“Me? Sure. I was asleep. Why?”
“Be on your toes, sleepyhead; just got word that Mellon has escaped from his stateroom. He may try to take another crack at you.”
“I’ll watch it,” said von Liegnitz, his voice crisp now.
“Okay.” Jeffers sighed and looked up. “As soon as the power came on, the Physician’s Mate was on the intercom. Mellon isn’t in his stateroom.”
“Oh, wonderful!” growled Captain Quill. “We now have one insane robot and one insane human running loose on this ship. I’m glad we didn’t bring any gorillas with us.”
“Somehow I think I’d be safer with a gorilla,” said Mike the Angel.
“According to the Physician’s Mate, Mellon is worse than just nuts,” said Jeffers quietly. “He says he loaded Mellon full of dope to make him sleep and that the man’s got no right to be walkin’ around at all.”
“He must have gotten out while the doors were open,” said Captain Quill. He rubbed the palm of his hand over the shiny pinkness of his scalp. His dark, shaggy brows were down over his eyes, as though they had been weighted with lead.
“Mister Jeffers,” he said abruptly, “break out the stun guns. Issue one to each officer and one to each chief non-com. Until we get this straightened out, I’m declaring a state of emergency.”