 What was the monstrosity that Moran cut apart with his torch?
I. Moran cut apart the yard-long monstrosity with a slash of flame. Moran, naturally, did not mean to help in the carrying out of the plans which would mean his destruction one way or another. The plans were thrashed out very painstakingly, in formal conference on the space-yacht Nadine , with Moran present and allowed to take part in the discussion. From the viewpoint of the Nadine's ship's company, it was simply necessary to get rid of Moran. Now it lay astern, and Moran could see the planet that had been chosen for his marooning. Moran observed these things from the control-room of the Nadine , then approaching the world on planetary drive. Without rigid control of space-travel, any criminal anywhere could escape the consequences of any crime simply by buying a ticket to another world. Moran couldn't have bought a ticket, but he'd tried to get off the planet Coryus on the Nadine . Moran, at least, would be picked out as a fugitive from Coryus Three. The others were fugitives too, from some unnamed world Moran did not know. Blaster in hand, he'd made the Nadine take off from Coryus III with a trip-tape picked at random for guidance. It could have travelled at almost any speed in practically any direction for a length of time that was at least indefinite. Only people accustomed to desperate actions would have remained so calm when Moran had used desperate measures against them.
 A worm that had grown out of control.
 A worm that had grown out of control.  A roach that had grown out of control.  A mosquito that had grown out of control.  A beetle that had grown out of control.