"Let's get out of here" Mark shouted.

        He scrambled from beneath the ledge, suddenly tasting blood. 
He wiped his hand across his face and felt the small chunks of
metal embedded in his flesh.  He pulled them from beneath the
skin as quickly as he could.

        Tanaria soon joined him, and his heart sank as he saw the thin
trails of blood which streaked her face.  Mushlik seemed
relatively untouched by the explosions, and he was removing
antiseptic from the first aid kit.  Before Mark knew what was
happening, Mushlik was by his daughter's side, daubing a large
piece of gauze on her face.  She winced with pain as the
antiseptic took effect.  Mushlik walked over to Mark, who was
helping her remove three metal splinters that had barely missed
her left eye.

        The antiseptic met his own wounds, and his eyes widened.  After
cleaning Tanaria's wounds, she tended to him, as Mushlik
rummaged through the kit for some bandages.

        "That's okay" Mark said.  "The bleeding should stop soon."

        "Stop, hell" Mushlik said.  "You were vaccinated for the native
bacteria, but I don't want to push things.  We have to
immediately seal up all wounds."

        "The Bellikans must have sent out droves of those probes"
Mushlik said, almost out of breath with anxiety.  "Luckily there
were only three.  We don't know if they are under monitoring by
the base of operations.  If so, a well armed shuttle is probably
on its way."

        An idea suddenly occurred to Tanaria.  "We only monitored the
metallic nature of the probes, right?  The scanner didn't pick
out any signal transmissions."

        Mushlik looked a little relieved.  "Yes, that's right.  That's
right.  Perhaps the probes periodically send telemetry back to
base.  Or perhaps, as we fired upon them, they sent out an
emergency signal."

        "Let's hope not" Mark said.  "Whatever the case, we should move
on from here."

        "Further into the forest?" Tanaria asked.  "I agree, but there
must be more of the probes around.  And shuttle flybys are still
continuing.  In fact ..."

        She looked at her watch.

        "If they stay on their previous schedule, another one should
pass over within the next ten minutes."

        All three looked ominously into the sky.  A flock of birds
soared overhead, causing Mark's heart to skip a beat.  He
breathed with relief.

        "Where should we hide now?" Mark asked.

        "Let's keep going, leaving the scanner on at all times."

        "We've seen increased search activity" Tanaria said as they
began walking. "This must mean that reinforcements have arrived."

        "Probably" Mushlik replied.  "But we never knew the strength of
the Bellikan forces present on Dalthigia.  We only knew they had
an underground base."

        "We've seen at least half a dozen shuttles flying overhead, and
then these probes."

        "Could there be just one shuttle, making repeated passes from
different directions?" Mark asked.

        "I don't think so" Tanaria replied.  "The intermittent
distribution of their headings indicates that there are at least
several of them."

        Mark repositioned the cube between his arms, and  he and
Tanaria waited for Mushlik to continue.

        "Well, let's cloak" Mushlik said.

        They engaged their power supplies and vanished from view.

        "The killer drones probably see well in infrared" Mark said. 
"But every little bit helps."

        The air was cool on the forest floor, and the sun climbed
higher in the sky as they journeyed.

                               124.

        Lira continued trying the door to their cell.  Etar was sitting
in the corner of the room.  A small metal grating on the rear
wall led outside, allowing some light into their cell. 

        "We must get out of here" Lira said angrily.  "Why aren't you
helping to find a way?"

        "The door is solid, and the walls much too thick.  Besides, we
have only our bare hands."

        Lira looked at him, as he sat in troubled thought.  "I guess
you're right" she said, sitting in the opposite corner of the
room.

        Outside, they heard the gathering of rebel troops, as they ran
up and down the street, shouting orders and calling out names. 
It sounded like hundreds were assembling outside.

        "There is going to be more and more bloodshed" Etar said. 
"Promise me that if I am killed, you will meet up with Tonur and
the others and continue to teach and heal."

        Lira looked fearfully at him.

        "Promise me" he said with great seriousness.

        "I promise."

        Lira heard him sigh, and she knew that he, like her, was afraid.

        "Someday all of this will pass away" Etar said, above the din
of the crowd outside.  "We may not see it in this life, but it
will happen.  When people learn that hatred and violence is not
the way to solve problems, then Cinrekkia and Mishria will ally,
along with the rest of the world."

        "How can you have so much faith in people?" Lira asked.  "These
are Mishrians who have imprisoned us, our own people.  How will
the chosen people of Lamper treat us?  What if we were in the
hands of barbarians?"

        "We were treated better by the governor's soldiers" Etar said. 
"But the Cinrekkians brought this evil upon us.  I don't see how
it is any fault of Mishria.  Perhaps it would be better to send
our word to Cinrekkia now, instead of Mishria.  Their hearts are
hardened by the stubborn ways of the priests."

        "They are coming!" someone shouting in the street.  "At least
ten legions of Cinrekkians!  Over five thousand men!"

        People began shouting, and it sounded like a riot had erupted.
The voice of their interrogator cut through the cacophony of
voices.

        "The legions are still at least four hours away.  We must
assemble now and head north on the road, until we reach the
hills of Azra.  There we shall ambush them.  Death to Cinrekkia!"

        The crowd cheered passionately.  Lira and Etar listened to the
rattling of spears and the sounds of people marching along the
road.  Just then, the door to their cell was unlatched, and it
opened with a loud creak.  A rebel guard stepped inside, with
two other men at his side.  His face was filled with panic.

        "The Cinrekkians approach.  You will accompany us into battle."

        "What?" Lira asked.  "We have no intention of killing others,
no matter who they are!"

        Etar stood slowly.  "I'm with her.  I refuse to take part in
the bloodshed."

        "We thought you'd feel that way.  Bield has decided to see
whether you are really spies.  We intend to place you before us.
 If you are in league with them, then they will regard you and
delay firing their arrows."

        "We are not spies!" Lira shouted.  "Besides, if we were, do you
think the Cinrekkians would value us enough to avoid killing us
along with all of you?  Of course not!"

        The guard began laughing, and he walked towards Etar.  The
other two men stood on either side of Lira.  The man placed his
hand roughly on Etar's shoulder.

        "You two must have known for quite a while about these
reinforcements.  Because you did and decided not to tell us,
you'll die along with us.  It's a fair price to pay for
betraying your own people!"

        He shoved Etar forward, and he nearly fell to the floor. 
Standing erect, he stood face to face with their captor.  "You
are all so ignorant" he said.  His eyes pierced the mind of the
rebel.  "Then we shall all die in vain."

        "You are no Rellaj!" the guard said.  "The Book of Lamper says
that the Rellaj will lead us to victory over the evil one,
setting us higher than our enemies!  You are a false prophet and
a coward!"

        He punched Etar in the chest, and the prophet fell to the
floor, gasping for breath.  

        "Lamper doesn't consider the Cinrekkians our enemies!" Lira
said.  "Lamper intends to lead all people out of sin and
violence.  That is the enemy the scriptures speak of!"

        The two men grabbed her by each arm and dragged her out of the
room.  Etar, meanwhile, had regained his stance, and he walked
peacefully out of the cell, the guard behind him with a club
poking into Etar's back.

        "I pray for you and for all people, that your sins are
forgiven.  Only Lamper can forgive us for our failings."

        "Come on!" the guard hollered, jamming the club painfully into
Etar's spine.  Once outside the cell, they continued down a
hallway into a large room, filled with rebel supplies.  The
guards bound their hands behind their backs and led them outside
to join the rebel soldiers.

                              125.

        Orga looked over the schedule of shuttle flights.  His officers
felt more at ease as his yellow face softened in expression.

        "Excellent.  So the last transfers will occur within what ...
about eight hours?"

        "Yes Commander" a young Bellikan said.  He avoided the glance
of his commander by looking at the monitor which displayed the
hold of the destroyer, now brimming with equipment.

        "And I see our search for the Council spies has been
unsuccessful?  They destroy two of our shuttles, from some
underground base, and we can't locate them?"

        "They had fled their outpost before the second shuttle was
destroyed, Commander."

        "These covert operations commanders know little or nothing
about fighting battles and flushing the enemy into the open. 
Though we arrived nearly a day ago, even we have not found them.
Now that the evacuation is effectively complete, let us
concentrate our abilities on finding and destroying them."

        Another officer, one who looked about the room suspiciously,
began to speak.

