expression on oneshipowner's face just before his ship broke to bits under him.
They wouldn't get him, though.
They couldn't.
He would blast them out of his path. Just as he had blasted thepresumptuous natives who opposed him.
Thumbing the hand weapon to full blast, he centered it on the faintshimmer ahead, and squeezed the trigger.
Let the meddlers look out for themselves.
* * * * *
Banasel winced a little as the fireball spread, then rose skyward, toform a large cloud.
"You could have relaxed," he protested. "The blast wouldn't have joltedour screen too much, and you could have gotten him again."
"I know." Lanko flicked off the gunnery switches and leaned back,rubbing his head. "There was a possibility, and I fully intended torelax. But the decision time was short, and frankly, those thoughts ofhis overrode me for just too long. That boy was dangerous!"
He turned to Genro Kir, who was looking with horrified fascination atthe still growing cloud in the screen.
"It's unfortunate. We'll try to get your other partner alive."
"You destroyed him!" Kir looked a little sick.
"No. We didn't destroy him. He should have known better than to fireinto a tractor. I'll have to admit, I did slip a little. I assumed hewas the usual type of drone. I didn't recognize the full extent of hisaberration."
Lanko got out of his chair, and crossed the room, to confront theprisoner.
"Look, Kir. I don't know whether your other partner's like that one ornot. But I think it's about time you helped a little. If you had givenus clues to Sira Nal's personality and probable location, we might havebeen able to take precautions. He might be with us now. Or, do you enjoyseeing your friends turn themselves into flaming clouds of smoke?"
"You mean I ... I'm responsible ... for that?"
"Partially. You helped them. You refused any assistance in theircapture. And you knew they were going to be captured, one way oranother."
Kir directed a horrified look at the screen.
"What can I do?"
"Get in contact with Koree Buron. Tell him what happened here. Tell him,too, that we're looking for him, and that there is a Sector Guardsmandue to join us within a few hours. Explain to him that there will bedirection-finders on him very soon, and that any effort he may make touse his body shield, his weapons, or even his thought-radiations, willbe noted, and will lead to him.
"Once you establish contact, we will ride in, if you wish. And we canassure him that he'll be either hunted down promptly, or he will have toassume and accept the role of a native--and a very inconspicuous,uninfluential native, at that.
"Tell him that he is free to come to us and surrender at any time withinthe next twenty hours, planetary. After that, he will be taken by themost expedient means. After the surrender deadline, you can assure himthat his life will be of less importance to us, and to the SectorGuardsman, than that of the most humble native.
"Here's your mental amplifier, if you need it."
Genro Kir looked at the proffered circlet, then slowly extended a hand.He took the device, turned it around in his hands for a few moments,then put it on.
Suddenly, his face set in decision, and he sat quietly for a while, grimfaced. At last, he looked up.
"I got him. He argued a little, but he had a poor argument, and he knewit. He'll be here within an hour, screens down."
THE END
Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from _Astounding Science Fiction_ April 1955.Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyrighton this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errorshave been corrected without note.
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