Jansen butted with his head. He brought his knee up. He swung his fists and felt contact with Bareen's face. But Bareen held onto his throat with one large hand, getting the other one free to use the blaster. He brought it up slowly, and Jansen forgot about the hand about his throat. He reached for the blaster, struggling for possession of it with Bareen. He butted again and saw a bloody smear where Bareen's mouth had been. The blaster was between them.... And roared.... Bareen slumped against him and the pressure was suddenly gone from his throat. When he looked down at Bareen he saw that the man's entire face had been shot away-- "I was working for your brother," Wendy sobbed. "I never gave up. I was gathering evidence about what Bareen planned. You--you came just in time. He was going to give his ultimatum to Earth today. Triple the price, or no chlorella. They'd have had to say yes." Feet pounded in a corridor, came closer. "We won," Jansen said. "But now--we're finished." "Quick!" Wendy cried, pulling him toward the larger sub-space booth. "It connects with Earth." "I can't return to Earth. I've just killed a man. I--" "Self-defense. I saw you. Besides, we have the proof that Bareen was going to bleed Earth dry for chlorella." "... the outworlds...." he said. "You don't have to hide on the outworlds now." "Hide, nothing," Jansen said, smiling weakly but happily the split-second before they were whisked seventy million miles through sub-space. "If you're not a fugitive, the outworlds are wonderful. Maybe you'd like...." He was going to say, _like to join me_. It was an impulse he couldn't explain, as if the depths of sub-space drew a man's secret desires from his unconscious mind. And as they began to materialize on Earth he heard Wendy's voice, as if from far away: "Maybe I'd like to try that."