        "We believe that the first shuttle was destroyed by a magnetic
mine, hovering over the city on the planet surface.  The second
was destroyed here, in an isolated region of forest, southeast
of the city."

        "Then if they have fled their outpost, they must be hiding
there" Orga said with some agitation.

        "So far, our fighters have been unable to penetrate the thick
forest, and all bombing attempts on infrared signatures have
merely killed native wildlife."

        "What about the seekers?  Haven't we dispersed several hundred
of them over--"

        "Yes, Commander.  But, according to normal procedure, they are
to transmit their telemetry only once every six hours. 
Otherwise, they would be too visible to the enemy."

        "Look at it this way" Orga said.  "We know their number must be
small, by the size of their former base.  I'd say there aren't
more than half a dozen of them.  They're probably staying
together as well.  If we send out enough seekers, with their
transmitters continuously beaming us telemetry, and we fly a
cover of fighters over them, we could have them within an hour. 
I'd bet anything on that.

The instant a seeker sends out a warning signal, or we stop
receiving its signal altogether, our fighters converge on that
point, heavily bombarding the entire vicinity."

        His five officers looked at each other nervously.

        "Very well" Orga concluded as he sat down again.  "Set up the
operation as I have described.  Let the bombardiers drop
whatever they will, including nerve gas.  And when they are
dead, retrieve any records they are carrying to implicate our
involvement on this sickening planet.  That, men, is our
objective at this point."

        A beep suddenly sounded on the intercom.

        "Yes?" Orga asked.

        "The latest seeker telemetry has arrived.  Two of them appear
to be missing" the voice said.

        "There!  Pinpoint its location, and drop two platoons into the
forest.  Narrow the search radius with the remaining seekers to
five miles around the last known position of those that were
destroyed, and concentrate all our fighters over that area."

        "But what if they have fled that area, Commander?" one of the
officers asked.

        "You inexperienced ones are always complicating things.  Look
at the facts -- we found no hangar at or near their base which
would have housed a shuttle or vehicle.  They would never keep a
vessel outside their base, for security reasons.  Thus, I
conclude that they are on foot, attempting to evade us as best
they can."

        "Our fighters are nearing a mandatory refuel."

        "Very well, bring them back, one squadron at a time, but
continue with the plan as I have ordered.  Any questions?"

        "What if a Council ship arrives while our men are on the
ground?" the young officer asked.

        "Then either we have time to recall them, or they are
casualties of battle.  Just remember, and this is my strictest
order, that if the Council arrives before we are finished here,
we are to self destroy all fighters and soldiers committed on
the planet.  Then, we must enter hyperspace and make for our
borders, immediately."

        His officers looked somber at this last order, but they didn't
dare disagree with him.  They stood and exited the room.  Within
five minutes, Orga watched the deployment orders appearing on
his viewer.

        Troops were being suited and armed, their guns charged to
maximum, for their drop details to the planet below.  Orga also
checked long range scans, finding no signals.

        This convinced him more than ever that the Council citizens
were spying on their Dalthigian operations.  Spies are always
considered expendable, and, in times of trouble, their sponsors
deny their involvement, as well as any knowledge of their
existence.

        Orga felt his stomachs growl, and he remembered that he hadn't
eaten yet today.  He hoisted himself slowly from his chair, and
headed for the main corridor.

        "They are mine" he thought as he left the briefing chamber.

                              126.

        They had been marching on the main road for over an hour now,
as the sun passed zenith and the air grew hot.  The glare of the
sunlight from the road made Lira squint, and she saw Etar wiping
the dust from his eyes.

        Etar was praying to himself, his lips moving silently to the
words in his mind.  As she saw this, Lira recited her own
prayer, asking Lamper to forgive the rebels and the Cinrekkians
for what was about to happen.

        She wondered whether the Rellaj would die today, and, if so, if
his message would ever be brought to the whole world.  She
remembered the first time she had seen him, preaching to a large
group in the meadow.  His words rang truer each day she had
known him, and Lira made a firm resolve that if she lived
through this battle, she would try to bring that word to
everyone, with or without Etar.

        The rebel soldiers were clad in leathery armor, fashioned from
layers of traditional work clothing.  This leather would soften
the blows of Cinrekkian clubs, but  arrows would easily
penetrate it.  Many wore helmets fashioned like metal bowls,
with rounded tops.  The men and women nearest her also wore
stripes of color on their helmets, the blue and yellow colors of
the Mishrian flag.

        They marched quickly, to reach the hills as soon as possible,
hoping to establish positions on the hillsides which rose from
both sides of the road.  Their boots raised a cloud of dust,
which caused many of them to cough, especially when gusts of hot
wind blew the dust towards them.

        The soldiers began tying bands of cloth to the sides of their
helmets, covering their mouths and noses from the onrush of
soil.  Lira turned towards Etar, who was visibly exhausted as he
tried to keep up with the others.  Behind him, she saw Moga, its
buildings, including the palace, shimmering against the horizon.

        "Are you alright?" Lira shouted over to Etar, who marched on
the opposite side of the road.

        "Shut up!" her holder shouted, poking her in the middle of the
back with his club.

        She winced from the pain and felt short of breath, as she
struggled to maintain her pace.  They were climbing a gradual
slope, and they grew more restless as they entered the hills. 
Only ten minutes ahead lay their destination, the point in the
road where the hills rose most steeply.

        Ahead, the lead troops were already charging up the hillsides,
seeking a good view of the road further to the northwest.  The
officers marching behind Lira and Etar expressed relief that the
scouts weren't screaming and waving their battle banners after
reaching the summits -- this would have meant that the
Cinrekkians were virtually upon them.  Instead, the scouts stood
atop the two hundred foot hills and looked about in all
directions.

        "Can they see the Cinrekkians yet?" one of the officers asked. 
"Look how they search in all directions.  If they saw the
advancing Cinrekkians, would they not be focusing on them?"

        Lira wondered whether the Cinrekkians were anticipating trouble
from the rebels and had taken a different route.  She knew the
terrain this far north.  If such a large number of Cinrekkians
were advancing, they should have been visible by now, since the
road beyond the hills sloped down very gradually for a couple
miles.

        Once the officers were sure that the Cinrekkians were not
nearby, they urged the remainder of troops forward, and Lira
watched the twin peaks on either side of the road grow closer.  

        "Well, we know that you didn't get the chance to warn them!"
one of the officers said, shouting directly into Etar's ear.

        Etar appeared to have had enough of this loud taunting, for he
stepped sideways, bringing his face directly against the
officer's.  The officer backed away with surprise, but his eyes
were glued to Etar's stare.

        "You must cease this violence, both against us and the
Cinrekkians.  Don't you hear the words of Lamper?  Violence
begets violence, hate begets hate.  And something, which none of
you seemed to have learned, is that death begets death."

        The officer's face softened, and he spoke normally as he
continued.

        "Then why do you aid the Cinrekkians, since their entire Empire
is founded on the death and enslavement of all races to
themselves?"

        "We are not Cinrekkians, nor do we aid them!" Etar shouted. 
Other officers and troops turned to hear his words.

        "Maybe you could tell us where the Cinrekkians are?" the
officer asked.  He blinked his left eye while watching Etar, as
sweat had trickled down from beneath his helmet, blurring his
vision.

        "They aren't nearby, at least I don't feel any presence but our
own" Etar said.  "Beyond that, I have no idea."

        "How can you be the Rellaj?  The Rellaj is of Lamper.  If
Lamper knows all, then you must.  Yet you can't even tell us
where some soldiers are hiding!"

        "The Rellaj is not meant to be a soothsayer, or a solider" Lira
said, trying to see clearly through the dust that swirled
between them.

        They heard a shout from the distance, and all of them turned to
face the hill which rose from the side of the road.  A rebel was
standing at the summit, waving a yellow flag in the wind.  He
had dispatched a messenger who was now skidding down the
hillside.  An officer ran forward, as quickly as he could
towards the messenger.  Everyone else was quiet, anxiously
awaiting their next order.

        Lira stood still, her heartbeat pounding in her chest, as she
watched the messenger delivering the information to the officer.
 His face grew grim for a moment, and then he turned, his mouth
hanging open, his eyes slit-like in the wind.

        "They are coming.  We have seen a cloud of dust rising into the
air.  Take up positions on the hillside, evenly dispersed. 
Move!"

