"Listen," he hissed. "You know what I meant when I said I've been thinking?"
"Yes," Herb said. "So have I."
William licked his lips. His heart seemed to stop. He took a deep breath.
"How can we stop him from blowing it up?"
The Universe wheeled. Herb could not believe what he had heard. A Destructionist!
"He dropped some hints, he didn't mean to, but he did," William said. "I finally realized. You must have known longer than I have. It's all a lie. He as good as told me so."
Herb took half a step backward. His skin crawled with horror.
William, oblivious to everything but his own words, said, "We've got to stop and plan carefully. I will kill him myself, and then you get to the control room.... We'll have to hold the crew off. They might not believe us. Not at first. That will be the big trouble...."
Herb continued to back away. All the training of a lifetime surged into his mind. There is scarcely a way to express the detestation a starman, properly conditioned, felt toward a Destructionist. His reason was destroyed. He wanted to leap at William and tear at his face with his naked hands.
I've got to warn him! Herb thought.