e the recording in time to act. Damn the
mechanical efficiency of Liaison!

Now Selan was all he had to depend on. He started back to the forward
compartment hoping that Selan had at last made her decision. The
battle was still going on and lights were still flashing down the
galactic screen to sudden, unwitting death. The bulk of the Darzent
fleet had been destroyed and Thane saw that Candar had changed his
tactics. Now, instead of disrupters, he was using concentrated,
high-power Stoltz artillery.

After destroying the mass of their power, Candar was going to bring in
the staff ships, with the fleet admirals as captives. It would
immobilize whatever power Darzent had in reserve while Candar turned
on the Allied Systems. Already, confused and blinded Darzent ships
were drifting in space, with Onzar wrecker tugs swarming in on them.

Thane turned to the old priestess Selan. "Don't you see the crisis
that is shaping? Don't you see what Candar intends? When this is done
and he has re-powered, he'll turn on the Allied Systems. They'll fight
back of course, but the war will make a shambles of the whole Galaxy.
Don't you see?"

She turned slowly and looked at him. Her eyes seemed older, much more
tired than they had before. "I have seen it, Roger Thane, and this
cannot be repeated. It will not happen again. It is against all my
training and belief and the tenets of the faith, but I, as Priestess
of Keltar, will take it on myself to attack the temporal power."

* * * * *

Thane felt the sweat on his hands, and his smile was stiff though it
was certainly heartfelt. So much depended on this woman's decision and
on her performance from now on. Without the aid of Liaison to depend
on it was up to this woman to prevent galactic war.

They started back for Onzar II and Keltar at once. They would have a
good start on Candar while he was engaged in mopping up the Darzent
fleet. Thane felt sure that Candar would stay to confront the
high-ranking captives and to gloat over them. On the other hand Candar
would not delay too long. He would be back to announce his victory and
to prepare for the attack on the Allied Systems.

At the landing port outside Keltar, Selan's automatic anti-grav was
waiting. It took them up over the outskirts of the bleak wintry city
and towards its center. As they reached the solidly built-up area
Thane could see the dim outlines of the old city wall beneath them.
Not so