        The rebels charged forward, making for the slopes of the
surrounding hills as quickly as possible.  Lira glanced further
along the road and saw a thin line of dust which rose evenly
along the horizon.

        "They must know that we're here" one of the men said, urging
Etar to move with the troops.

        "Why?" Lira asked.

        "See the cloud they are kicking up?  It lies along about a half
mile of terrain.  They've already left the road and dispersed to
take their battle formation.  This is it."

        Lira walked behind Etar, beyond the edge of the road, and up
the hillside.  They began climbing the brush covered slope, and,
as they ascended, Lira saw the cloud growing in size, the upper
edges thinning on the wind.

        Soon, they heard a rumble, moving across the dusty plateau.  As
it grew louder, they began to hear a rhythm.  Lira's heart sank
as she heard a sound from her earliest childhood, one which had
filled her nightmares for years to come.

        The sounds of Cinrekkian war drums determined the march of the
troops, and from over a hill still nearly a mile away, they saw
gleaming dots appear, the polished Cinrekkian helmets that
bobbed up and down with their strides.  Some of the troops, dots
which gleamed occasionally in the bright sun, were advancing
along the road, but they were keeping a slow pace, maintaining
the coherence of their advance over the expanse of land.

        Lira and Etar had climbed about halfway to the summit, their
gazes now fixed on the advancing thousands of Cinrekkian troops.
 These were fresh soldiers, from other Cinrekkian colonies. 
They probably knew little or nothing of Mishrian culture or
religion.  Lira saw them as a worse threat than the soldiers
which had already occupied Mishria.

        Etar turned to her, his back facing the dust cloud which was
now blowing towards them.  His head was framed by the sun as he
reached out his hands and stroked Lira's hair.

        "May Lamper forgive them, all of them.  Our friends will
continue to preach the Way of Lamper to all people, Mishrian and
Cinrekkian, and the rest of the world beyond that.  With or
without us, the seeds I have planted in this world have taken
root.  These seeds will grow, until the will of Lamper is made
known to all peoples, in word and deed.

        Lira embraced him, and she felt him shaking as he wept.

                               127.

        Mark stood over the dead animal.

        "It looks a lot like a gopher" he said.  Its abdomen was blown
open, the point of the explosive dart still embedded deep in its
gut.

        Scavenging insects had already found the carcass, which could
only have been dead for several hours.  Mushlik continued ahead
of Mark and Tanaria, sighting another carcass ahead of them,
lying in the path.  Mark joined him, and together they
approached the dead animal, its eyes still open, its head lying
in a pool of blood which had trickled from its mouth.  This poor
animal had met its fate quickly, as the gleaming metal shaft of
the dart protruded from its open mouth.

        As Tanaria left the first animal, she caught up with Mark and
her father.  They stood over the second kill, Mushlik again
taking careful sensor readings.

        "I haven't monitored any killer drones for over half an hour"
he said.  "And no shuttle flybys for about twice that long."

        "Maybe they've left orbit!" Mark said, hoping that his
companions would agree.

        "Hard to tell" Tanaria said.  "They could be refueling or just
searching another area more thoroughly."

        Mark realized the wisdom of her words, knowing that they were
still in grave danger.  Anxiety had numbed Mark's mind.  The
sole thought that filled their minds was reaching safety.  When
a ray of hope touched their minds, however, such as the
disappearance of Bellikan scout ships, a burst of elation would
fill them, appearing as unrealistic optimism.  They grew to hate
the anxiety more than the Bellikans.  If they were taken
prisoner, at least there would be certainty.

        The scanner suddenly squawked, and they all hit the dirt, Mark
losing hold of the cube momentarily.  He found it and pulled it
against his chest.  Mushlik read the scanner display.

        "Powerful scans are moving through this entire area" he said at
last.  "Point of origin is nearly at zenith.  The frequencies
are typical of a deep, high resolution scan."

        "Are you detecting any vessels above us?" Tanaria asked.

        "Only a diffuse metallic signature.  By the way its angular
extent fluctuates, I believe it is a vessel either very high in
the atmosphere, or perhaps in orbit."

        They were silent, awaiting more data from Mushlik.

        "The vessel is moving at roughly  0.03 degrees per second."

        He looked back at them, forgetting that they were optically
invisible, just as he was.   He started to speak but silenced
himself.  Tanaria knew that something had startled him.

        "What's wrong?" she asked.  She heard his breathing become
uneven.  "Damn it, what's wrong?"

        "At least ten other targets are moving away from the primary,
very quickly.  Switching to infrared."

        They heard him flick a switch.

        "Just as I expected.  A larger vessel in orbit has released ten
smaller craft, and by the heat radiation, they appear to be
entering the atmosphere.  Their courses are evenly dispersed,
radially outward from the central vessel in all directions."

        "Our worst fears are true then" Mark blurted.  "Damn!  Just
when I thought we were in the clear!"

        "Let's find some higher ground, with heavy foliage, to help
conceal us."

        Inwardly, Mushlik feared that this was more than a sensor
sweep.  The scans from the main ship continued, high frequency
waves passing over them at ten second intervals.  He prayed to
himself that the other vessels weren't going to douse them with
poison gas or bomb the entire area into oblivion.  By the
location of the mother ship, Mushlik deduced from the scanner's
calculations that the search, if symmetric about the central
ship, would be centered about three miles to the northwest. 
That was where they had destroyed the killer drones.

        "I believe they are setting up a large grid search for us.  The
ships are now in the upper atmosphere, still heading outward
from the mother ship."

        "Probably a Bellikan destroyer or cruiser" Tanaria said.

        "Yes.  Hopefully nothing larger.  Anyway, by their altitude and
angular dispersion, the diameter of the search will be at least
twenty miles.  The ships are still dispersing, so that number
will only increase.  Our best bet is to get as far from the
center of the search perimeter as possible."

        "Won't we be running directly through their scans then?" Mark
asked.

        "Perhaps" Tanaria answered.  "But, if their search pattern
brings them progressively closer to the central point, their
scans will be much more concentrated and closely spaced.  They'd
probably detect us underground."

        "There" Mushlik said.  "They have stopped moving outward. 
Search radius is about twelve miles."  He struggled to keep
track of the targets as another scan moved by them.

        "We're far inside the perimeter" he said.  "About nine miles
from the southeast corner.  We have no idea how rapidly they
will proceed.  In any case, let's get moving."

        Mark stood, feeling rested and dizzy at the same time.  He beat
the dust out of his pants, and he saw that Tanaria was doing the
same, as small puffs of brown soil now surrounded her.

        They began their run for the search perimeter, proceeding at as
brisk a pace as Mark could handle.  When they had just begun,
Mushlik ordered them to stop momentarily while he took more
scans.

        "Several larger vessels have now appeared, moving vertically
towards the center of the search radius."

        Mark felt his heart in his throat as he realized that a
full-scale hunt was now underway, and they were the prey.  He
remembered the Bellikan assault on Earth.  He hoped that Council
help would arrive soon, destroying the Bellikans, or at least
sending them on a retreat for their borders.  Knowing that they
possessed the evidence needed to incriminate the Bellikan Empire
terrified him.

        On Earth, many people who knew too much were hunted down and
killed for it.  The Bellikans were like interstellar mobsters,
toting their space age tommy guns around with them, their
victims being anyone or anything that stood in the way of their
enterprises.

        Tanaria worried that they would all die in vain, that their
evidence would be lost from the eyes of Council investigators,
and that the Bellikans would continue to interfere unchecked in
the evolution of primitive cultures.  She knew that Payter, her
father, was probably most concerned about her safety.  That's
the way he had always been, and she knew he was probably
regretting her presence on the expedition.  When Mushlik swore
and shook the scanner in anger, they knew that more bad news was
coming.

        Mark felt near tears as he stopped to catch his breath. 
Mushlik and Tanaria stopped as well, standing near the
indentations that his boots produced in the leaves on the forest
floor.

        "What is it now?"

        "The larger vessels I monitored before?  They're laying out
clouds of those drones.  And the drones are emitting a constant
signal.  The second we destroy one of them, their forces will
probably be on us in a minute.  The signals from all of them ...
damn there must be a hundred of them within the search radius. 
They've jammed the scanner."

        He shook it again, and swore loudly, his voice echoing through
the forest.  "This thing is practically useless now.  I can't
see a fucking thing!"

