Shane eased out his light-gun. Silently, he left the stairs and moved down another hallway. To the right, a door loomed. From the other side came a muffled mumble of voices. But not the song. Cat-footed, Shane passed the portal. The song came clearer now--a haunting, taunting melody in a tongue the Earthman did not know. The singer's voice held an alien lilt, a thread of silvery tone. Kyrsis' voice. It came from behind another door, and this one was open a crack. Again Shane paused and listened. But there was no sound save the singing. * * * * * The Earthman stepped to the door's hinge side; threw a quick glance up and down the hall. It was still empty. Staying back of the jamb, out of sight from the room, he pressed his left hand against the door ever so gently and pushed it open--slowly, as if it were moving with a draft. Still there was no sound but Kyrsis' voice. But after a moment it swelled a fraction, and the whisper of her footsteps crept through. Then, of a sudden, her profile was framed between half-open door and jamb. In two swift steps, Shane was inside--pushing her back, heeling shut the door. The silver woman's great violet eyes went wide. She opened her mouth to scream. But before the sound could come, Shane's arm was about her. His hand clamped over her open mouth. For an instant her body writhed against him. Her fists beat at his chest, her feet at his ankles. He said: "If I break you, Kyrsis, the choice will be yours, not mine." For a long moment her eyes probed his, her body still rigid, straining against him. Then, slowly, she relaxed. Shane let her go. Her pale, beautiful face held no expression now. With one last enigmatic glance, she turned from him and moved with perfect poise to a mirror that hung upon another door across the room. Her slender fingers smoothed her hair, rearranged her rumpled gown. After a moment Shane followed her, stood close behind her, so that their eyes met in the mirror. Gently, he gripped her shoulders. "I came for a reason, Kyrsis," he said. "A reason, Shane--?" She said it almost absently, her fingers still busy with her hair. "What reason?" Shane's jaw was hard. "Perhaps you've heard that the Federation cast me out." "Of course. It was expected." The rich purple lips curved in the faintest of mocking smiles. "Why else do you think I came to Horla with you, except to lay the ground?" * * * * * The lines in Shane's face deepened. "I don't know. That's why I took this chance to see you now." "What, Shane--? I do not understand...." "Once, on our way here, you asked me to try to understand you and your people. You said our paths might run together if I were to take the slavers' road." "Shane--!" Of a sudden her body again was rigid. She twisted, stared up into Shane's eyes. "You mean--you would give up the _Chonya_ way? You would raid for slaves as Quos Reggar raids?"