, but you are not safe
yet! Even if you manage to get past Entos and into the Palace, we can
have you extradited as a common criminal, for assaulting a Sanctioner.
Think about that!"

"Thank you for the information," Corina called back, shaken but not,
she hoped, letting it show in her voice. Entos! Valla must have
anticipated her escape from the Sanctioners, Corina thought, if she had
sent her best killer to attempt an intercept in the park itself.

Then she realized that wasn't necessarily the case; more likely it was
only Valla's thoroughness, her reluctance to leave anything she thought
important to only one group. Still, using Entos against a student
showed her how seriously Valla regarded this; it was rather like using
a blaster to eliminate an annoying insect.

There was no point in being particularly cautious, she knew, so she
hurried directly toward the Palace. She had met Entos several times,
often enough that he knew her both by sight and by mind pattern, even
when she was shielded.

She was almost at her objective--in sight of the main entrance, in
fact--when the anticipated attack came. It started with a savage
mental thrust, powerful enough to penetrate her shield and drive her to
her knees. It didn't last; only Thark or another member of the Prime
Chapter, which Entos wasn't, could maintain that level of intensity for
long. But by the time she had recovered enough to stand, shaking her
head to clear it, Entos was behind her. She sensed a physical threat,
lunged to her left just in time to feel his dagger brush her fur rather
than bury itself in her back.

She scrambled to her feet, drawing her own blade and attempting a
mental counterattack. It slowed Entos' next slash, but had no other
effect. She stabbed at his upper arm, trying to cripple him, but he
parried skillfully.

"You fight well, youngling, even now," he said, then tried another
intense mental thrust. It was less powerful than the first had been,
and Corina managed to block it, though she was less successful parrying
his simultaneous dagger thrust at her throat. She did avoid most, but
it was enough to draw blood; she felt warmth seeping into the fur at
the base of her neck.

Corina didn't reply, saving her breath for the fight. They were
circling now, both looking for openings, when she saw a flicker of
motion from the direction of the Palace entrance. She risked a quick
glance, saw it was the Imperial Marine guards runn