c dismally. "I feel like a fool in the
castle yonder. And the high police official I came here with has gotten
grumpy and snaps when I try to speak to him."

Hoddan said gravely:

"I'm sure the Lady Fani--"

"A tigress!" said Derec bitterly. "We don't get along."

Looking at Derec, Hoddan found himself able to understand why. Derec was
the sort of friend one might make on Walden for lack of something
better. He was well-meaning. He might be capable of splendid
things--even heroism. But he was horribly, terribly, appallingly
civilized!

"Well! Well!" said Hoddan kindly. "And what's on your mind, Derec?"

"I came," said Derec dismally, "to plead with you again, Bron. You must
surrender! There's nothing else to do! People can't have deathrays,
Bron! Above all, you mustn't tell the pirates how to make them!"

Hoddan was puzzled for a moment. Then he realized that Derec's
information about the fleet came from the spearmen he'd brought back,
loaded down with cash. Derec hadn't noticed the absence of the flashing
lights at sunset--or hadn't realized that they meant the fleet was gone
away.

"Hm-m-m," said Hoddan. "Why don't you think I've already done it?"

"Because they'd have killed you," said Derec. "Don Loris pointed that
out. He doesn't believe you know how to make deathrays. He says it's
not a secret anybody would be willing for anybody else to know. But ...
you know the truth, Bron! You killed that poor man back on Walden.
You've got to sacrifice yourself for humanity! You'll be treated
kindly!"

Hoddan shook his head. It seemed somehow very startling for Derec to be
harping on that same idea, after so many things had happened to Hoddan.
But he didn't think Derec would actually expect him to yield to
persuasion. There must be something else. Derec might even have nerved
himself up to something quite desperate.

"What did you really come here for, Derec?"

"To beg you to--"

Then, in one instant, Derec made an hysterical gesture and Hoddan's
stun-pistol hummed. A small object left Derec's hand as his muscles
convulsed from the stun-pistol bolt. It did not fly quite true. It fell
a foot or so to one side of the boatport instead of inside.

* * * * *

It exploded luridly as Derec crumpled from the pistol bolt. There was
thick, strangling smoke. Hoddan disappeared. When the thickest smoke
drifted away there was nothing to be seen but Derec, lying on the
ground, and thinner