"We can't spot it. Where'd it come from?" "All right, everybody. Break formation. Break formation, I said!" "Major, I'm going to drop a bomb. Maybe we can see where that came from in the light. I thought you said cripple." "Never mind what I said. Drop it." "Major Tomar. This is B-6. We've been--" (Unintelligible static.) Someone else gave a slow whistle through the microphone. "Break formation, I said. Damn it, break formation." Over the plain, a sheet of red fire flapped up, and Jon and Arkor pulled back from the railing that edged the road. Another white streak left the horizon, and for a moment, in the glare, their shadows on the pavement were doubled in white and red. The sound of the explosion reached them a moment later, as broken rocks leapt into visibility like a rotted jaw swung up through red fire. Another sound behind them made them turn. The lighted roadways of Telphar looped the city like strands of pearls on skeletal fingers. A car came toward them. Another wailing missile took the sky, and a moment later a screaming plane answered, tearing down the night. This one suddenly turned as its flaming motors caught once more and careened above their heads so close that they ducked and disappeared among the city towers: an explosion, then falling flame drooled the side of a building. "I hope that's nowhere near the Palace of the Stars," a voice said next to Jon. "We'll have a great time getting back if it is." Jon whirled. The Duchess had gotten out of the car. The red light flared a moment in her hair, then died. "No. That was nowhere near it," Jon said. "Am I glad to see you." Tel and Alter, still in her cast and hospital robe, followed the Duchess out of the car. "Well," he said, "you brought the kids too." "It was better than leaving them back in Toron. Jon, Geryn is dead. I asked what to do, but I didn't get any answer. So we lugged his body along just in case. But what do we do now?" From the railing Arkor laughed. "It's not funny," Jon said. The Duchess looked overhead as another missile exploded. "I had hoped this wouldn't happen. This means a war, Jon. A real one, and unstoppable." Another plane crashed, too close this time, and they ducked behind the cars. "Gee," breathed Alter, which was the only thing anybody said. Then Arkor cried, "Come on." "Where to?" asked Jon. "Follow me," Arkor repeated. "Everyone." "What about Geryn?" "Leave that corpse behind," Arkor told them. "He can't help." "Look, do you know what's going on?" Jon demanded. "More than Geryn ever did," the giant returned. "Now let's get going." They sprinted out along the road, then ducked under the railing and made their way across the rocky waste. "Where are we going?" Tel whispered. Jon called back over his shoulder, "That's a very good question." * * * * *