... and Liane? Hendricks ... a traitor? I cut the microphone
and glanced at Kincaide. He must have read the facts in my eyes.

"He's ... gone, sir?"

"With Liane," I nodded.

The door burst open, and Correy came racing into the room.

"He's not there, sir!" he snapped. "But in his room I found this!"

He held out an envelope, addressed to me. I ripped it open, glanced
through the hasty, nervous scrawl, and then read it aloud:

"Sir:

I am leaving with Liane. I am sorry. It had to be.

Hendricks."

"That, gentlemen," I said hoarsely, after a long silence, "will make
the blackest entry ever spread upon the log of the _Ertak_--upon any
ship of the Service. Let us dismiss this thing from our minds, and
proceed."

But that was easier, by far, to propose than to accomplish.

* * * * *

It was late indeed when we finished our deliberations, but the plan
decided upon was exceedingly simple.

We would simply enforce our authority until we located definite
resistance; we would then concentrate our efforts upon isolating the
source of this resistance and overcoming it. That we would find Liane
at the bottom of our difficulties, we knew perfectly well, but we
desired to place her in a definite position as an enemy. So far, we
had nothing against her, no proof of her activities, save the rather
guarded report of the Chief, and the evidence given us by Fetter.

There were three major continents on Lakos, but only one of them was
inhabited or habitable, the other two being within the large northern
polar cap. The activities of The Worshipers of the Flame were centered
about the chief city of Gio, Fetter had told us, and therefore we were
in position to start action without delay.

Force of men would avail us nothing, since the entire crew of the
_Ertak_ would be but a pitiful force compared to the horde Liane could
muster. Our mission could be accomplished--if, indeed, it could be
accomplished at all--by the force of whatever authority our position
commanded, and the outwitting of Liane.

Accordingly, it was decided that, in the emergency, all three of us
would undertake the task, leaving the ship in charge of Sub-officer
Scholey, chief of the operating room crew, and a very capable,
level-headed man. I gave him his final instructions as we left the
ship, early the next morning:

"Scholey, we are leaving you in a position