A tall man threw back the hood of his cloak and scowled at him. "You talk big for a man who dwells in a ruined house." Flane spat, saying, "This is no house, fool. It is a ship that came from the sky. I talk big because I am big. I bear death in my palms." The tall man looked interested. Flane saw him study the gun, then look toward the prism and the ship twisted around it. The man looked back at him. "I would search your house, or ship, or whatever it is." Flane shook his head. "Step no closer or the colour that sizzles and eats everything in its path will come out to sear you." The thin man beckoned and the men with him shed their black cloaks and came for Flane with naked swords in their hands. Flane grinned as they ran toward him. He lifted the gun and aimed it at the cloaks that lay on the sand. The violet light came forth from the gun and stole all around the black cloaks that lay on the sand, and ate them up. It ate up some of the sand, too. * * * * * The men skidded to a halt in the sand, staring; beneath their white faces was the pallor of fear. Flane said softly, "Go back to your ship and be grateful to Flane. If I had wanted, I could have aimed the gun at _you_." The tall man started; he stared at Flane with his dark eyes, as though absorbing his every feature. He said, "Are you Flane in truth? The Flane who fled from Klarn with Vawdar?" "I am that Flane." "And Vawdar? What of him? Did he give you the key to the Machine?" "Vawdar died. He said the key was lost, which we knew; but he also said it was not what we think it is, that key." "I am searching for that key, even now. If I do not find it, the Darksiders will overrun Moornal. I am overlord of Moornal. My name is Harth." A flame leaped inside Flane, for he thought of the girl with hair like dancing fire, red as the desert sunset. But months of wandering on the desert made him taciturn and suspicious. "How do I know this? You may be a _meknik_ for all you can prove. And I have learned that the _mekniks_ do not approve of me." Harth chuckled. "So I have heard. But, about that weapon of yours. I would like to use it. It would be a wondrous thing against the Darksiders. They would never capture Moornal if I had that." "The weapon is mine. Forget it." "You are of Klarn, man. In this time of need, you must use that weapon to save your people!" "I am no Klarnvan. The blood of the space-wanderers is in my veins. I am son to those who lie in the big ship. I owe loyalty to none but them and Saarl--and a girl with red hair." Harth opened his eyes very wide at that. He grinned, and turned to look at the magniship. He shouted, "Aevlyn!" Flane backed against Saarl, ready for attack from the ship. But all he saw there was someone in a white cloak come through a doorway and stand at the rail, staring over the sands toward them. It was a girl--a girl with hair as red as the sinking sun, who looked at him and laughed and waved a white arm.