"The headquarters of the Carlton family. They're the closest people we can depend on. They've kept out of the rebellion, but they're on our side. They've helped us before." * * * * * Two days later, Crystal and Brian, weary, bedraggled and bushworn, stumbled on a rocky trail that twisted up through a narrow valley toward the Carlton place. Trails were scarce in the terrific Venusian mountain country where nearly all communication was by air. Crystal knew this path. "We're almost there," she said, and they pushed along faster. "Listen! What's that?" Brian stopped and they both heard the sound of aircraft taking off. The pulsing roar of the rocket drives approached and a V formation of five ships swept by overhead. Crystal looked at Brian with dawning horror behind her eyes. "Police!" "Good. They're just leaving; they were probably just checking up on the Carltons." Crystal shivered. "When Serono Zeburzac checks up on someone, there usually isn't much left. Come on." She started at a run down the trail. They slowed at the sight of a clearing ahead. A faint sound reached them, a sobbing, inarticulate moan of unexpressible agony that froze them in their tracks. "What's that?" Brian gasped. Crystal's face was dead-white as they moved cautiously forward. They stared out into the clearing in dumb horror. The huge, rambling Carlton mansion was a smoking heap of ruins. A giant Venus thorn bush in front of the house was scorched and charred by the flames. One of its murderous, yard-long spikes carried a terribly gruesome burden. Crystal whimpered and stumbled forward before Brian could stop her. She collapsed in a sobbing heap in front of the gray-haired man impaled on the giant thorn. The figure stirred feebly. "He's alive," Brian muttered. "Crystal! Snap out of it. Get up and give me a hand. We'll cut him down." With Crystal's help Brian hacked off the thorn and gently eased the frail, old man to the ground. His breath fluttered out between lips flecked with pink-tinged froth. His eyes tried to smile his thanks through their haze of pain. Crystal held the weakly gripping hands. "Who did this to you?" The gray lips moved and worked, struggling painfully to form words. The whisper was almost inaudible: "Serono ... Zeburzac." Crystal's face hardened to a mask of vicious cruelty as she fought her emotions down. "We'll get him." "No." The elder Carlton seemed to gather strength. "Get away--escape." Crystal gripped his hands and seemed to hold him back from the edge of Eternity by sheer strength of will. "Where? Where can we go?" The eyes fluttered open again, the shadow of death lurked in their depths. "Go ... the place where the Five Valleys meet ... beware ... Zeburzac."