Arden's fingers whitened on the gun; and Joe leapt aside suddenly. The shot blasted out. Then the gun dropped from Arden's fingers and he fell forward on his face, retching.
Joe lifted the fallen metal expert almost tenderly, and carried him toward the hospital room.
When he brought his burden in, Joe saw Burnet sitting on the edge of the bed, slipping on his sandals. Doc Guetschow, one of the professor twins, was remonstrating with him, trying to keep him in bed.
Burnet shook himself free and stood up. Then he saw Joe placing Arden's body on the bed.
"Well!"
Joe turned and smiled. Then he was serious: "Arden's got the radio disease."
"Your fault, Joe," Burnet said. "He was right."
"No," Joe said doggedly. "He had it when he came aboard, too. He's got it bad, too. See what you can do for him, Doc."
Then Joe trotted out of the hospital room, and headed for the kitchen storerooms. Wick Wilson, who doubled as cook and metallurgist, was opening cans and draining off the liquid into a tub.
"Help?" asked Joe.