"If I live through what's coming," he answered soberly. She smiled with an effort. "Be careful, Barry dear, and--good luck!" She turned, running back toward the buildings, and he plunged into the reeking swamp, backtracking along his own trail of muddy footprints and crushed vegetation. He emerged at the fallen tree, dived in, and with a sense of relief filled his lungs with water. "Xintel!" he called. "Here!" He swung around. The bank beneath the tree trunk had been hollowed out by the action of ripples on the soft mud, and she crouched there, protected on three sides. "I was so afraid you weren't coming back!" "I told you I'd return." "Barry?" Her voice trembled. "Did you see--her?" He nodded. "And yet you came back to me!" She spoke as though she could hardly believe it. "Listen closely," he broke in. "What do the women of Tana think of Komso's plans?" "They know many of their men will never return." "Do you think you could--?" "Perhaps I could sneak back into Tana. But what good would that do?" Barry frowned thoughtfully. "Could you persuade some of them, as many as possible, to follow the war party and overtake their men? When they see you're alive, that Komso's curse didn't work--" Xintel shook her head. "Most have never been outside Tana in their lives. Even to save their men they would be too fearful of the sea dangers and of Komso's wrath. They would never follow me." Barry drew one of his fire pistols and moved aside. "Watch this," he told her. The liquid charge was self-oxidizing and should burn under water, but there was a distinct danger the gun would backfire. His nerves were screaming as he squeezed the trigger. Scarlet fire lanced from the muzzle with a sizzling roar that nearly broke their eardrums. The water surged and heaved. Xintel pressed her hands to her ears; her eyes were round with amazement. "What was that?" she gasped. "That was fire," Barry answered, handing her both weapons. "Now you have magic to surpass anything of Komso's. Would that help persuade the women?" Xintel smiled grimly. "They will follow me or else--And if Komso or a Chosen One should interfere, would it--?" "It would. And tell the women that if your people and mine can meet as friends there will be guns like this for everyone. Norus and torvaks will hold no more terrors." "But you?" she asked. "I must wait at the mouth of the slough and stop Komso there." "But--?" "Waste no more time! Hurry!" * * * * * After she was gone he swam along the shore to the slough and settled on the bottom. He waited interminably it seemed before he spotted the distant streaks of light left by Komso's men, perhaps a hundred of them in a close group. He remained crouched, waiting until they were just beyond crossbow range. Then he stood up, waving his arms to create enough light to make his identity unmistakable. He had decided his only course lay in turning Komso's own propaganda against him.