Rod braced him more firmly--the tortured chest heaved again. “When they found out ... about the Survivors ... they decided to finish us. They had been working to find out about a cure for the gryxon burn. Koler worked with them and discovered how to make it work faster ... said it was a catalyst ... forced us to eat it ... one by one.” “Mona?” Rod asked gently. “They’ve saved her and a few more ... going to experiment ... operate ... say humans no use as slaves ... too stiff-necked ... make better guinea pigs ... we’re finished.” * * * * * The slave tried to speak again. But his chest was rigid, fixed. His eyes filmed. He ceased the struggle. Rod laid him down, still gently and straightened him, crossing his hands over his chest. Smoke came in a fine haze from the flaring nostrils. Bloody froth flew from between the drawn lips. The Satanic grin came with the onslaught of the greenish glow. And then--there were ashes! “We’re ready, boss.” Bunny’s voice was quiet. “Yes,” Williamson’s voice was equally low, “we’ve got time until we’re twenty-five--to exterminate every tetrarch on the planet. The best we can hope for is a dead draw. Shall we get started, Rod? There’s little time left to us.” “We’ll have the advantage of surprise,” Rod agreed, “unless we walk into a trap. But I think we can outmaneuver them.” He turned quickly. “Anyone here within a week of their twenty-fifth birthday?” “I don’t think so, Rod.” “Anyone within a month of their twenty-fifth birthday who is also from the Mediterranean section of Earth?” He paused. Their silence gave him his answer. “Good,” he said, “in this game we’ve still got our hole card. “Now, remember this one thing. Our objective is the science building--they operate there--and that’s where they’ll store the catalyst. Anything else is secondary. “We’ll try a feint on the slave compartment. We’ll drive in force on all communication centers. I’ll make maps showing their locations--I made it my job to get that info before I left Earth. And we’ve got to kill every tetrarchian space ship crew either at the same time or immediately after we destroy communications. We’ve none too much oxygen for a job of this size. That’s our main weapon. So make it count. We’ll use what blasters we have. And if you run into any tetrarchians with space suits on aim for the mask. That’s all you need to do before you give him the explosion treatment. Is everything clear?” “All we need is to know who’s going to lead who to where,” Bunny said. “I’ll have plans drawn up at headquarters in half an hour,” Rod promised. “Meantime leave a twenty-percent reserve of oxygen here and break the rest down from tanks to all the cannisters you can get your hands on.” Rod walked rapidly up the hill outlining details of the battle plan to Williamson as they entered the cave.