hat planets had
been misnamed, since van Gogh at its distance was all of gold and black.

*

The vessel touched down before the vast, geodesic Headquarters
building, after first passing through the airlock of the encircling
dome. It took some time before the soldiers in the broad entranceway
could be made to understand what was wanted of them in relation to the
strange, grizzled and begrimed Captain. The detachment to escort the
prisoners they expected, and Liebenstein's name they knew..... Finally
after several attempts on the com-line, during which a voice on the
other side could be heard to utter clearly, "There must be some
mistake," a sympathetic looking officer of indistinguishable rank
emerged form an elevator and said:

"Group Commander Brunner? Please come with me."

He followed lifeless, along with the boy. They went up in the sealed
capsule, and then across and then, for some reason, down again. The
motioned stopped. Two doors slid apart.

They walked down a short hallway, and entered a room. There were three
people in it. A military policeman, a Belgian officer, and a woman
with dark hair.

That the woman was his wife he slowly realized, because she came up and
embraced him gently. But his mind was so uncertain, and his body so
weak that he wondered if he were awake, or it was all a trick, or.....
She looked up at him with shining eyes, kissed his unmoving lips, and
said: "Olaf, are you all right?"

"Who is the man?" he said, as to a stranger. And at this some kind of
life began to revive inside him. But it was not love. An ember caught
to flame and, smoldering, began to rise.

The man in question rose, looking apologetic and unsure. He came
nearer and offered his hand, which Brunner left dangling. Then with a
heavy accent and sudden coldness he said. "I am the man who brought
your wife here. I am General....." and his mouth produced some name.

WHILE A BELGIAN OFFICER WAS RAPING YOUR WIFE. RAPING YOU WHILE A
BELGIAN OFFICER WAS RAPING YOUR WIFE. RAPING YOUR WIFE, was all that
his mind and last instinct understood.

Something savage took hold of him. He struck the man with such a
sudden, vicious blow that even in his weakened state it nearly broke
both jaw and hand, as the general staggered and fell back.

The MP came towards him and his wife caught his arm, which was raised
to strike again. "Olaf, what are you doing?" she pleaded. But he
could not perceive wh