I don't know what he expected Axel to do. I think he wanted me to turn my head so he could attack, or draw his own pistol, but I refused to be taken in by that old dodge.
"He's right, sir," said Axel. His habit of addressing Spartan by the title "sir" couldn't be shaken in a moment. "I found the paper in the valve of Morrie's helmet before you removed it."
"Lies!" said Spartan. "Now listen. If you put away that gun, Drake, I'll forget this. It's just another case of over-wrought nerves—the same thing that affected Grover—"
"And cause you to kill him because that was the easiest way to handle him?"
This seemed to hit Spartan because he didn't realize how well we knew his motives. He seemed to quiver. "I'm to be killed so you'll have enough water—"
"That's one reason you would have killed me, probably," I said, "but we're a different sort, Spartan. We're taking you back to the earth. And you'll share our rationed water all the way. We won't kill you. What happens to you after your trial on earth is not up to us."
His shoulders seemed to sag. "And I was the first man to walk on Mars!" He seemed to think that ought to atone for everything. "Now you're gutting the whole expedition."
"You're wrong on that score, Spartan," I said. "We'll complete the mission. You'll be under guard, but the rest of us can carry it out. We're doing this now to defend ourselves."
I heard Axel's sigh in my earphones. "I'm glad you said that, Bill," he said. "I didn't quite know what was coming off."
We took Spartan into the ship after disarming him. We removed his helmet and spacesuit and tied his hands. He said nothing, showed no emotion except anger.