        Just as he neared hysteria and thought of tossing the scanner
against a tree, he heard a different sound from the scanner.  It
was a soft beeping, barely audible over the cacophony produced
by the hundreds of signal emitters now seeking their destruction.

        "Switching to hyperspatial!" he said loudly.  With a flick of
the switch, all of the signals vanished, save one.  It was a
scrambled message, reaching the scanner loud and clear.

        Mushlik engaged the decoder, and a message appeared instantly
on the display screen.

        "My God!" he cried, tears of joy welling up in his eyes.  "It's
the Council!  The goddamn Council!"

        Using his infrared visor to locate Mushlik, Mark hurried over
to his side, gazing in wonder at the display screen.

        "Shouldn't we turn on our finder beacons?" Mark asked.

        "Whatever vessel that's approaching is not yet in orbit" 
Mushlik answered.  "Their message is very minimal.  ETA in ... 1
hour!"

        They looked at each other, their elation quickly giving way to
renewed worries that the Bellikans would kill them within the
next ten minutes, not an hour.  Mushlik switched on the
high-frequency scanner, adjusting the sensitivity to perceive
only strong, local signals.

        "I think we have company" Tanaria said, watching the small dot
moving towards the center of the tracking screen.

        They ran into a tight grouping of trees, consisting of four
trunks that formed the corners of a square.  Mark hugged the
rough bark of a tree, feeling his arms cover only a small
fraction of the trunk's circumference.  All three pulled their
pistols and removed the safeties.  By the scanner display, Mark
knew that a small craft, probably a killer drone, was moving
slowly towards them.

        Mark set the cube on the ground, moving his head several inches
beyond the edge of the tree trunk.  Though cloaked, the drone
would probably be sensitive to his infrared signature.

        As his eyes cleared the edges of the rough bark, Mark saw it,
the same size and shape as the others, several sensors and
weapon systems gleaming as it floated.

        Mushlik was suddenly very busy with the scanner unit, flipping
virtually every switch on its small control panel.  He heard
himself breathing, and he quickly silenced himself.  Mark felt
someone's hand on his shoulder, but he kept his eyes fixed on
the approaching drone.  It was hovering with an audible hum, its
sensors searching for any motion in the air.

        The hand left his shoulder, and he suddenly heard a crashing
sound in the forest to his right.

        The drone erupted with a loud whine, and it swung instantly
into position, its guns firing the explosive darts into the
brush.  Mark moved out another foot, most of his body now
exposed to the drone's sensors.

        Aiming his pistol carefully, Mark pulled the trigger, and the
drone exploded.  The sound numbed their ears, and Mark fell
backwards, gasping in the noxious fumes created from the blast. 
Mark turned his head around, seeing that Mushlik was still
stooping behind the tree, adjusting several controls on the
scanner.

        "We're sitting ducks" Tanaria said.

        Mushlik looked up from the unit, and Mark thought he saw a
smile, despite the infrared visor's limited resolution.

        "I see no alteration in the drone pattern" he replied.

        Mark realized that Mushlik had discovered something, by the
calmness of his voice and his intense concentration.

        "I almost forgot that this silly thing has a frequency
synthesizer" Mushlik said at last.  "I recorded the drone's
output, and, the moment it exploded, I cut in with our own
signal."

        "Brilliant!" Tanaria said, hugging her father from behind.

        "Not so fast" Mushlik said.  "It may have sent some warning
signal to the Bellikan ships, or they might have noticed a gap
in its signal output."

        They held their breath, waiting for a Bellikan fighter to come
swooping down upon them, to drop some horrible warhead that
would vaporize them. Mushlik worried that, if the cube were hit
in such a blast, it would remain intact, its cloaker out of
operation.  In that case, its hyperspatial signal would beam out
loud and clear to the Bellikan scanners.

        Another signal appeared on the scanner, and Mushlik pointed in
the direction of its approach, this time from the south. 
Mushlik was busy preparing to add the output signal from this
second drone to the first, should it become necessary.  Tanaria
turned and waited to see the malevolent sphere, slowly weaving
its way between tree trunks as it scanned the forest.

        Mark soon heard the hum from the probe, and he saw a rock at
his feet.  Slowly bending over and picking it up, he aimed for a
group of bushes to his left.  Throwing the rock, he stooped low
to the ground.  This drone responded identically to the first,
firing its darts into the brush.  Tanaria's expert marksmanship
showed itself, as she aimed the pistol with only one hand and
scored a direct hit.

        The explosion was loud, and Mark heard shrapnel flying through
leaves around them.  The tree trunk Tanaria had hid behind shook
briefly, as pieces of high velocity metal embedded themselves
into the wood.

        Mushlik looked up from the scanner.

        "That's it" he said.  "Due to the complexity of the signal, I'm
taxing the synthesizer to its peak capacity now.  We can't add a
third signal."

        Mark picked up the cube, feeling its cool smoothness between
his arms.  "Lamper save us" he said aloud.

        "Lamper save us all" Tanaria replied.

                              128.

        The rebel forces were speechless when they saw the Cinrekkian
troops, at least a thousand archers among them.  They had
evidently anticipated rebel emplacements on the hills north of
the city.

        Rank upon rank of soldiers marched, kicking up a huge dust
cloud that now blanketed the hills like a fog.  Wagons and more
troops brought up the rear, carrying supplies.

        Lira closed her eyes and prayed, as the rumble from the
approaching hoards filled the sky, and the sun dimmed in the
cloud of dust.  Rebels were scrambling about the blind slopes of
the hills, shuttling information between the officers, who were
positioned on the highest hilltops on either side of the pass.

        Their soldiers had readied their bows and piled rocks about
their feet, preparing to throw them down the slopes at the
enemy.  The overall mood, at least amongst the troops
surrounding Lira and Etar, was gloomy, but she heard no whispers
of dissent or desertion from their positions.

        Then she heard shouts coming from men and women standing
further up the slope.  When Etar looked up towards them, he saw
their arms outstretched, pointing back along the road, toward
the city.  When Etar turned his head, he could not believe his
eyes.  A large contingent of Cinrekkian troops was closing in on
them from behind.

        "They'll surround us!" she cried.

        The rebels were easily visible to the advancing Cinrekkian
troops, who began to disperse from the road when still about a
half mile from the foothills.   From both sides, the gleaming,
armored troops advanced, closing inexorably any chance for
escape.  The rebels were beginning to argue amongst themselves,
swearing and cursing at their leader's decision to confront the
Cinrekkian army this far from their strongest positions.

        Some of the rebels gave in to their fears, stumbling and
rolling down the slopes.  Most chose to flee north, hoping to
outrun any Cinrekkian pursuit and escape into the wild country. 
Rebel officers ordered them shot as they fled, and their
closest, crack troops obeyed, sending a single wave of arrows
flying down the hillsides.

        Only a few met their mark.  "We can't waste arrows!" they cried
to each other, some of them actually shoving their fellow
soldiers' bows toward the ground.

        The fleeing rebel troops were now making their way as quickly
as possible away from the battlefield, and Lira watched as the
Cinrekkians advancing from the south sent several detachments to
pursue the deserters.  One of the officers standing near Etar
was waving a series of signal flags to the central command
located further up the slope.  Lira knew from Mishrian military
customs that the blue flag that fluttered in the breeze was the
surrender flag.  She wondered if the Cinrekkians would take them
prisoner or cut them to ribbons, finally having their chance to
confront the rebels in the open.

        As the dust cloud thickened, many of the soldiers coughed and
hacked.  Those accustomed to battle on the plateau knew to cover
their noses and mouths with scarves.

        Both  walls of troops now began curving at the northern and
southern extremes, slowly forming a complete encirclement of the
hills.  Archers at the front of these advances sent their arrows
whistling onto the hillsides, hoping to scare up and strike at
any rebel contingents in the hills.  When they found no
resistance, they began scaling the hillsides, soon taking up
positions which were fortified by more troops.  

        Lira felt a certain relief when they were surrounded.  She
climbed over to Etar, and they held hands, praying together for
the salvation of their people.

        The rumbling gradually subsided, and the wind strengthened,
clearing the dust from amongst the hills.   The rebels looked
down upon the glittering gold helmets that surrounded them, more
than a quarter mile away in all directions.  They were utterly
and hopelessly surrounded by a force at least five times their
number.

                             129.

