ink there are any more around, but if there are I'll hear
them coming. We're just going to wait a few minutes until you feel
better, then we're getting out of here in the car."

"Bring the ship down!" There was a thin note of hysteria in her
voice. "We can't stay here alone. We don't know where to go or what
to do. With Ihjel dead, the whole thing's spoiled. We have to get
out...."

There are some things that can't sound gentle, no matter how gently
they are said. This was one of them. "I'm sorry, Lea, but the ship
is out of our reach right now. Ihjel was killed with an ion gun and
it fused the control unit into a solid lump. We must take the car
and get to the city. We'll do it now. See if you can stand up--I'll
help you."

She rose, not saying anything, and as they walked towards the car
a single, reddish moon cleared the hills behind them. In its light
Brion saw a dark line bisecting the rear panel of the sand car. He
stopped abruptly. "What's the matter?" Lea asked.

The unlocked engine cover could have only one significance and he
pushed it open, knowing in advance what he would see. The attackers
had been very thorough and fast. In the short time available to them
they had killed the driver and the car as well. Ruddy light shone on
torn wires, ripped out connections. Repair would be impossible.

"I think we'll have to walk," he told her, trying to keep the gloom
out of his voice. "This spot is roughly a hundred and fifty
kilometres from the city of Hovedstad, where we have to go.
We should be able to--"

"We're going to die. We can't walk anywhere. This whole planet is a
death trap. Let's get back in the ship!" The shrillness of hysteria
was at the edge of her voice, as well as a subtle slurring of
sounds.

Brion didn't try to reason with her or bother to explain. She had a
concussion from the blow, that much was obvious. He had her sit and
rest while he made what preparations he could for the long walk.

Clothing first. With each passing minute the desert air was growing
colder as the day's heat ebbed away. Lea was beginning to shiver,
and he took some heavier clothing from her charred bag and made her
pull it on over her light tunic. There was little else that was
worth carrying--the canteen from the car and a first-aid kit he
found in one of the compartments. There were no maps and no radio.
Navigation was obviously done by compass on this almost featureless
desert. The car was equipped with an elect