"But what?" Lansfer barked.
Remish's eyes darted briefly to where the red welts stood out on Gail's
cheek. He licked his lips and for a second his gaze met Grady's. For a
moment he hesitated, then faced Lansfer again. He shrugged briefly.
"Never mind," he said. "We'll talk it over at headquarters later."
Lansfer lost some of his poise. He glared at the two patrolmen. "You
two get back to the _Chicago_. Find Barnard and bring him to me!"
Barnard saw Gail's hand hovering over the tiny bar. Suddenly he was
shocked. He realized that the bar controlled the Duvals--the magnetic
beams that pinned the two ships together. Then she had felt his
presence and was waiting for a signal from him. He shouted the thought:
"_No!_"
Swiftly she disobeyed him, and twisted the bar. In almost the same
instant she snatched the gun from Lansfer's holster. She backed away a
step and leveled it at the officer.
"Turn this ship around," she ordered. "We're going back to Mars."
Lansfer's narrowed eyes peered at the control board where she had
disconnected the grapples. He turned to the girl. His voice was flat,
sullen.
"Give me that gun."
"No." She backed away another step and he followed, hand reaching. Her
face became paler. Lansfer stopped and stared into her eyes. His eyes
were compelling, hypnotic. She stood motionless and tried to shake the
effect. Lansfer moved a step closer.
Remish's hand gently removed the gun from her fingers.
Barnard swore disgustedly. Why had Gail cut the grapples? She must have
some fool idea that he could beat the police to Pluto, win out on his
own.
Maybe he could. There were only two little difficulties involved.
First, he didn't know where Pluto was, or how to find it. Second--the
planet was Earth-size, and where on its millions of square miles of
surface was whatever he wanted?
The second problem was partly solved. From Lansfer's mind he had a
vague picture of a vast white sea, trapped in a ring of white mountains
that knifed into a black sky.
From Lansfer's mind--!
Even in his _neoin_ jag, a jolt came to him. How did Lansfer know that?
Frantically, his thoughts speared back to the police ship. But it was
too far now--only confused fragments came.
But one image brought him to his feet, sobered and fearful for Gail's
safety. Wildly he searched space for the magenta blasts of the police
ship's rockets.
Because his extra-sensory perception brought one clear image. In
Lansfer's pocket he had perceived the ancient twentieth century coin he
had given to George Melvin.