Laura looked at him, at this man who would carve a solar empire for himself by twisting the legitimate motives of the Outworld people. _It's for Dad_, she thought. She tried to fill her mind with that and nothing else. For her father. Otherwise, he would be tortured. For her father. For her father.... But when Keifer smiled down on her, calmly sure of himself, she thought of other things, of Earth, which did not yet understand the full extent of Keifer's madness, of Alan, who had been slain treacherously.... "That's for my father!" she cried, and slapped Keifer's face. He caught her hands, pinning them at her side. "You little vixen," he said. The imprint of her fingers was on his cheek. There was quick hatred in his eyes, but lust as well. "Why don't you cry for help?" he taunted her. "My guards will hear you." Laura freed one of her hands and slapped him again, then watched as rage swept the lust from his eyes. "I'll break you," he promised, biting off the words one at a time. "You'll come crawling." He forced her down slowly on the couch. They both looked up as the door to the room slid noisily into the wall. Alan stood there. CHAPTER V "Get up," Alan said, jerking the atomic pistol from his belt. "But Haddix said--" "Your guards welcomed me, Keifer. You couldn't afford to tell anyone else I was dead. Laura, are you all right?" "Yes, Alan. I thought you ... he said...." "We're getting out of here. Keifer, call your guards. Tell them to bring General Olmstead here. If you try any tricks, I'll kill you." Alan's head was whirling. He'd lost too much blood, he thought vaguely. There were two Laura's and two Keifer's swimming before his eyes. "You can't desert your own people," Keifer told him. "You don't like my policies, but--" "Shut up. You told Haddix to kill me. One of Haddix's men killed Eugene Talbrick, at your orders." "I--" Alan jammed the atomic pistol against Keifer's chest. "One question," he said. "I want the truth. Who cut off the space-warp?" "Earth--" "I'm going to Earth to find out. I just want to know where I stand, that's all." Keifer shrugged. "We did it, Alan. The Federation." "You mean _you_ did it. But why?" Keifer remained stonily silent. Abruptly, Alan found himself down on one knee. It took an incredible effort of will to stand up again. He needed a blood transfusion and could sleep around the clock and still wake up exhausted. Laura ran to him and said, "You're badly hurt, Alan. You ought to have that treated." He smiled bleakly. "Tell me how?" he said, and handed her the pistol. "If Keifer does anything except send for your father, use this." He staggered to the couch and sat there, letting his head slump forward and down almost to his knees to renew the flow of blood to his brain. Dimly, he was aware of Keifer crossing the room to a video screen and asking someone at the other end to bring General Olmstead--Keifer said _Mr._ Olmstead--to his quarters.