looked as if it might be under remote control."

"I thought he'd have a ship hidden somewhere," Manning said. "He's gone, then." He sounded cheerful.

"You want this Acruxian for something?" the patrolman asked.

"No," Manning said quickly before anyone else could answer.

"Okay. I'll be getting in with my prisoner. She ought to get me a promotion. And thanks, chum, for letting her bite your lip, so I could see her."

"Think nothing of it," Manning said, rubbing his lip, as the patrolman went away, dragging Velmar still in the force-net.

When it was all over, Manning realized that he was tired. He didn't feel like the trip back to Terra, so he went to the hotel and went to bed. He slept the sleep of the just and by the time he awakened the following morning, he was the duly elected Senator of Regulus. There was quite an official party to see him off.

VIII

It was midday when Manning Draco landed back on Terra. He took an air-cab to his pent-estate and went eagerly into the house. He wondered why Vega hadn't come to meet him, but then he thought she hadn't heard the cab arrive.

She was in the sun room. Manning bounded into the room and threw out his arms. "Hi, honey," he said.

She didn't answer.

"Hey," he said. "What's the matter? I'm home. Is there something wrong with Barnaby, or what?"

Vega finally consented to look up. "My hero!" she said scornfully.

Ouch! He'd forgotten that Velmar's capture hadn't been visicast; he'd even forgotten that Vega might have been watching the 'cast.

"Wait a minute," he said indignantly. "You got me all wrong. I couldn't stop her from running out and kissing me like that when I didn't even know she was coming. Besides, she wasn't kissing me—she was biting me."

"A big difference!"

"You bet it was. A Federal Patrolman arrived right afterwards to arrest her. She'd escaped from Aldebaran Four. Hey, don't you understand. She was a vampire from that quarantined planet. All 

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