatchet said. He turned and slammed out of the house. A moment later his ship took off as though it had a burr under its rockets.

"I've heard a lot about him," Manning said. He looked at the blonde with curiosity. "Tell me, did you have any urge to rip your dress off while he was in the room?"

"No, but I do now," she said. One hand went to the zipper on her dress.

"Not now," Manning said hastily and fled to the other room.

Manning put in a call to Nottyl Nadyl. The latter's face, when it appeared on the screen, was not as jolly as it had been the last time Manning had seen it. It was impossible to tell since there was no color on the screen, but Manning thought his face looked a little green. The undertaker must have already been in touch with him.

"What kind of a bungler are you?" Manning demanded. "My wife is still alive."

"I don't understand it," the Algolian said. A ray of hope struggled into his face. "I don't suppose the accident has changed your mind—made you realize that the bonds of matrimony are more precious than you thought?"

"Certainly not," snapped Manning. "I made a bargain and I expect you to fulfill it."

The Algolian sighed heavily. "Very well. I suggest that you go back to the hunting lodge. I shall be there shortly and this time I guarantee that nothing will go wrong."

"It better not," Manning said and broke the connection.

He told Fanya to get set for another visit, then went on down to the lodge. This time he felt less restless, but he sat by a window where he could watch the house.

It wasn't long before he saw the ship coming in. But instead of landing as it had before, it merely swooped low over the house. Then it went into a steep, rapid climb. Immediately afterward there was an explosion that rocked the lodge.

Manning hadn't expected a bomb and his old fears returned. He ran for the house as rapidly as he could. Even as he ran, however, he saw a second ship dart out from behind a distant asteroid and take out after the 

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