killed the others he admitted to me that he was
a spy for the A. S. He would have killed me, too, if you hadn't come,
lieutenant."

The lieutenant said harshly, "He won't trouble anyone now. Candar,
himself will deal with him."

Thane was pulled to his feet by two crew members. Each grasped one of
his arms, and they took him out of the house to the waiting Onzar
cruiser. Inside the ship one of them opened a reinforced door and
shoved him into a tiny cell.

Thane had been in jails before on other systems. Their politics varied
but their jails were about the same. He didn't like it, but he did
know what to expect. There was the take-off, and the trip to the
sector patrol station. The lieutenant told his story and they
questioned him, in a cursory, routine way. He was an important
political prisoner and there were experts to take care of the
questioning later on. Then there was another ship, and they flew
through the long, bitterly cold night to the capitol city, Keltar.
More guards, more questions on arrival. The receiving station. And
finally the trip through the ancient streets of Keltar to the palace
prison.

The cell there was just as small, just as dark, just as dirty as the
others. But at least he was in a cell by himself. He was alone, and
would have time to think through his plan.

Time went by. Thane, without light, without sound, did not know how
long. But long enough. Long enough for the Darzent Empire to learn
about the second-stage drive, from a drugged Manning Reine. Long
enough to begin to equip their fleet with the drive. Could one man
stop their attack? Thane wondered, and planned, and waited
impatiently.

No prison sounds. No noise of any kind. Until suddenly the duralite
door opened. "Let's go," the gruff Onzarian voice said.

Outside the cell door Thane's eyes gradually focused in the light. The
guard was one he hadn't seen when they'd brought him in. Apparently
he'd been in the cell through at least one watch, possibly longer.
They walked down the long row of doors to the registry room.

V

The room was bare except for a bench along one wall, a chair and a
small table. A non-com sat behind the table. He began to ask the usual
questions. Thane answered in a flat, dull voice, and the non-com
filled out a form, scribbling on a line or checking a box as each
question was answered. Finally he shoved the form aside and looked up
at Thane for the first time. "Oh, an Alien, eh? That should be