n his arms and kissed her. Then he turned back to Old
Beard, his arm around Maya's shoulders.

"Old Beard, this is Maya Cara Nome," said Dark. "Maya, this is my
father, the real Dark Kensington."

"The older Dark Kensington," corrected Old Beard. "I am very happy to
meet you, Maya. My son, you have chosen a beautiful woman."

Happy and Shadow had followed the other two into the room and were
standing against the door, holding it closed.

"Maya, we're going to have to try to hold the corridor until the Phoenix
gets here," said Dark. "I want you to go with Shadow and Happy down to
the vats. You get into a marsuit, and they'll take you to one of the
entrance buildings. I'll tell Cheng to pick you up in one of the
groundcars, and then Happy and Shadow can come back here to help us."

"I'll do nothing of the sort," said Maya flatly. "You need them up here
now, and I won't leave you. I'm going to stay here and help you. After
all, I can handle a heatgun better than any of these Jellies."

"But, Maya, I want to know that you're safe."

"I don't want to be safe until you are. Please let me stay, Dark."

"All right," Dark surrendered. "Shadow, give her your heatgun."

The five of them left the room together.

They emerged into a scene of incredible carnage. The Jellies, with only
three heatguns which they were inept at using, had been no match for the
Masters. Almost all of the Jellies were lying dead on the floor of the
corridor, and the remaining few were backed up at the end of the hall to
their right.

Three of the men were advancing toward these last Jellies. The other
two, returning to the conference room, already had passed Maya's door
and were picking their way back among the scorched, twitching bodies of
the Jellies. Dark and the others were between these two retreating
forces of Masters.

"We'll have to try to save those Jellies," decided Dark at once. "Happy,
you and Shadow move back up the corridor and hold the line in case those
other two turn back to attack our rear. The rest of us will tackle the
three to the right."

They split up and moved off. But they were too late. Dark, Maya and Old
Beard had advanced hastily no more than ten feet when the last of the
Jellies at the end of the corridor collapsed under the combined beams of
three heatguns. Immediately, the door beyond the dead Jellies opened and
three more Masters emerged. They joined the first three, and were given
the heatguns taken from the