        Orga paced nervously on the bridge of the destroyer.  They had
just picked up the hyperspatial signal from an approaching
Council vessel, which was still beyond their sensing range.  
Looking at the main display at the front of the bridge, the
Bellikan commander realized that the ship was at least an hour
away, assuming they were traveling at a maximum velocity of one
hundred times the speed of light.  In another ten minutes, the
search for the Council spies would have to be aborted.

        According to their strict schedule, that would afford all
drones and fighters fifteen minutes to return to the destroyer,
whereupon they would immediately enter hyperspace and head for
Bellikan territory.  By the telemetry that he monitored at his
console, he saw that the destroyer's scanners had found nothing.
 He swiveled on his chair and faced the nearest console to his
right.

        "Have the drones found anything?" he asked.

        The officer turned to face him with mechanical precision.  "No,
Commander.  And neither have the fighters."

        "No cessation in any drone signals, indicating attack?" Orga
asked.

        "Negative."

        "Any anomalous behavior of the drone signals?"

        "Initiating signal analysis of all 124 drones."  The
commander's stubby, yellow fingers moved across the control
panel, and Orga saw the flow of data reflecting in the officer's
eyes.

        "Actually, two of the drones, one from wave two and one from
wave three, have anomalous intensities at third order harmonics
and beyond.  But they are from different waves, released at
widely separated points."

        "Could the spies be dispersed on the surface?" the Commander
asked, approaching the edge of his seat.  He felt irritation at
the officer's lack of investigation. "Display the drone
distribution on the main display, and highlight the two with
anomalous signals."

        "Yes, Commander."

        His fingers danced again on the controls, and the display went
blank for an instant, repainted within seconds with a false
color topographical map of the Dalthigian forest within the
search perimeter.  Numerous red dots appeared, signifying the
drone positions.

        Then, one flickering blue dot appeared, several miles to the
southeast of the center of the search radius.

        "That's one of them" the Commander said.  "Where's the second?"

        "Sir, both are emitting from the exact same point."

        The officer looked wide-eyed at his commander.

        Orga pounded his console and engaged his microphone. "All
forces" he said loudly, "concentrate search at the coordinates
about to be supplied by my signal monitor."

        He nodded, glaring at his officer, who delivered the required
information.

        "Prepare to attack that location" Orga said, his voice growing
excited as he knew their search was at an end.

        A klaxon sounded, and the main bridge lighting winked out, to
be replaced by the green emergency lighting on the bridge.

        "What is it?" Orga asked.

        "A vessel now entering scanner range.  Speed factor is 150. 
Estimate firing range in forty minutes."

        Orga bit his tongue in anger, the surge of pain enraging him.

        "Recall the attack force!" he shouted.  "Immediately!"

        His officers responded, ordering the complete withdrawal of all
forces.

        "Energize defense fields.  Initiate deep scans for incoming
missiles.  Charge all weapons systems."

        He gasped for breath after bellowing out so many orders in such
a short time, and he felt dazed with anxiety.  A slight shudder
moved through the ship as the main power reactors were brought
to capacity.  Soon, all the weapons status indicators showed
full readiness, and the hyperdrive stood ready.

        "The Council spies are still alive" Orga muttered to himself. 
He realized that the Council vessel must also know of the
destroyer's presence.  Due to the limited resolution of the
detectors, however, it would still be a while until the Council
could positively identify the configuration of the destroyer as
Bellikan.

        Orga thought of the return to base, where he would face the
criticism of his rivals.  This was to be the first blemish in
his military career, and he knew all too well that Bellikan
commanders would be allowed to suffer only one defeat.  In his
desperation, he swung to the main display, where the single blue
dot was still blinking.  The red dots were streaming back into
the shuttles which hovered over them, and the fighters were
already entering the destroyer's docking bays.

        "Weapons officer" he summoned on the intercom.

        "Yes, Commander" the officer replied.   

        "Our gas weapons would leave residue for how long?"

        "At least four days, Commander."

        "Ah, then how about an explosive charge?"

        "Traces of the missile would be left behind, always leaving the
chance for our implication."

        "What about antimatter?"

        The weapons officer turned around to watch his commander's
face, across the bridge.  He turned back to his console.

        "Any amount would cause a huge explosion, Commander.  The
Council ship would monitor it from the limits of their scanning
range."

        "But it wouldn't leave any traces of its existence, now would
it?   And any vessel with hyperdrive would possess such a
capability, not just a Bellikan ship."

        "You are correct.  But if we ever were implicated in such an
operation, the use of antimatter weapons would be catastrophic
to positive opinion from the Council.  I --"

        "It is our only hope.  The data the Council spies possess will
already mobilize the Council against us.  I see that we have
nothing to lose.  Prepare a suitable warhead.  Deliver it to the
site of the anomalous drone emissions on my command."

        The officer sighed dubiously.  "Yes, Commander.  The warhead
will be charged and ready within ten minutes.  Targeting already
completed.  I recommend we launch the warhead just before
entering hyperspace."

        "Very good.  That will be within fifteen minutes, giving us
about three minutes to spare, before the Council vessel can
identify us."

        His speaker beeped, and Orga answered.

        "Commander," a voice said, "all fighters are safely aboard. 
The remaining shuttles are docking presently.  All bays will be
sealed within six minutes."

        "Excellent, just ahead of schedule.  Continue."

                             130.

        Mushlik watched the display screen on the scanner with
amazement.

        "All drones have been recalled to the shuttles" he said.  His
grin widened.  "All fighters have left the search perimeter and
are returning to orbit."

        Mark and Tanaria hugged each other happily.  As they did, the
scanner sensed a new hyperspatial signal.  Mushlik examined the
output.

        "The Council vessel, as yet unidentified, will be in orbit
shortly.  They are requesting that our locator beacons be
switched on!"

        Mark and Tanaria removed their beacons from their packs. 
Uncloaking to allow the signals to proceed unobstructed to their
rescuers, all three of them switched on their locators.

        Mushlik turned off the signal synthesizer.

        "The Bellikans must now know our exact location.  We should
begin running as quickly as possible from here, heading upwind."

        "Why upwind?" Mark asked.

        "Gas weapons" Tanaria answered, her heart sinking.  "The
Bellikans might try one last shot at us."

        "Wait a minute!" Mark hollered.  "They must be monitoring our
beacon signals as we stand here.  Running won't help, at least
while we carry the beacons!"

        Mushlik slapped his forehead.  "Quite right" he replied with
embarrassment.

        They all felt elation that the Council was coming to their
rescue.  At the same time, they realized that the Bellikans
would make one last attempt to kill them.  Desperate to erase
all incriminating evidence, the enemy would do whatever was
necessary.

        "Then we're sitting ducks all over again" Mark said.  "There
must be a way we can convince them not to kill us!"

        "How?  The information we carry has signed our death warrants!"
Mushlik replied.

        "Trust me" Mark said.

        He walked over to Mushlik and removed a microphone from the
side of the scanning unit.  Engaging the transmitter, Mark
cleared his throat and spoke into the microphone.

        "Bellikan vessel, this is a member of the Council of Worlds. 
Do not attempt any hostile act towards us.  I am carrying the
secret to the Kapp Antimatter Generator.  If you want --"

        Mushlik tore the microphone away from Mark and glared at him. 
"Are you fucking crazy?"

        "It's the only way" Mark replied softly.  "We have to keep them
here until the Council arrives.  They'll at least have to come
after us... in person."

        With that, Mark moved his hand around the invisible cube and
switched off its cloaker.  The black cube instantly became
visible, and the scanner displayed the cube's unique
hyperspatial signal, being transmitted powerfully in all
directions.

                              131.

        Onboard the destroyer, Orga's face had gone pale with surprise.
Calling his officers together at his console, they verified the
signature emanating from the kremlagite cube.  In another
minute, Orga dispatched his elite troops to the surface.  He
sought the glory of his Empire in securing the secret to the
most awesome weapon in the known universe.

                              132.

        "Surrender, and you will not be killed!" came the echoing voice
from the general's messenger.

        The rebels stood silently on the hills, listening to the words.
 He was shouting them through a wooden megaphone, directing it
towards the highest hill, on which the rebel officers were
conferring.  He repeated his message several times.  Behind him,
the crested helmets of the general and his officers were
visible.        

        The air was cooling, as the sun descended towards the western
horizon.  A dark cloud loomed on the horizon, and Lira watched
it for a moment, leaving the tension of the ensuing battle
behind her.

        Etar prayed that the rebels would surrender, realizing that
they were hopelessly outmatched by the Cinrekkians.  When the
word finally came, he wasn't surprised.

