For both he and Tony Andrews knew that, even with the full power of the rocket tubes, the single man cruiser could never carry four passengers back to safety. It might be able to lift into space with three people cramped into the one man cabin—but never with four!
One person must be left behind!
And Val Kenton had already decided who that person must be! It was to be Tony Andrews who was to be marooned to a certain death—left on Venus because of the hate Val Kenton felt for him because of the report he had made to the Patrol five years before.
Moments passed, moments in which no one spoke, and in which Val Kenton could see dreadful realization growing in the Patrolman's eyes. Val Kenton laughed even more to himself, seeing the fear rising in the other man, knowing the horrible terror that the other must be experiencing.
Elise sensed but dimly the thoughts that were racing through the minds of the men seated before her. She gazed from one to the other with eyes that grew wide and slightly fearful.
"Is something wrong?" she asked suddenly, "Can't the rescue ship be fixed?"
Tony Andrews smiled then, smiled with stiff lips, his eyes bright and confident. "Nothing is wrong," he said, "we'll be safe on Earth before you know it."
A disruptor rifle cracked loudly, the sound whipping in through the open port.
Tony Andrews snapped to his feet. "Trouble!" he barked, "Elise, you stay here; come on, Val!"