"Kill him.... Kill!" the Hertug sputtered.

"Kill me and there goes your _caroj_, as well as your telephone system
and your only chance to wrap up all the industrial secrets in one big
bundle," Jason said, looking around for something heavy to swing.

* * * * *

A gigantic explosion slammed into the room; a crack appeared in one
wall and dust floated down from the ceiling. There was a sound of
snapping small arms fire in the distance.

"It worked!" Jason shouted with unrestrained glee and hurled a heavy
roll of wire at the startled men in the doorway and followed instantly
after it in a headlong dive. There was a flurry of action, most of the
damage being done by his boots, then he was through and running out of
the throne room with the men bellowing in pursuit.

A small war seemed to be raging ahead, the sharp explosions of gunfire
being mixed with the heavier thud of bombs and grenades. Walls were
down, doors blasted open while confused soldiers rushed in panic
through the clouds of dust. One of them tried to stop Jason who kept
on going, carrying the man's club with him. Sunlight shone ahead and
he dived through a riven wall and landed, rolling in the open ground
next to the dock. A spaceship's lifeboat stood there, still glowing
hot from the speed of descent, and next to it stood Meta keeping up a
continuous fire with her gun, happily juggling micro-grenades with her
free hand.

[Illustration]

"What were you waiting for," she snapped. "I have been in orbit over
this planet for a month now, waiting for some word from you. There are
dozens of radio transmitters on this continent and I have been
monitoring them all." She fired a long burst at an upper story where
some bowmen had been foolish enough to appear, then ran to Jason, eyes
wet with tears. "Oh, darling, I was so worried."

She held him--with her grenade-throwing arm--and kissed him fiercely.
She kept her eyes open while she was doing this but only had to fire
once.

"Jason!" a voice called and Ijale appeared, half-supporting the still
dazed Mikah.

"Who is this?" Meta snapped, the chill back in her voice.

"Why--just someone I know," Jason answered, smiling insincerely. "You
should recognize the man, he's the one who arrested me."

"Here is a gun, you will want to kill him yourself."

Jason took the gun, but used it to clear a nearby roof-top, the
powerful kick of the Pyrran automatic was like a caress on the h