        "Attack!" Oren shouted.  "Attack!"  He and his men began
charging down the south slope of the hill, bound for the road
and the weakest point in the line of troops.

        Below, the Cinrekkians were not moving, maintaining their
statuesque appearance on the plateau.  The general watched the
ensuing charge, and he instructed his signal officer to raise
the appropriate flag.  As the purple banner rose on the pole,
the Cinrekkian soldiers prepared their bows.

        Rebel troops streamed down the hillsides, tracing a path around
the hills that would take them south. Indecisive soldiers were
grabbed by their fellows and pulled down the slopes until they
followed of their own accord. Handfuls of rebels stayed on the
hilltops, while others were moving down the north, west, and
east slopes, preparing to surrender to the two Cinrekkian
armies.  Those who had chosen to fight roared as they descended
the slopes, raising dust into the sky, some of them losing their
footholds and rolling down the hillsides.

        Etar was leaning against a slab of rock on the hillside, his
hands, like Lira's, still bound behind his back.  The heat of
the ensuing battle had spared them for now, and they watched in
terror as the rebels thundered down the hillside, in full charge
at the line of Cinrekkian troops, now streaming from the east
and west to reinforce the southern rim of the circle of power.

        The first volley of arrows whistled through the air, striking
down a dozen rebels.  Lira wanted to hold her ears when she
heard their cries and shouts of agony, but her hands were tied. 
Volley after volley followed, and hundreds of rebels lie
writhing or motionless on the ground, several hundred feet in
front of the thickening line of armored soldiers.  As she
watched, shaking with fear and sorrow, she remembered the battle
she had seen as a little girl, when the Cinrekkian armies had
demolished the Mishrian forces.

        At last, the rebels met the Cinrekkians head-on, and the first
line of rebels fell to another volley of arrows.  Those who
weren't wounded mortally with the first shot pressed their
charge.  Many met their deaths on the points of Cinrekkian
spears.

        The horror of hand-to-hand combat settled on the plateau, as
thousands of rebels clashed with the Cinrekkians.  The roar of
their voices increased in volume, rolling over the plateau and
between the hills.  In several minutes, over half the rebel
force lay motionless on the ground, and the further perimeter of
Cinrekkian troops was now closing a tight loop around the
rebels, preventing any retreat towards the road.  Etar and Lira
stood next to each other, weeping for their brothers and
sisters, both Mishrian and Cinrekkian, who died that day, in the
most fierce fighting since the Cinrekkian invasion.

        "We must wait, until the Cinrekkians are gone, to help those
still alive" Etar said. 

        Lira wanted to leave, but she couldn't take her eyes from the
carnage below.  The Cinrekkians were now closing finally from
all sides on the remainder of the rebel forces, their swords and
spears raised into the air as they charged.  She had seen
enough.  Turning to Etar, she began undoing the ropes which
bound his hands.  Once freed, he massaged his sore wrists and
then undid Lira's bindings.  Turning, they prayed together for
the dead and the dying. 

        "We have more work to do here first" Etar said.  "Then we can
return to the city."

                              133.

        Mark inspected his hyperspatial beacon and saw that the battery
unit was still almost fully charged.  "Yes" he thought, "We have
enough stored energy for the Council to find us, either alive or
dead."

        Mushlik was scanning the heavens, awaiting for signs of either
the approaching Council vessel or an ensuing Bellikan attack. 
The small rocket launcher that Mushlik had used on the Bellikan
shuttle was still in his pack, and there was one remaining
warhead.  Mushlik loaded the metal tube and attached the firing
line to the projectile.

        Switching on the aiming system, Mushlik focused the viewer and
saw that the range finder worked properly.  Removing the pistol
from his belt holster, he replaced the power pack.

        Mark and Tanaria were doing the same, and they were also
readying their cloakers.  With their helmets and visors donned,
Mark thought himself a soldier, about to go into battle.  Their
helmets were lightweight and constructed of layers of metal and
composite plastic materials.  They were intended for use as head
protection when traveling in buildings and caves, where falling
debris was a danger.

        "Cloak now" Mushlik said.  They all engaged the cloaking
devices and vanished from sight.  Mark saw Mushlik and Tanaria
clearly through the infrared visor.

        Mushlik held the scanner close to his chest, rendering it
invisible for the moment.  Satisfied that he could conceal it
from view when necessary, he moved it away from itself, causing
it to reappear.  Only the carrying handle was still invisible,
falling within the bounds of the cloaking field.

        Mushlik examined the display screen and scowled to himself.
"Let's hope the Council gets here promptly.  The Bellikans are
sending down four spacecraft.  They are presently entering the
planet's atmosphere.  I estimate only several minutes until they
arrive."

        At that point, Mark switched on the cloaker attached to the
Kremlagite cube, causing it to vanish from sight.  Mushlik
confirmed that its hyperspatial signal was being concealed.

        "Detach your beacons" Mushlik ordered.  They complied and
tossed them to the ground.  They ran for their best chance at
concealment, a dense grouping of trees about a thousand feet to
the west.

        Mushlik held the spare beacon, not switching it on until he was
sure that Council help had arrived.  They moved rapidly over the
forest floor, remaining silent and separating to minimize their
visibility.  At last they passed through a thick canopy of
vines, wincing in pain as thorns and thistles raked their legs. 
Stopping within the thick growth, Mushlik checked the viewscreen
again.

        The Bellikan vessels had descended to less than 10,000 feet,
heading towards the exact location of the three hyperspatial
beacons.

        Within seconds, Mark heard a roaring sound, which grew
progressively louder.  Resisting the temptation to hold his
ears, he felt the air growing warm, and a large shadow moved
over them.  Mark looked up and saw the typical wedge-shaped
Bellikan shuttle, now hovering a hundred feet over the beacons. 
Another shuttle flew over, and a bomb detached from the
underside of the vehicle.

        It struck a thinly foliated region of the forest, about a
hundred feet north of the beacons, and a tremendous explosion
knocked them to the ground.  Mark heard trees being torn to
shreds, and a huge cloud of dirt and smoke filled the air,
moving slowly towards them.  The bomber descended into the midst
of the smoldering crater, and they heard the whine of its
engines decreasing in pitch.

        Peering out from the thicket, Mark saw gleams of metal, moving
amongst the trees.  Shortly, as he took aim with his pistol,
Mark saw at least a dozen Bellikan soldiers, armored in thick
metal.  The troops, holding their rifles at waist level, marched
towards the beacons.

        The line of soldiers began firing their rifles, and the ground
between and around the beacons erupted in flashes of white
light.  Several stray shots struck branches in the thicket, and
Mark jumped out of the way as a smoldering branch crashed to the
ground.

        Mushlik collapsed, groaning in pain, and Mark saw Mushlik's
hands gripping his lower leg.  Mark knelt down at his side.

        "Are you alright?  What happened?"

        "It's okay" Mushlik replied, his breathing labored.  "A piece
of tree trunk slammed my leg.  It's practically numb, but I
don't feel any bleeding."

        Tanaria picked up the rocket launcher, easing it from her
father's grasp, and she walked to the edge of the thicket,
finding a gap in the branches which offered a view of the
Bellikan shuttle, still hovering over the advancing troops.

        Sighting on the cockpit, she pulled the firing trigger, and
flame and sparks erupted from the back of the launch tube.  Mark
followed the trail of smoke, which traced a path to the shuttle.
The rocket met its target flawlessly.

        He heard a massive explosion, and numerous fragments of metal
flew through and between the leaves of the trees above them. 
When Mark opened his eyes again, he saw the shuttle dropping
towards the ground, the entire top of the wedge engulfed in
flame and smoke.

        The Bellikan soldiers were scattering, fleeing the impending
crash.  In seconds, the burning shuttle struck the ground,
exploding a second time as its remaining fuel ignited.  Mark
felt intense heat blanketing the thicket, and he thought for a
moment that he would catch fire and burn.

        The shock wave from the explosion knocked both Mark and Tanaria
to the ground.  A secondary explosion shook the ground, and
Mark's ears were ringing.  Everything, even the secondary
explosion, sounded muffled, as though he were hearing it through
a long tunnel.

        The entire area was now in flames, and the fire was spreading
into the forest.  Smoke blanketed the area, and Mark saw another
shuttle, diving from the sky.  Through the pall of smoke, the
glinting Bellikan troops soon emerged, their rifles now aimed
towards the thicket.

