There was a shout, then an explosion from a blaster, almost a hit. The concussion knocked Don to the ground. He came to his feet groggily and started to run again when there was a familiar call, "Don! Wait!" He looked and saw that one of the party was Shiela and also recognized several roboe technicians. He doubled back for the prison but was instantly felled by a blow from behind that knocked one of his legs from beneath him. He realized that it could only have been from one of the older rifles still used for hunting game in order that it wouldn't be torn apart as with a blaster. The party quickly surrounded him and sped for the security of the trees. There was a flurry of shots from behind that the roboes answered, then the foliage concealed them. "It's no use," Don gasped from between gritted teeth. "This place is surrounded by soldiers; in fact, I rather imagine that the general anticipated and hoped for something like this." "We'll get out," smiled Shiela tenderly. Don saw why when they broke into a small clearing and were confronted by one of the two missing space ships, towering high among the forest giants. "We came in last night during the storm," Shiela explained. "Once in the air we'll fly close to the Earth's surface and nothing can touch us or follow us back to our base." * * * * * The party hustled aboard and they were soon shooting through the atmosphere. "Wait!" protested Don as they then turned attention to his shattered leg. "The sun! Has the sun risen yet?" "It's just a few minutes more," soothed Shiela, pressing his hot forehead with a cool palm. "Just lie back while we straighten your leg." "But I've got to tell you," he insisted. "You haven't long to live if I'm right. Perhaps you can do something, although I doubt it." The roboes all stiffened. Shiela was the first to recover and asked anxiously, "Tell us what, Don?" He explained about the new weapon. "And," he concluded, "from what's been hinted and knowing the general as I do, I believe sunrise was to signal the transmission of the wave." To Don's surprise, the roboe men smiled at each other. "You were right," one said to Shiela; "he was for us. I'm glad." Shiela was almost in tears. "But we'll never make it," she cried. "If we could've reached him five minutes sooner, then everything would've been all right." "I don't understand," puzzled Don. "We knew all along what the general was planning," Shiela told him. "Then you have a defense against the wave?" he asked hopefully. "No, but we had constructed a specially shielded room for Fa--Father and you," sobbed the girl. Even now Don found it hard to believe that she was a roboe. "But why for me?" he queried. "The wave was designed for all of you." "Not for us," broke in Shiela, "For the robots that rebelled against the last civilization."