s acceleration into the cushions of the
pilot chair. She heard a wild exclamation from Raj Shiva, but couldn't
turn around to see what had happened. Grim-lipped, she kept the ship
hurtling Earthward. She knew it was dangerous and might even prove
disastrous. Her body could take so much, then she would black out. But
if she didn't maintain the dive until the last possible instant, Raj
Shiva would get control of the ship and its vital cargo. She was only a
girl, but she was protected by the crash-padding of the pilot chair. Raj
Shiva, unprotected, was behind her somewhere....

Down through the thin upper atmosphere of Ophiuchus IX screamed the
small ship, its heat-dial blinking on and off in warning as friction
scorched its thin shell. The scream of air became more deep-throated as
the atmosphere became thicker....

Ten thousand feet.

Eight thousand.

Six.

Sria's eyes saw black. Her breath was labored. Needles of pain darted in
her skull, plucked at her eyes. She opened her mouth to scream but heard
nothing. She felt as if she must be forced clear through the protective
cushions of the pilot chair.

Five thousand feet.

Four thousand.

Blackness and peace and a settling lassitude....

Three thousand feet.

With hands that would barely function, Sria with supreme effort brought
the jet out of its death-dive. She slumped in the pilot chair for a long
time, too weak to do anything else.

Then she looked back at Raj Shiva.

Who lay slack and unconscious against the rear bulkhead of the cargo
ship.

* * * * *

Mayhem-Sria brought the jet down and, middle of the night or no, saw
Kovandaswamy. Raj Shiva was taken into custody. A jet was sent out,
loaded with Leaguemen who had proved immune to the guru death-wish and
all armed to the teeth. It landed at the cache and stood guard over it.
Pandit was found, unconscious, one of his arms broken, but otherwise all
right. A second jet prevented the Denebian Export ship from blasting off
with the hydrogen bombs already loaded. Orkap and his companion were
taken into custody.

The rest, of course, is history. The gurus of Ophiuchus IX were shown
what had been taking place in the name of friendship between themselves
and Deneb and in the name of isolation. Most of the gurus retired
entirely from active life. The few who did not spent the rest of their
days working for cooperation between Ophiuchus and the rest of the
Galactic League.