Lauri's hand jerked on Parr's elbow. "The one you call Kal is dead." "I'm glad," Parr was grim. He remembered the savage eyes which the Earth disguise could not conceal. "I'm glad." "Kal, Kal," the Advanceship called into emptiness. "Kal! Come in, advanceman Kal!" Parr flipped off the comset. She lowered the thought blanket completely. "Relax. Try to relax." "Why did you do it?" he said. "Why didn't you let them kill me?" "I don't know," she said slowly. "You saved my life. I couldn't let them kill you. I saw how you felt, how you suddenly changed. How you'd become a new person all at once. I couldn't pass judgment on you after that. I hated you and then I didn't hate you anymore. It doesn't matter. It's too late to matter. I ... I...." Her mind was warm against his. "They're going back to join the others in the desert now," she said. "They're going to get ready to fight the attack." "Lauri," Parr said. "Lauri, I've got to do something!" CHAPTER X (New York had broken windows now, and the streets were glass littered. An occasional white face peered out suspiciously from above a ground floor. But the heart beat of subways was stilled. The cry had been: "You'll _starve_ in the City!" and there had been an hysterical exodus, slow at first and then faster and faster and faster. The moon marched her train of shadows in the cavern streets.) In Denver, the moon rode the mountains, calm, misted, serene. "Parr," he spoke into the comset, and he felt Lauri's hand tighten on his elbow. He glanced nervously at the sky. He was afraid to see the planet shield blossom as it might any minute to signify the attack had begun. But he feared even worse the absence of it. "Parr?" the Advanceship spat back. "The Oholos have a defense system around their own planets. _It won't do you any good to capture this one!_ You won't be able to get nearer!" "You are guilty of treason, Parr!" "You can't get at their inner system! They have a defense ring that can blast your Fleet out of space." "Lies!" Parr glanced at Lauri beside him in the darkness. "No!" he said. "They are stronger than you are!" "They would have attacked us if they were," the Knoug said calmly. "They don't think like that!" "A poor bluff, Parr." "Stop!" Parr said, "Listen...." He looked at Lauri again. "No use. They cut off." "I didn't think they'd bluff," Lauri said. She looked across the street. The street lights had come on on schedule, but they soon flickered out as the power supply waned. The city was dark. "Will they scorch the planet?" * * * * * Parr glanced once more at the sky. "I think they're holding off trying to gain new information on your Oholos. Or maybe they're having trouble getting ready. We'll know very soon whether they'll scorch it or assault it with an occupation force." Lauri said, "You tried."