"Watch out, Carsing!" Baker shouted--but Harvey was already halfway
across the room. He dove across the table, one hand aimed at Carsing's
chest, the other slamming against the moving weapon, knocking it
upward, backward--
Shot spattered through and around the doorway.
Baker had leaped aside as he saw the muzzle swinging in his direction.
Now he made a quick move toward Harvey and Carsing, tangled and
struggling on the floor--but a blow from Brace's fist caught him on the
cheekbone and sent him crashing back against the wall.
Brace darted down at the struggling men. He stood up a moment later,
holding the gun. Carsing struggled upward, out of Harvey's grasp and
reached for the gun. Brace's foot shot out and crashed with ferocious
impact against his jaw. Carsing's head slammed backward against the
floor. His body arched a moment, and then went limp all over.
Harvey sat up, breathing hard. Ruth already had her oxygen pack on and
quickly adjusted his.
"Get mine," Red Brace said. He was standing in the middle of the floor,
the gun trained on Baker, who stood half-slumped against the wall,
watching them dazedly.
There was a hissing in the air. A soft, persistent hissing.
"Somebody has a leak!" Dr. Lurie shouted. Harvey, Ruth, Brace
frantically felt their oxygen packs--and then their hands stopped, and
they stared at Baker.
A jagged hole, caused by a small bit of shot, was visible on the side
of his oxygen pack.
"Give the orders, Flanders," Brace said. "Do I blast him?"
"Won't be necessary, Red," Harvey said quietly.
Baker looked from one to the other with puzzled eyes. Then he muttered,
"I must be going," and swung away from the wall, and out the door.
He stopped. He felt his pack. He came rushing back, his eyes wide with
terror. "A leak!" he shrilled. "I need another pack!"
"Sorry, we've only one apiece," Harvey said. "You know that."
Baker's lips trembled. His face was white. "Your invention! Your
invention! I'll make any deal you want. Hurry!"
"There's no invention," Harvey said gently. "Don't you know that by
now?"
Suddenly Baker leaped forward, his hands flying. He had the oxygen mask
half off Harvey's face before Harvey could untwist his hands and wrench
free.
Baker stood there, breathing hard. Abruptly he turned and rushed out
to the road. "Somebody!" he yelled. "Somebody give me a pack! I'll pay
anything!"
Homesteaders peered at him in amazement from their doorways--then shut
their doors as he rushed at them.
"I'll pay anything!" Baker screamed at the pitilessly closed doors.
"This is what he was leading up to for ten years," said Brace.
Harvey looked at the purple box. "A jack-in-the-box," he said softly.
"Ruth where in the world did this thing ever come from?"
"I brought it with me," Ruth said defiantly. "I thought maybe it might
be hard to get toys here--and maybe we might want toys someday ... for
somebody."
Carsing stirred and groaned. "That's a relief--we're going to need the
man to show us how to run the oxygen works," Harvey said. "Okay, kids,
let's go to work. There's a lot to be done."
"Going to try to get a ship for the trip back home?" asked Brace.
"I don't know," said Harvey. "Maybe we can make a go of it after all,"
he went on dreamily, "we might be able to pump oxygen into the houses
so you don't have to wear a mask when you're home relaxing ... or
making love." He put an arm around Ruth's shoulders. "Who knows?--maybe
one of these days we might find use for those toys you brought."