Barnard's dull eyes swung to the steady weapon.
Barnard's dull eyes swung to the steady weapon.
Barnard's dull eyes swung to the steady weapon.
Lansfer chuckled contemptfully.
Gail was at his side. He reached out as if to push her away, and the same motion his hand shot out, releasing theneoinsquarely into Lansfer's face.
In that split second, Lansfer's eyes widened in horror. His hands streaked to his face to keep the gray death from his lips and nostrils. Remish was across the room, batting the gun from his hands.
While Lansfer still dashed theneoinaway from him, Remish and Grady had guns trained on him.
"Now," said Grady, grimly, "what's this all about, Barnard?"
Barnard told them haltingly. He still had sense enough to realize that his I.Q. was down about fifty per cent. His career as the top reporter of the system was done ... all he had left was a grim determination.
He picked up the silver helmet, fitted it over his head.
"Ron—?" Gail's eyes were shocked. "What are you going to do?"
He turned silently, and they followed him to the door of the cave. He turned to Remish.
"I'm going back in there," he said.
"No!" Gail clutched at his arms. "Don't, Ron—you'll be George all over again, and I couldn't stand that—"
He bent down and kissed her, then pushed her gently aside. He looked at Remish.
The policeman hesitated.
"You owe me this much," said Barnard.
"You're putting me on a spot," Remish growled. "But go ahead, if you must."
As Barnard started to close the door behind him, he was thrown to the floor by Lansfer's sudden rush. The hard faced policeman threw a bolt over the door, then dived on Barnard, clutching for the helmet.
The reporter fought back instinctively. His feet went into Lansfer as the other dived on him. He rose as far as his knees and delivered short solid punches to the body as Lansfer clawed desperately for the silver band.
Suddenly Lansfer stiffened with an expression of utter horror and fell away.
For a minute Barnard watched, building up his own strength. Then he tore the helmet from his head, hurled it far from him.
"Come on, you devils," he growled. "I want my mind back."
When Barnard dragged Lansfer out of the cave, his eyes were bright, and a happy grin was on his face. The first thing he saw was Gail, utterly miserable against a wall of the corridor. The first thing he did was kiss her amazed face.
"You're the boss now," he told the equally amazed Remish. "If you'll take a suggestion, let's find Lansfer's hoard and throw all the silver coins into that cave. That should put an end to the energy creatures."
Remish looked distastefully at the drooling thing that had been Lansfer and holstered his gun. He nodded.
"And we'll bring the rest of his treasure back to civilization. We can use it to rehabilitateneoinaddicts."
He looked hopefully at Barnard. "When you print this, you won't be too hard on the Space Police? We could use some favorable publicity—"
Barnard was whispering to Gail. Both were grinning widely. Barnard turned his grin to Remish.
"We love the Space Police," he assured the officer. "Now, as the highest official on this planet, you have the power to marry people. If you'll hurry up, we'll be starting back to Earth on our honeymoon."
He was suddenly thoughtful. "And maybe to do a column or two for the System News Service!"