e. Then
their sets came on and there she was telling them that all their gold
gimmicks were no good any more. That death was approaching for all of
Onzar. That Candar had ... well, you can hear the recording of it. She
meant every word and they acted as if they believed every word. Of
course, they'd been conditioned to that with the propaganda newscasts.
But after the long silence she really hit them."

Some one moved at Thane's other side. He turned his head. It was
Astrid. She was scowling at Garth. "You're a mean, bitter old
bureaucrat," she said mockingly, "talking to Roger like that."

Garth's face twisted into the approximation of a grin. "Well, there
actually were treason charges against him for a time. But I will say
that things have changed."

Thane looked from one to another and then overhead. What he could see
of the room looked vaguely familiar, but.... "Where are we?"

"At the space station," Astrid said. "Dad and Garth are working over a
treaty between Onzar and the Allied Systems."

"Dad? Then Dr. Reine was rescued? But how?"

They both started talking. A moment later Manning Reine joined them,
looking paler and more haggard than before. All three of them talked,
constantly interrupting each other. Gradually Thane got the essential
details.

After the first impulsive, unorganized revolt, the church took over.
It, at least, had an organization. A large part of the armed forces
had joined in. Some, though, had stayed on Candar's side, and there
had been sharp, bitter fighting. But by the time Candar landed it was
about over. This was his greatest victory. He had destroyed the power
of Darzent, and was bringing back, as captives, most of the leadership
of the fleet and of Darzent. In addition, there was Dr. Reine, who had
been discovered in captivity, on the leading staff ship. But when
Candar stepped out into the spaceport, instead of meeting his
adulating subjects, a very determined group of his own soldiers
stopped him.

Thane finally turned to Astrid. "But how did we get away? The last I
remember...."

"You got them all, Roger. One of them hit your leg with a blaster as
he went down. All I had to do was to get you to the anti-grav, and out
of there."

Thane moved the leg, experimentally, and winced. "How is it?"

"Surface burn and shock," Astrid said. "In a week you can ski on it."

"Skiing--haven't done that since I was at Earth University." He
thought for a moment. "How did you get into