"I don't know. That it's a brave thing you want to do...." "After what I've done, I've got to do something to make up for my life." "What you did doesn't matter anymore." "Listen," he said. "Listen, Lauri. You better leave. Don't stand here any longer." She did not move. He gritted his teeth. "Hurry up!" Her mind touched his gently, cloudlike, and drew away. "Let me go with you." "You know that wouldn't work." After a minute she turned reluctantly. "Wait!" he cried after she had gone only a few steps. Eagerly she turned. "Listen!" He glanced at his watch. "Listen. The Fleet is nervous. The Knougs are nervous. It might not take much after that Coly bunch revolted.... They're yellow inside, and the seeds of doubt are there. If we could just make them believe you really had a weapon. An hour from now--give me _one hour_--you're to contact the Fleet on my comset and tell them the Oholos are going to destroy their Advanceship right before their eyes. Then tell them to get out, the whole Fleet, or you'll destroy every ship. That may make them think! That may make them believe!" "But unless the Ship really is destroyed before their eyes...." "I'll take it into hyperspace without a shield. One minute it will be there, the next minute it won't. Maybe they won't stop to figure it out." "But you'll be killed!" * * * * * "Give me just one hour. Go on, damn it. Don't argue!" She seemed ready to cry. Then she bit her lip. "But--Parr! Parr! I _can't_! How can I? _You broke the comset!_" Parr's mind was dazed. He tried to think. "... Listen. Find the one Kal had! See if you can find that! You've _got to_, Lauri. It all depends on that. You've just got to find it!" She hesitated. "Don't argue," he insisted. "Hurry! They'll be after me any minute." She seemed to want to say something. "Run!" he cried. And then she was hurrying away and her mind left his entirely, so there would be no danger of detection when the scout ship came for him. And then she turned a corner, and was gone.... * * * * * The silver saucer shaped scout ship zipped down the street, banked sharply and vanished, recording (Parr knew) electronic details for its mothership, the pick-up craft. Parr waited, his mouth dry. Finally--after what seemed a long time--he saw the dark, moving patch return. It lowered, and Parr could make out the details of the unlighted surface. He sighed with relief. Fortunately it was the small three passenger craft. It hovered, closed on the intersection and settled. Hoping that neither of its crew knew him by sight, Parr sprinted from the shadows of the building to the opening door. The distance seemed to unravel before his feet, lengthening like a magic carpet. His feet hit the edge of the door almost together and grasping the sides he pulled himself in, falling forward and gasping for the crew's benefit, "Oholos!"