I saw the bombardment of Kalima finally halted. Jim, victorious, was sweeping everything before him. His projector still raked the island. The island’s vegetation was burning now from end to end. On the north beach the huddled figures were nearly gone; bodies were everywhere. The water was dotted with them. Along the main shore now, in advance of Jim, Talon’s army was in utter rout. Frantic brutemen with mounted heads rushed to the beach, plunged in. The heads were torn away; floating like balloons on the white lashing waves. Back along the shore, Jim’s men were lined. Needle beams darted out at the floating heads. Everywhere we were winning. Far back in the country I could see Jim’s triumphant lights, spreading everywhere. From the turmoil of water beneath me, a boat rose up, a long, narrow black boat. Its cover slid back. It was heading northward, away from Kalima, speeding swiftly, with a line of bubbles in its wake. I remembered it; the boat Jim had described. Talon’s boat! Talon, who had been lurking beneath the surface of the sea, waiting in safety for victory, so that he might rush for Kalima. Now, with defeat, he was escaping. Altho, perhaps, was with him. I turned my aerial, trying to pick up Maxite. But I could not get him. Then I tried one of our nearest boats raking the island, ordered it to follow Talon. Behind me, far down, I saw it turn and start. I drove my birds downward in a swoop for Talon’s boat. Beneath me, close to the water I seemed to see the shadow of a flying bird, but in a moment I had forgotten it. A breathless swoop and I was close upon the boat. From the dim glow of its engines, I saw it held only four figures, three mounted heads. Two were controlling the boat. The other was Talon. I could see him moving about giving commands. And Altho lay in the boat’s bottom, Altho, his body lashed and bound into an inert bundle. My Frazier beam struck the boat’s interior. The two mounted heads controlling it stiffened and fell. But Talon was untouched. I was close over the stern of the boat, holding my projector downward. Talon’s face glared up at me, untouched. His brute-body stiffened and slumped, but Talon disconnected from it. His head dropped to the deck upon his hands. His eyes glared up at me. A flash of black spat from his hand-projector. At this close range my platform crumpled. It fell, struck the boat’s stern, and toppled half into the water. I had leaped. I fell into the boat. But another figure had landed there before me, a giant, fluttering bird. Sonya jumped from it, seized Altho’s bound body. Talon’s small flash darted at her, but missed. My wrecked platform, half on the boat’s stern, weighed it down. The boat began to fill with water. I saw vaguely as I leaped at Talon, that Sonya was dragging Altho’s inert form to the gunwale. They went overboard together. My hurtling body struck the head of Talon. It cracked, smashed under my weight. I climbed from its noisome, sticky mass.