We must find George St. George as fast as possible, and Oritz has told us that only a miner named Montezuma Vly can tell us where he is.

But to find him in short order, you will indeed have to go through Montezuma Vly.

" "We are familiar with Mr. Vly's convictions and we wouldn't bother him if there were any other way to find St. George.

It is a true crescent, a sliver of stone with Vly's operation in its very center."

" "Mr. Vly, this is Starman David Foster, Commander of the Starlight Enterprise ship Vigilant Warrior," Zip broke in.

What about it?" "May we land, Mr. Vly?

The communicator was shut off from Vly's end.

The Vigilant Warrior touched down about fifty yards from the closest of Vly's craft.

"I'm Montezuma Vly."

Montezuma Vly paid close attention.

When Zip was finished, Vly nodded.

" "You seem to know a lot about our recent exploits, Mr. Vly," said Joe, conversationally.

" "We're grateful to you, Mr. Vly," nodded Zip.

Vly picked up a small cutting tool with a laser guide at the end.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" asked Vly, gently.

" "The crystal's impurities are almost invisible to the unaided eye," answered Vly, "but the laser hits the impurities and causes secondary emissions of light of all sorts of color-the more impurities, the more colors.

When they were back in the room they had first entered, Vly reached up into a recess where there were several rolled sheets of paper.

"Here's where we are," said Vly, pointing to a spot on the map, "and here's where George is."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Vly," said Mark, "but I don't follow you.

" "See these figures?" asked Vly.

"Must take a lot of power to run your operation here, Mr. Vly," observed Mark while he waited for Montezuma to finish writing.

" "Really?" said Mr. Vly, lifting his eyebrows slightly, handing him the sheet with his notes on it.

"Thank you, Mr. Vly," said Zip, extending his hand.

"Lurton-what about the ships that went to interrogate Vly?

Strangers in the vly.