"You'll do what?" From the opening lock Ned Hawkins came, a dis-gun low
in his hand. Behind him were four older men. Sam saw Pell's face grow
pale. They were four of the Master Miners, four of those who dispensed
justice in the Asteroid Belt.
One of them said gravely, "In the name of all Miners, I arrest you,
Pell, for aiding a convicted thief. Have you anything to say before we
take you way?"
Hawkins jabbed the muzzle of the dis-gun tight in Sam's back.
And that was a mistake. Men of the Terran Police Services had long been
trained to defend against a weapon held too close. Sam Knox whirled,
striking up and out with his arm, whirling away from the weapon, and
striking with his hand. He stepped forward then, seizing Ned's gun arm
in a bone-breaking leverage, and the dis-gun dropped to the floor. He
shoved Hawkins away and scooped up his weapon.
[Illustration: Sam Knox whirled ... seized Ned's gun arm....]
Now was the time, he thought, to take Pell and run for it. Perhaps they
would not find it important enough to follow. They would not know that
contact with the _Sol Shine_ was possible.
Then Sam groaned. He had forgotten. Too much time had elapsed, and now
he was farther away. The slow space-dory never would be able to reach
the co-ordinates in time to intercept the space-liner.
Somehow he must force the truth. He lifted the dis-gun. "I'm going to
blast you, Ned Hawkins. Before I go I'm going to burn you down. I know
you stole the jewel and killed Miner Joe. I know you were jealous and
framed me, giving up the jewel as a sacrifice to your jealousy. Tell
the truth, Hawkins, and cleanse your soul before you die."
Ned Hawkins pulled back his lips in a dark snarl. "Shoot," he said.
"Shoot, you murderer and thief."
A Master Miner said, "We will hunt you down, Knox. We will hunt you
to the ends of the galaxy. Even though you kill us all, there will be
others to search you out."
"Tie them," Sam Knox directed. Pell obeyed. Sam swung the dis-gun in a
compact circle, and the front sight opened the flesh of Ned Hawkins'
forearm and let the blood flow.
Sam Knox waved with the gun then at Pell, at the girl and at her
father. He said bleakly, "If one of you moves toward the medicine
cabinet, as God is in Heaven, I'll ray you down."
He hunkered down on his ankles, a lone figure waiting and watching.
"You devil," Ned's voice struck a high pitch. "_You devil_, give me
penicillin X."
They had not understood till then. The eyes of the bound Master Miners
were wide with horror.
Sam gestured with the gun. "Rest easy," he said. "We shall only have to
wait an hour at the most."
The red blood that spurted from the arm stopped, and the chronometer
ticking in the control room was the only sound in the chamber. Minutes
passed, and the arm which had been red with blood was now greying.
Swiftly, the infection of space was taking over.
Nancy Rorke said shrilly, "You are not human." She got up and moved for
the medicine cabinet. Sam Knox tilted the dis-gun, and the heat ray
lanced out and burned a hole in the chair ahead of her. She sat down
quickly, with a white face.
Ned Hawkins' eyes were brilliant as a trapped beast. He looked at
his greying arm. It was swelling now and becoming painful. His face
contorted. He breathed agonizedly.
Pell reached for the medicine cabinet, and Sam burned the knob under
his hands.
"You devil!" Ned was breathing hard. Sweat stood on his forehead. "What
do you want?"
"The truth."
"I know nothing."
Sam said, "I am going to burn the penicillin. You people can't keep
away from the drug. It's either burn the drug or one of you." He
pointed the dis-gun at the medicine cabinet in the corner.
"I'll talk--give me the drug--I'll talk!" Ned began to babble in
confession.