Hector is no ordinary asteroid. Wrapped in glassite, spun to create gravity, and fueled by something dense and dangerous at its core, it has become the most glittering gambling den in the System. Beneath a transparent floor that reveals open space below, fortunes change hands in a single deal. Patch Merrick arrives there desperate, hunted, and nearly broke. One more hand at the table could finance his escape—or strand him forever.
Merrick is not alone. At his side is Zaarrgon, a Martian whose compassion cost him his freedom. Both are fugitives from powerful interests who want them silenced. Gambling is not recreation for Merrick. It is survival. When the stakes surge beyond reason and a rival demands a final, reckless wager, Merrick risks his ship and his future in one brutal showdown. Winning should mean freedom. Instead, it draws the attention of a far more dangerous enemy.
Arrested, confined deep inside Hector’s humming machinery, Merrick and Zaarrgon face a choice: wait for capture and punishment, or attempt something reckless enough to tear open the asteroid itself. Escape will require nerve, strength, and a willingness to gamble again—this time not with cards, but with atomic fuel and vacuum.
And then there is Morgana Conti. Brilliant, relentless, and never predictable, she stands on the other side of the chase. Whether she is hunter, ally, or something more complicated becomes the final uncertainty Merrick must face.
Manly Wade Wellman was one of the most versatile writers in American speculative fiction. His work appeared in Thrilling Wonder Stories, Weird Tales, Startling Stories, and Astounding Science Fiction. He is widely known for his John the Balladeer tales and the occult detective stories of Judge Pursuivant, but he also wrote energetic planetary adventures like this one. Wellman’s science fiction often blends action, moral tension, and sharply drawn characters who must act under pressure.
