Parr followed him and the two of them stared down. Perspiration stood on Parr's forehead. After a moment they saw Bertie come out from beneath the hotel awning. He seemed small at a distance, and they saw him toss a cigarette butt carelessly to the sidewalk. He moved leisurely away from the entrance and leaned against the side of the hotel, one hand in his overcoat pocket. Kal sneered, "You think they'll drive right up?" Parr's face twitched. "I don't know ... if they know there's two of us...." He glanced left along the street. "I guess they will. I guess they'll try to come right in after us." Kal chuckled. "That's good. That's damned good, eh?" Parr turned to stare at him. "They're strong." "They won't be looking for Bertie." "Listen," Parr whispered hoarsely. "They're stronger than we are." Kal snarled a curse. "No," Parr said intently. "They are." "Shut up!" "Listen," Parr said. "I know. I've...." Kal turned slowly. "They're not stronger. They _couldn't_ be stronger. Even if Bertie misses, we'll get them. If they're so strong, why haven't they already carried the fight to us? If they're so strong, they should be ready to attack us, so why don't they?" He turned back to the window. "They're almost here," Parr said. A cab turned the corner. "Feel them center on us?" Parr said, drawing down his shield as tightly as he could. Kal, tense-faced, nodded. Parr stared fascinated as the cab screeched to a halt. Then Parr felt a wave of sickness and uncertainty; he reached out for Kal's elbow. "Wait!" he cried. But already, below, Bertie jerked into explosive action. He shot three times. The male Oholo pitched forward to the gutter. Bertie's gun exploded once more, but the muzzle was aimed into the air. He crumpled slowly, and the gun clinked to the sidewalk from nerveless fingers. "He got one," Kal said in satisfaction. "The other one must be quicker 'n hell." Parr let out a tired sigh. "That's that," Kal said. "... I'll be damned, a female Oholo! She won't dare to try two of us alone." Parr's eyes were fixed below. In what seemed a dream, he watched her get out of the cab. She glanced up and down the street. She looked up, quickly, toward their window. And then she darted across the sidewalk toward the hotel entrance. "I'll be damned!" Kal cried. "She's coming up anyway!" His eyes sparkled gleefully. He searched his lips with his tongue. "Let's both hit her now! She's near enough!" "No!" Parr cried sharply. "No! Let her get closer.... Let's ... let's make sure we get her." They could feel her nearing them, not quickly, not slowly, but with measured steps. CHAPTER IX