At full aperture this weapon didn't require supreme accuracy. Savage pressed the firing stud and the other hilocar was engulfed in flame and then it exploded. Savage's pilot dived to ground level and after half an hour of maneuvering between, over and sometimes almost through hills and trees they were deep in the mountains south of the city. They landed in a mountain clearing. Then the trees in front of them slid apart and they rolled down into a ferro-concrete cavern; the Terran stronghold repeated. Larhana greeted him as he alighted. "What are you doing here?" he asked involuntarily. "I am wanted too," she said. "Hurry, Commodore Loong is waiting for us." The cavern hummed with swift, orderly activity. Larhana led him quickly through it, but Savage had time to note the fighting ships being readied and the blasters and heat guns being uncrated and loaded. Finally they entered a small room where Loong, alone, awaited them. "Quite a place you have here," Savage said. "We've been preparing for a long time," replied Loong, "and now we are going to make use of it." "How, Prince Kalnor?" asked Savage quietly. His hand was on the needle gun in his pocket. "The High Commissioner has.... What did you say?" "Prince Kalnor, your Majesty." "How did you know that?" Loong asked. He clutched at his blaster. But Savage brought out the needle gun and he stopped the movement. "It was evident from the beginning that you were not working with either the High Commissioner or the Emperor, but at the same time it was evident that you were highly placed in a third organization. Then you yourself mentioned the Kalnor family and I went to the State Library. "With two powerful factions competing for the Empire, it struck me that only the Kalnor name would attract enough adherents to form a third party. It wasn't until a few moments ago that I realized that you were the Kalnor in question; that you would be the leader and not a follower. "Now that we each know who the other is, I'd like to know exactly what you intend to do about Terra after we've put you on the throne of Trygon." "I meant what I said the other day," the Prince exclaimed. "Terra will be free. And in time the friendly relationship of which I spoke can be established." Savage realized that he could use the Prince to bargain with the Emperor, but once he had Kalnor would the Emperor stick to the terms of whatever bargain he had made? No, it was ridiculous to think that he would. He would have to trust the Prince. "That's all right with me," Savage said, and put away his gun. "I'd like to know what's happened, though." "An attempt was made on the Emperor's life, and at the same time, the High Commissioner proclaimed himself Emperor. Something went wrong, however, and the Emperor did not die. As a result we have what amounts to war between the two factions, confined to the military and the city of Czur. The average Trygonian citizen won't become involved."