        "They know our position!" Tanaria shouted.      

        Mark helped Mushlik to his feet, just as the first rifle shots
pounded the tree trunks around them.  Countless leaves were
shaken free, descending amidst a shower of sparks.

        Another shadow moved overhead, and two beams of blue light cut
through the thick vines, setting them ablaze.  One of the beams
struck the ground less than two yards from Tanaria, and she dove
from the point of impact.  The ground erupted loudly where the
shaft of energy struck, and Tanaria regained her footing.

        Together, they ran from the thicket.  A Bellikan rifle shot
struck another tree, only feet away from Mark, and a falling
branch nicked his shoulder, knocking him to the ground.  He
jumped to his feet, his left arm useless. His arm went numb and
his left shoulder and collar bone flared with pain.

        "Switch on the beacon!" Mark shouted.

        "I did!" Mushlik shouted in return.

        Another blast sent a shower of dirt and small rocks over them,
and they choked in the dark cloud that enveloped them.  Mushlik
was running under his own power, lurching from side to side as
he tried to put minimal weight on his bad leg.

        Mark spun around and raised his pistol with his right hand. 
Taking aim at a Bellikan who had followed them through the
thicket and was now appearing from the smoldering tangle of
vines, Mark fired.  The shot struck the soldier in the left leg,
knocking him to the ground.  He rolled around as other soldiers
emerged from the thicket.  None came to his aid, and they now
saw all three of them, running in the open toward a clearing in
the forest.

        Mark, returning his gaze forward as he ran, froze with fear
when he saw another platoon of Bellikan soldiers.  The troops
were advancing towards them from the clearing ahead.  All three
screeched to a halt, and Mark began firing at the nearest
Bellikans, now only a couple hundred feet away.

        Amid the rumble of shuttle engines, Mark heard a new whining
sound, like the whistle from a large jet engine, and a
tremendous explosion knocked him to the ground.

        He watched a Bellikan shuttle drop to the ground, exploding
furiously upon impact, in the meadow ahead.  The late afternoon
sky was suddenly filled with flashes of blue and white light,
and Mark spun his head around, filled with terror as he knew
that his life was about to end.

        Mushlik watched his daughter, as she froze with fear, afraid
that the Bellikans were dropping clusters of bombs upon them. 
Bolts of blue light, extending from behind them to the line of
advancing Bellikan soldiers, caused the enemy to reel back. 
Several armored troops exploded, as the lines of light reflected
brilliantly from their exteriors.

        A Bellikan fighter flew overhead, pursued by a missile. 
Ramming into the exhaust port of the fighter, the vehicle
detonated in midair, a huge ball of fire spreading and then
slowly rising into the air.  Chunks of flaming metal rained to
the ground, and the Bellikan soldiers strained to raise their
gaze skyward.

        "Look!" Mushlik shouted above the deafening roar of the battle.

        Mark saw the infrared image of Mushlik's arm, and he followed
to where he pointed.  A Council fighter was flying overhead, its
zeppelin shaped hull aglow in the orange flames from the
wreckage.

        "It's the Corona!" Tanaria shouted.  "The Bellikans are done
for!"

        The fighter turned sharply and flew over the remaining several
dozen Bellikan troops.  Dropping a cluster of gleaming bombs,
the fighter veered sharply to port.

        Numerous whistles filled the air, as each bomb sought a
different target, exploding upon impact.  Tendrils of flame shot
out from the central explosions, and metal arms and legs were
visible, flying high into the air, trailing smoke as they arced
to the ground.

        The remaining Bellikan soldiers were now in complete panic,
scattering in all directions.  Some were crazed enough to open
fire with their rifles on the fighter, but it moved quickly out
of range.  Two more fighters came into view, appearing from
behind the trees of the forest, and they each dropped another
load of bombs.

        After the next series of explosions, each creating a flaming
octopus that gave way to a cloud of black smoke, less than a
dozen Bellikan troops remained.  Mark turned back towards the
forest.  A Bellikan soldier was less than a hundred feet away,
slowly struggling to its feet.

        Aiming his pistol, he fired, and the shot struck the soldier in
the head.  The metal helmet exploded, and the decapitated
soldier fell to the ground, smoke pouring from the neck of the
uniform.

        The beacon that Mushlik still carried began squawking loudly,
and Tanaria pointed to one of the Corona's shuttlecraft.  Shaped
like the fighters, it descended slowly towards them.  As the air
grew hot from its exhaust, Mark uncloaked and waved at the
shuttle.  Mushlik saw what he was doing, and he shrieked for him
to remain cloaked.

        Mark never heard him, as he watched the shuttlecraft  touch
lightly onto the ground, its engines music to his ears.  He saw
Smith's bearded visage from behind the canopy and the glow of
the control panel, and the airlock door of the shuttle slid open.

        Myer poked his head from the airlock, a rifle in his hands.  He
smiled a huge smile when he saw Mark.  Tanaria and her father
shouted with joy at the sight of the shuttle, and Mark felt
tears welling up in his own eyes as they began dragging
themselves to safety.

        The sky was void of all Bellikan craft, as far as they could
see from the clearing in which they were standing.  Mark turned
and saw that Tanaria was helping her father along.  When he
reached Myer, he handed him the cube.  Myer set it inside the
airlock.

        "Welcome back lad!" Myer bellowed, as his strong hand grasped
Mark's wrist.  He helped him into the airlock, and Mark picked
up the cube, continuing into the cabin of the shuttle.

        The moment Mushlik uncloaked, Myer helped him inside. Tanaria
did likewise, easing her father's broken leg up the steps which
led to the airlock hatch.  The psychologist embraced Myer
tearfully.  Myer hugged Tanaria next, and she gripped him so
tightly that for a second his feet left the floor.

        "Let's go home!" Myer said gleefully, as the shuttle engines
whined higher in pitch.  He sealed the hatch behind himself and
closed the inner airlock door.

        Tanaria sat in the central aisle of the cabin, and Mark
marveled at her beauty.  Though soiled and war torn, she still
found the energy to comfort her father.

        Mark belted himself in and leaned over, wrapping his arms
around her, from behind, and he kissed the back of her neck. 
She smiled, as she finished securing her father's safety belt. 
Mark turned and saw the cube, sitting in the aisle, two feet
behind Tanaria, the cloaker power unit still fastened securely
to its side.

        As the shuttle rose into the air and began accelerating,  Myer,
who was still manning the weapons console, kept a careful watch
for any Bellikan fighters.  Smith piloted the vehicle, and, when
he powered the engines to full, Mark felt tears in his eyes
again, knowing that they were headed back to the safety of the
Corona.

        "John!" Mark shouted hoarsely.  "Is the Corona safe?  There's a
Bellikan destroyer up there somewhere!"

        "Aye, she gave us everything she had, but she was only a
destroyer.  The Corona destroyed her weapons and hyperspace
capability before we entered orbit!"

        Mark leaned his head on Tanaria's back, and then he felt the
pain in his left shoulder returning, slowly surfacing above the
numbness that covered half his chest and back.

        Tanaria sensed he was in pain, and she turned from her father,
now only half-conscious in his chair, and she eased Mark to a
sitting position.

        "You'll be okay" she whispered into his ear.  He felt it
tickle.  He breathed a sigh of relief.  

        Outside, the atmosphere fell behind them, and the stars
appeared brilliantly against the blue-green disk of Dalthigia.

                             134.

        When Lira heard a clap of thunder in the sky, she looked about
herself in surprise.  The sky was clear, as the sun slowly
disappeared beneath the western horizon.  Then, she saw a flash
of light, high in the sky.  The light persisted for only a
second or two, expanding into a larger sphere of brilliance
about the size of the sun.

        When it vanished, she saw the brightness still etched in her
eyes, a greenish disk which persisted with eyes closed.  In half
a minute, she heard another clap of thunder, louder than the
first.

        Etar also took notice of the explosions, distracting his
attention from the battle.  Then, amid the shouting of
Cinrekkian troops and the clatter of metal weapons being
gathered from the dead soldiers, a loud tearing sound filled the
sky.

        Many lifted their gazes to the sky in puzzlement, and they
froze when they saw the giant, gleaming wedge of metal, moving
at incredible speed over the plateau, about half a mile in the
distance.  Another tearing sound followed behind it, and a
second object appeared.  It was shaped like a fat, blunt arrow,
and a trail of blue flame roared behind it.     

