Then another voice was calling, close beside him, and this time he could hear the words, even if he could not understand. They pulled him back across the void, up from the death and tumult of the unknown alien world. Straining, struggling, he sought to place the tones, the timbre, and as he fought, it dawned upon him that it was Sais' voice, and that his eyes were closed. His lids were leaden weights, but he dragged them up. Numbly, he forced Tas Karrel's room back into focus. Sais stood beside him, face strained and drawn. Her words took on meaning: "Jarl--! Quick! Wake up--!" He lurched from the couch. "What's the matter? What is it--?" "Quiet--!" Panic was in her raw whisper. "You slept so long, Jarl! We're coming down now, ramping on Womar...." He pushed back his hair; shook the haze from his eyes. "Then what--?" "It's the crewmen." He could feel a tremor pass through her. Her eyes would not meet his. "I--I told them too much, Jarl. About Womar ... the robots. Now they have sent for Bor Legat--" "Bor Legat--!" "Yes. They don't trust you. They plan to seize you and hold you...." Jarl cursed. "No! It can't be--" "What can I say, Jarl?" Her mouth quivered. "Beat me, if you want to--" "No." His hands shook, but he fought down his fury ... even forced a thin smile. "Maybe this way is better, Sais...." * * * * * Spinning round, he snatched up a belt heavy with dead Tas Karrel's weapons and girded it about him. The woman clutched his arm, eyes wide with new fear. "Jarl! What are you doing--?" "What can I do?" He laughed harshly. "I'll drop down when we ramp and go on alone." "No, Jarl--!" "Yes! Stay in here. Lock the door, so they'll still think they've got me." "No! You can't leave me!" Her voice rose. She was sobbing. "Please, Jarl! Take me with you--" Jarl gripped her smooth shoulders fiercely; shook her. "Sais! Listen!" And then, as she quieted: "Sais, once before, I came down on Womar. I've seen the primitives." Involuntarily, he shuddered. "Believe me, Sais, no matter what the crew does to you, it can't match the work of those creatures." "No, Jarl--" A dim roar filled the room--the roar of a ramping. Walls and floor vibrated. "Jarl, I'm going with you!" The vibration stopped. The cabin echoed with sudden stillness as the great ship came to rest. "Jarl...." For the fraction of a second, Jarl hesitated. From afar, he could hear orders shouted. Once again, a knot drew tight in his belly. "Please, Jarl...." Pivoting, he stared down into Sais' tense, strained face. Even now, she was lovely.... But he'd made his decision. There could be no other. "Sais, I'm sorry...." He drove his clenched fist to the point of her jaw--a short, jarring blow. He could see the shock glaze her eyes as her head snapped back. Her knees buckled. "I'm sorry, Sais," he said again, even though he knew she could not hear. Ever so gently, he lowered her limp body to the couch.