Boyette turned slowly and carefully to see the burly Exec bearing down on him. He considered staking everything on a quick movement but gave up the idea. If the mike wasn't in the proper position it would avail nothing.
"Yes?" he answered.
"What's in that bottle?" the Exec asked.
Boyette felt his pulse slow down to normal. "Just the stimulant I was looking for," he explained.
"Let's see it." The bottle changed hands and the Exec examined it carefully, finally returning it with a short, "All right."
Boyette moved the still groggy and doped alien closer to the microphone, then shot the stimulant into him. The reaction was quick in coming, the animal arose to its feet with a dazed look. The rest of the aliens clustered around, silent but obviously questioning by telepathy.
For the moment Boyette was unnoticed and with no sign of haste he depressed the mike-button. There was a low hum over the intercom system, almost inaudible. Evidently it was much louder to the ears of the aliens since several peered around uneasily for the source.
He moved the mike slightly and immediately a high-pitched wail broke out. Even Boyette flinched as it grated across his nerves but to the aliens it must have represented pure physical torture.
Those still being held by crew-members tore frantically to be free, some even biting in their frantic haste. There was a confused milling about the room, then a mass exodus through the door and out the air-lock.
The men inside were almost as rattled by the time Boyette had shut off the mike. He rushed to close the outer lock with every alien now outside the ship.