Varsek spoke into the communic. "Clear the way," he said. "I'll ride over you and smash you. I command this fleet." He pulled his side-arm from its holster and turned around. "As for you--I thought you were loyal to me. I handpicked you, and this is how you repay me! I order you to prepare a projectile--" A hard matter-of-fact voice said, "You pushed it too far this time, Varsek. You're one man against a fleet. We have been loyal, but you're not the commander any more." * * * * * A stunner beam caught Varsek from the back before he could turn around. He fell below the focus of the screen, and the face of another man replaced his. The man said, "Varsek has surrendered." There was a long silence in the command ship. Then the men began to cheer and other voices came over the communics, cheering, and only Makvern turned away so that no one could see his face. Later, after Makvern had made his speech to the fleet, taking over as commander, he said to Wyatt, "This is where we part. We go home, to put a stop to this looting and pillaging--it's time Uryx grew up and became an empire to be proud of rather than a nest of outlaws. And you can go home too, knowing that Earth will sleep safe tonight." Brinna stepped forward. "And what about me?" "I have that planned," said Makvern sternly. "You'll learn about it in good time." Wyatt smiled, but did not say anything. He had no chance to say anything later on, when the ship had landed on the desert near the mesa and Makvern and Brinna had shaken hands with him for the last time, standing on the cool sand in the moonlight at the foot of the ship's ladder. Makvern had moved so quickly while Brinna was occupied with her farewells that she did not realize he was already in the lock and the ladder drawn up until it was too late to follow him. He looked down at her and grinned, and said, "This seemed to be the best solution to your problem, Brinna. It'll be a long time before Earthmen get into space, and by then you'll be too old to make trouble and I'll be too old to care." "You mean you're leaving me here?" she shrieked. "In the care of Wyatt, a brave and stubborn man. Goodbye. And clear away now, we're taking off." Wyatt hauled the temporarily speechless Brinna to a safe distance. She watched the ship take off into the starry sky and Wyatt did not dare say anything then. He wasn't at all sure he had made a good bargain. But he was determined to make the best of it. He started out by kissing her. After a long enough time, she stopped fighting.