Jarl crashed back, clear to the other side of the circle. Tas Karrel surged upright. "A knife--!" he roared harshly. The _Pervod_ flipped him a dagger. Swaying, he caught it ... lunged for Jarl. It was over. Jarl knew it. There was nothing he could do now. Nothing but die. The frenzy of death alone brought him to his feet. He hurled himself at the mutant. Tas Karrel swayed aside, green eyes burning. Jarl hurtled past him; landed sobbing against the _Pervod_. The reptilian laughed shrilly. Letting go of the arms of the raiders who flanked him, he caught Jarl ... shoved him back at Tas Karrel. Blindly, Jarl clutched the _Pervod's_ belt. His weight carried them both to the circle's center. Cursing, Karrel slashed for him. Jarl wrenched to one side. The knife laid open the _Pervod's_ side. The reptilian screamed. His bony vestigial wings flailed. In the same instant, Jarl caught Karrel's knife-hand. With his last ounce of strength, he wrenched it till the bones cracked. The knife fell. Jarl scooped it up. The _Pervod_ scrambled from his path. Tas Karrel stumbled backward. Fear flared in the green eyes. Teeth bared now, Jarl followed. The mutant sagged. Then, with a wild cry, hairy body shaking, he whirled and threw himself over the linked arms of his crewmen, out of the circle. In a mad dash, he lunged for the exit. "No--!" A raider whipped up his blaster. "Death to you, coward!" He fired. Tas Karrel sprawled on his face in the doorway. The circle broke into chaos. Jarl spun about, seeking the _Pervod_. The reptilian was backing away, slinking towards another door. "You _chitza_--!" The _Pervod_ stopped short. "Take your knife with you!" Jarl shouted. He drew back the blade. Face contorted, the Venusian clawed for his ray-gun. * * * * * Like lightning, Jarl hurled the dagger. It sank to the hilt in the _Pervod's_ throat. Threshing in his death-throes, the creature spilled forward. Jarl gripped a stanchion. "To your stations!" he shouted. "We're blasting for Womar!" Order came from the chaos. Sub-chiefs bellowed commands. Crewmen boiled out of the doorways. Sais ran to Jarl's side. Her white cheeks were tear-smudged, but she smiled through her tears. There was a ringing of bells, a clanging of hatches. A _fala_ cried, "All's ready!" "For Womar--!" Jarl echoed. A muffled roar cut him short. The room rocked with the shock of the takeoff as the _Knife_ slashed its way up from the port, out from Ceres. Jarl threw one arm around Sais--more for support than from feeling. It was all he could do to stand upright. She braced him. "You mean it--? We're going to Womar...?" All at once her voice trembled. Shrugging, Jarl rested against her. "You heard my orders." "But ... what of Bor Legat ... _rey_ Gundre...?" "We'll face that when we meet it." With an effort, Jarl straightened. "Now, I've got to rest."