Working slowly and deliberately, he pushed the H-bomb into the blackness. It wasn't just ordinary darkness; it seemed to be an actual, solid wall, painted deep black. As the bomb went in, it looked as though it were cut off abruptly at the black wall. Finally, there was nothing outside except the two detonating wires, which had been clipped off from inside the Earth ship. The alien took the wires in his hands.
"My God!" said the major. "He's going to blow up his own ship! Is he crazy?"
"I don't think so," said MacIlheny slowly. "Let's see what happens."
As the two wires came in contact, the black wall inside the small door became lighter, a pearly gray in color. There was no other result.
"Well I'll be damned," said Blake in a low, shocked voice.
The alien closed the door in the side of his ship and came back down to the camera. He bowed again. Then he pointed to the weapon that he had been carrying and waved his hands. He picked it up and brought it around the RJ-37. From the microphones inside the ship came a faint scraping sound. Then the alien reappeared in front of the ship. His arms were empty; he had put the weapon inside the open cargo hold.
"A fair trade is no robbery," Blake said softly.