“You're doing fine,” Stan said over the radio. “I just woke up and I'm pleased to see your progress. None of the aliens has sensed yet that you're not one of them?”

“No, Doctor. Though their examinations grow more stringent the deeper we go into the hive.”

“I think we have them foxed,” Stan said, sounding very pleased with himself. “This anteroom you're in appears to be an interesting place. Can you fix the focus? I can't make out what's on the walls.”

“They are large containers,” Norbert said. “They appear to be made from a waxy substance similar in molecular makeup to royal jelly. They appear to be filling those containers with jelly.”

“Might they be storing water?” Stan asked.

“I don't believe so,” Norbert said. “The containers seem to be holding liquids of slightly different colors and densities. The aliens grow quite excited when they go near these containers. They have to be urged by what I take to be the guards to move on. I think that these containers hold royal jelly deposited by certain especially potent queens or queen types. These may be more efficacious than the common run of the jelly, and be prized by the queen accordingly.”

“With your equipment,” Stan asked, “can you ascertain which is the purest?”

“There's no difficulty in that, Doctor.”

“Then draw me off a sample. This sounds like the pure royal jelly I need.”

After a moment Norbert said, “It is done.”

“Good,” Stan returned. “We'll meet up soon. Bring the sample with you. What are they doing with Mac?”

“The alien holding him has brought him into the queen's chamber. He is offering him to the queen.”

“That is the queen ahead? The image is not distinct.”

“There is a diffracting vapor in this room, Doctor. It is difficult to make out anything clearly. Take it easy, Mac!”

Stan said, “Why did you speak to the dog?”

“To get him to be quiet, sir. We don't want to mar matters as he is presented to the queen. She is receiving him now. Although I am not expert in alien physiognomy, I'd say she finds pleasure in the gift She's holding him up to her olfactory receptors —“

“You should have killed him first,” Julie interrupted.

“I was not instructed to do so,” Norbert said. “No matter. He is beyond pain now. Doctor, one of the guards is coming over to me. It is to be another inspection.”

“Well, you've passed them before.”

“Yes, sir. But there are three guards interested in me this time. It must be because I came so close to the queen. Or maybe it was when I took the sample. I am stepping up my production of pheromones.”

“Good idea,” said Stan. “Is it helping any?”

“It doesn't seem to be doing much good. They are making odd head movements. I do not know what it means.”

“What the hell has gone wrong?” Stan asked urgently. “What are they doing now?”

“They seem suspicious. They have seized me. What do you want me to do, Doctor?”

“Damn it,” Stan spat. “I should have gotten you out of there before this! Norbert! Break free and get out!”

“Yes, sir,” Norbert said. The big robot whirled, tearing himself free from the aliens' hooked claws. Then, dropping to all fours, he began scuttling down the corridor.

A reverse sensor in the back of Norbert's head clicked on and showed the view: the long winding tunnel curving behind, the three aliens scurrying on all fours after him.

Norbert was running full out. Stan had never seen him go so fast before. A thrill of pride went through him as he witnessed his creation in action. With speed like that, surely …

Stan could tell from the jarring movement of his sensor lens when the alien guard landed on Norbert's back. Stan winced as though the blow had landed on him. How could the guard be that fast? he wondered.

To Norbert he said, “Fight him off! Get out of there!”

“I'm trying, Dr. Myakovsky. But there are three of them —“

Abruptly the screen went blank.

Stan cried, “Norbert! Can you hear me? Come in!”

“Nothing,” Gill said. He touched a dial, shook his head. “He's off the air.”

“He's dead!” Julie cried.

“I didn't want this to happen,” Stan screamed. “Not Norbert! Not Norbert!”

Julie said urgently, “Stan, get a hold of yourself.”

Stan shuddered and let out a deep breath. He seemed calmer. “Can you get Captain Hoban?” he asked.

“Not yet, sir,” Gill said.

Julie had stepped out of the control area for a moment. Now she was back, and her hair was flowing around her head like a network of electrical sparks had gotten into it.

“Stan,” she said. “I just checked the short-range weather forecaster in the rear cabin. It's going haywire!”

“Just what we need,” Stan groaned.

53

“There's the Bay port, just ahead,” Andy Groggins said. He had run ahead of Badger and the rest of the party. He had a slug-thrower with telescopic wire stuck under his arm. Strapped to his waist was a Geiss needle. He'd tied a bit of cloth around his forehead to keep sweat out of his eyes.

“We'll just ease our way in it,” Red Badger said. His synthide shirt was torn, revealing his hairy freckled chest and prominent paunch. His small eyes gleamed as he pressed forward. He had a Krag beamer under his arm, its selector pointing to rapid intermittent.

The corridor widened at this point. There were separate passageways leading to “stores” in one direction and to “power” in the other.

As they came out into the wide opened area between corridors, a voice called out, “Freeze, you!”

Badger stood motionless. The others, coming along behind him, managed to slink into the shadows. But Red Badger felt very exposed. He didn't let his apprehension show, however.

He took two casual steps forward and said, “It's all right, the captain sent us.”

“He didn't tell me nothin' about that,” the voice said.

Badger had it located now. It was coming from a paint locker on the far side of the corridor. The guard who was stationed here must have taken refuge when the trouble began elsewhere in the ship. But where was his partner?

“I don't blame you for being cautious,” Badger said. “But I'm telling you it's all right. We're here to relieve you.”

As he talked he peered ahead, trying to figure out how long it would take him to blast through the paint locker and kill the man inside. Too long, he decided. The guard could get him in a single well-placed burst first.

“Stop right there and drop your weapons,” the guard called out.

“You're making a mistake,” Badger said, and kept on coming. “Captain Hoban told us to secure this area as quickly as possible. Damn it, man, this is serious!”

“Stop right now, or —“

At that moment there was a double burst of slugthrower fire as Glint and Connie opened up almost simultaneously from opposite sides of the corridor. They held down their fire while the paint locker rattled up and down and bounced against the corridor wall, finally letting up only after blowing the door off the hinges and seeing the single guard inside fall out onto the deck.

“Let's go,” Badger said, leading the way to the pod. “We're getting out of here.”