by E. K. Jarvis
staying alive as long as possible," Nickoretorted.
The commander made his decision. The ship streaked in, dancing like azephyr to avoid the crystalline ray. But there was no longer any greatdanger from this because the tilt of the deck made accurate aimingimpossible for the Ptomenites.
Straight in for the kill now, came the Baserite ship; straight intoward the crippled deck awash with the blood of smashed and maimedsoldiers; alive with the screams of the agonized and the dying.
Doree covered her face with her hands and came into Mike's arms. Soshe did not see that the Ptomenites had one maneuver left; a perilousone, but nonetheless a maneuver.
The craft was now over the level ground on the near outskirts of thecity. It hung motionless, allowing the Baserite craft to take deadlyaim.
But as the sleek ship rocketed in, the commander of the Ptomenitecraft waited until the last moment and then released whatever forceheld the ship in the air. The split deck dropped like a stone, but toolate for the other ship to change course.
* * * * *
The Baserites had gambled and lost. As the ship arced again skyward, adozen similar fighters closed in from two directions. They emitted thedeadly crystalline fire. For a few moments, the Baserite ship seemedunharmed. Then it's hull began to glow; a faint pink, a cherry red, abright crimson. Then a brilliant explosion lighted a sky made hazy bythe descending sun. And there was nothing.
Even as the Ptomenite ship plummetted downward, Mike marveled at theeffectiveness of the crystalline ray. Nothing remotely resembling itexisted in the universe he knew. Then his attention was concentratedsolely upon perils of the moment The Ptomenite commander was not ableto stop the rapid descent. He could only lessen it slightly and Mikeheld Doree tight in his arms when the crash came.
He noted, fleetingly, that neither McKee nor Talbott had been injuredby the thrust of the Baserite ship. The door to the after cabin wasopen and he saw them crouching inside, terror written across theirfaces. Standing above them, proud and erect in the face of death,stood the Princess Katal'halee and Mike felt a touch of admiration.Then the craft hit the ground....
Mike realized he was not unconscious. He realized also that the shiphad braked slightly against the rocketing drop at just the lastmoment.
It had blunted the force of the impact but little, however, and chaosreigned upon the shattered deck. Mike found that both Nicko and Doreewere unconscious but that the H'Lorkan tribesman was shaking his headgroggily.
* * * * *
Mike looked swiftly about. The dust cleared slightly nearby and he sawthat the prow of the deck had buckled as it hit, leaving a darkopening beneath. There was room for a man in there. Mike glancedaround. In the confusion, no one was paying any attention to theprisoners. Help was coming from the city but the rescuers were stillquite a distance away.
Mike motioned to the H'Lorkan, gesturing frantically. The otherquickly understood. Mike picked Doree up and put her inside the darkopening. He followed her and moved her further inside away from thesmall opening.
Then he looked out to find that the H'Lorkan had had difficulty withNicko, but had found a way of grasping him so as not to get cut by thesharp scales. He pushed the little Martian's body in to Mike andfollowed quickly.
Mike turned immediately to Doree and began examining her for injury.There was a small gash on her forehead and a bruise on her shoulder.She moaned and opened her eyes.
Mike put a finger over her lips. "Be very quiet."
"Where are we? What happened?"
"The ship crashed," he whispered, "but we may be safe for a while."
Doree smiled weakly. "I thought it was the end."
"How do you feel?"
"All right--I guess. Nothing seems to be broken."
"Lie and rest." Mike turned and found Nicko was sitting up, his eyesopen but still a trifle vacant. "You okay?"
"Guess so. They couldn't kill me with a club but I get knocked outcoming downstairs."
"Something must have hit you on the head just right."
"Something sure did. Tell me, what's the situation?"
"I don't know. I'm playing it from hand to mouth. We're hidden underthe ruins of the ship."
"They'll be after us."
"If they weren't killed." Mike found a small opening and peered out.Help had come from the city now and he saw a line of stretcher bearersmoving away from the wreck. His spirits rose as he identified three ofthe casualties. McKee, Talbott, Katal'halee. Were any or all of themdead? He had no way of knowing. But at least they appeared to be pastcaring about the four prisoners--at least for a time.
This did not insure safety however. The entrance to the improvisedcave darkened and a face appeared. Mike held his breath, expectingchallenge and exposure.
But none came. Then Mike realized that dusk had fallen and the eyes ofthe searcher could not penetrate their hiding place with any degree ofsurety. There were sharp words in the alien tongue. Obviously thesearcher was calling for any trapped or injured person.
Desperately, Mike hoped he would let it go at that. But such was notthe case. The man got down on his knees and pushed inside.
He found himself taken instantly into the iron grasp of threedesperate tenants. The H'Lorkan got him by the legs, Nicko hit him inthe middle, and Mike got strong hands on his throat, drove powerfulfingers into it, shutting off the man's breath forever.
The man struggled helplessly for a few moments. Then he lay still asMike snapped his neck suddenly backward and broke it.
* * * * *
The darkness served another purpose. It kept Doree from the horror ofseeing a man killed not two feet from her eyes. But she realized whatwas happening and buried her face in her hands.
"I'm sorry," Mike whispered. "But this is a matter of survival. Tryand look at it in that light."
There was nothing to do now but wait. Mike's hopes were slim anddesperate ones--that the slain man would not be missed for a while,and that the wreckage of the ship would not be cleared away until thefollowing day.
The time dragged. Activity around the wreck dwindled and died out.Total darkness had not yet come and Mike prayed for a few more minutesof safety. But he was not to get it. A commotion over toward the citybrought him to a break in the wreckage through which he could scanthe area. A huge derrick-like affair, encrusted with the usual goldand gems, was lumbering toward the wrecked platform. A gang of workmenfollowed on foot. Incandescent balls were carried by another group,brightly illuminating the scene.
"We've got to run for it!" Mike said. "Out--everybody! Run straight tothe left! There's an airfield over there. McKee and Talbott's ship ison the far edge. I saw it just before we fell!"
The four wormed their way out from under the wreckage. "That shipshould be primed to go!" Nicko said with excitement.
"That's what I'm hoping."
"No!" Doree cried, and pulled away from Mike. "No! I won't go awayfrom here and leave my father! We've got to try to help him!"
* * * * *
Mike did not hesitate. He swung a short solid right. It crackedagainst Doree's jaw and she went limp. "Sorry," he said grimly, "butthis is no time to argue."
"We're going to hit that ship and blast out?" Nicko asked.
"What else? She'll hate me for it, but we've got to use common sense.There's nothing we can do for Professor Brandon this trip. Maybe wecan come back later."
"It will be hard on the kitty."
"Okay," Mike retorted harshly. "My responsibility is getting Doree outof here alive!"
"I'm not arguing," Nicko said. "Let's move."
The H'Lorkan had remained silent the whole time. He had done what wasexpected of him promptly and efficiently and proven himself a goodcomrade. But there was no time now to explain the plan to him. If hehad remained where he was they would probably have gone off and lefthim. But when they started across the open country, he ran with them.
Mike
momentarily expected the light from the glowing bulbs to pickthem out, but luck was with them and they gained the edge of theairfield without being detected. They disappeared in among the craft.There was quite an assortment of these and from the design andvariations in size, Mike got the impression they were pleasure craftand not a part of the fighting force. Encrusted jewels were used inprofusion and decorations along with both silver and gold. On thisplanet these precious materials seemed to have little value as noguards were posted over the field.
* * * * *
There were lights in a few of them. These, Mike carefully skirteduntil the party came at last to the sleek black hull of the ship McKeeand Talbott had arrived in.
No sight ever