        As the wedge-shaped object passed by Lira and Etar, they
watched a tongue of flame detach from the cylindrical object. 
The flame moved at incredible speed towards the wedge, reaching
it in seconds.

        The trail of bright flame met the wedge, and there was a bright
flash of light.  They saw the wedge being torn to pieces, chunks
of material scattering over the plateau.  A loud explosion shook
the land, as what remained of the wedge struck the ground.  The
wreckage disappeared in a secondary explosion, sending an angry
mushroom of flame and smoke into the sky.

        The wreckage boiled in hot flames, and the air around it
rippled in the heat. Lira turned to Etar, whose eyes were wide
with amazement.

        "Remember the burning ruins we found on the hilltop?" Etar
asked.

        "Yes" Lira replied.  "It had the same shape as the one that was
just destroyed.  But look at what destroyed it!  It is not a
bird, but a lance tipped with blue fire!"

        They watched as the cylindrical craft went into a straight
climb and soon disappeared from view, leaving behind the burning
remains of the wedge-shaped craft.

        "Was the one destroyed a minion of Kerone?" Lira asked,
remembering the metal giants which had lain dead around the
wreckage.

        "No, not a minion of Kerone, but like Kerone in some ways.  I
think that our friends, the strange ones we healed on the
hilltop, are leaving our world."

        He watched peacefully now, before turning to face the horror
wrought by the battle.  As he did so, he heard the moans of pain
from the rebels, slowly dying from their wounds.  Countless
rebels lay on the ground, some of them rolling in agony, blood
pooling around them.

        The Cinrekkian armies had closed upon the remaining rebel
soldiers, confiscating their weapons and armor, leaving them
naked on the plateau.  They were defenseless to any further
attack from their captors, and the Cinrekkians stood around
them, forming a tight circle about a hundred feet in diameter,
their spears lowered towards their prisoners.

        About a hundred Cinrekkian soldiers lay either dead or wounded,
and their fellow soldiers were administering aid.  Lira knew
that the rebellion had suffered a major, if not fatal, blow.  

        Etar began walking slowly down the slope.  As Lira began to
follow him, he motioned for her to stay.        

        "Where are you going?" she asked him.

        "I am going to help our fallen brothers and sisters.  Remain
here until I call you."

        "But what if the Cinrekkians take you prisoner?"

        Etar turned for the last time, and their eyes met.  His face
was expressionless, yet Lira felt a sense of peace moving into
her mind.

        "No matter what, I am always with you, Lira.  Lamper's power
will be with you and with everyone who hears its calling."

        With that, the Rellaj turned and continued down the hillside. 
Lira peeked over a rocky ledge and watched his progress.  Soon,
he reached the bottom of the slope, and he stopped near a
wounded Mishrian soldier.

        Etar placed his hands on the soldier's blood encrusted armor,
and he raised his eyes to Heaven.  The soldier began to stir,
and Etar stroked his brow.

        A Cinrekkian, one who had been collecting weapons from the
fallen, raised his spear and ran towards Etar.  Lira wanted to
shout to Etar, to urge him to flee.  As the soldier closed in on
Etar, he fell to his knees, his palms raised in surrender.  The
soldier held the spear point inches from Etar's chest.  Ordering
Etar to his feet, the soldier led Etar towards the ring of
troops which stood about the prisoners. 

        "Are they going to kill him?" Lira asked herself as Etar neared
the line of soldiers.

        Etar's captor barked orders to the line of soldiers, which
parted briefly, to allow Etar to pass into the mass of
prisoners.  Etar saw the Cinrekkian general, ascending one of
the supply wagons parked next to the troop encirclement.  He
faced them, his spear at his side, his golden helmet glowing in
the sunset.

        Clearing his throat, he began to speak in Mishrian to the
prisoners.

        "Your revolt has been crushed completely.  You have lost your
weapons, your armor, your homes.  Even as we speak, our soldiers
are burning your homes.  They are dragging your friends and
family into the streets.  They are paying the price as well, for
what you have done.

        "My orders are clear, and we received a sign from the great War
God, Dyzan, sanctifying and validating them.  Just as the lance
of Dyzan destroyed the fleeing bird before our very eyes, so we
have pursued and destroyed you.  Meet your Lamper!"

        He lowered his spear, and the soldiers charged towards the
prisoners, impaling them, running them backwards with all their
strength.  The prisoners shrieked with terror and rage.  Etar
had found his way toward the center of the gathering.  When he
saw the Cinrekkians closing in, he stood in amazement, as the
spears impaled over a hundred men and women.

        The prisoners suddenly panicked, jostling violently into each
other as they sought to escape death, clawing at each other as
violently as they had fought with the Cinrekkians less than an
hour ago.

        Swords rose into the air again and again, blood flicking from
the sharp blades as they whistled through the air to find new
victims.  The screams and shouts from the prisoners were loud,
and Lira saw Etar fall to the ground.  The rebel soldiers
trampled him.

        The sound of cutting swords advanced quickly, and Etar saw the
hateful faces of the Cinrekkian soldiers, now less than ten feet
away from him.  They were walking over the corpses of the
rebels, their faces dotted with the blood of their victims,
their eyes seething with rage as they stared from beneath the
shadows of their helmets.

        Lira fell to the ground, praying for Lamper to spare the
Rellaj.  As tears swam in her eyes, a shadow covered her.  She
saw Etar, kneeling on the ground before her.  Open wounds
appeared on his face.  His eyes opened, glimmering in the
sunset.  For a second, she forgot the carnage around them.  The
screams receded like a distant echo, and she was with Etar,
their gazes fixed on each other.

        His eyes pierced her to her soul, and she felt his sadness, his
grief over those who had died.

        "I am about to join Lamper" Etar said calmly.   

        Then, she saw a sharp metal point emerge from Etar's chest. 
The Rellaj fell motionless to the ground.  Looking up, Lira saw
the Cinrekkian soldier, standing with his foot on Etar's back,
only inches from the spear.

        She closed her eyes and forgave them all, Mishrian and
Cinrekkian.  She praised Lamper, thanking it for her life, for
allowing her to follow the Rellaj, the Holy One, in bringing the
message of peace and salvation to the world.

        Lira blinked her eyes, and Etar was gone.  Gazing over the
ledge of rock, she saw the Cinrekkians far below.  They were
cleaning the blood from their weapons.  As night fell, they
resumed their march into the city of Moga.

        Lira mourned the death of Etar.

                               135.

        As Myer guided the shuttle on its approach toward the Corona,
Mark watched Mushlik, his eyes now closed, his mouth hanging
open.  Next to him, Tanaria still sat in the aisle.

        Through the front of the canopy, Tanaria saw the spherical
starship that was her home, growing progressively larger through
the window.  Myer seemed at ease now, and he had just informed
them that the last Bellikan fighters had been destroyed.

        The directional thrusters fired, and Tanaria felt the slight
acceleration, as the shuttle swung to point into the main
docking bay.  Braking thrusters followed, and Tanaria climbed
onto her knees, watching them pass into the brightly lit docking
bay.  A small vibration shook the craft as it set down onto the
deck, and Tanaria stood up, bending over Mark to watch the
exterior bay door closing.  When it sealed, she saw the
decontamination devices switching on, bathing the shuttle in an
eerie, green glow.

        She watched Mark, whose eyes were shiny slits, through which he
could barely see her.

        "How's the pain?" she asked.

        His eyes opened more, and his head turned on the headrest to
face her.

        "Getting worse.  Are we home yet?"

        "Yes.  In another five minutes, we can leave the shuttle.  It's
routine decontam."

        They sat for the allotted time, as Myer and Smith shut down the
engines and equipment in the cockpit.  As they placed their
headsets on the control console and turned to their exhausted
passengers, someone knocked loudly on the shuttle's hull.

        "We're comin' already!" Myer said loudly, awakening both Mark
and Mushlik.

        Myer walked by them and opened the inner airlock door.  Tanaria
helped her father to his feet, noticing the large swelling that
grew in his lower leg.  Smith put Mushlik's right arm around his
neck and helped him to the airlock.

        As Tanaria helped Mark to his feet, she was careful not to
disturb what was probably a broken collar bone.  She smiled at
him, now that they were safe onboard the Corona, free at last
from the clutches of the Bellikans.

        Mark walked under his own power, wincing with pain when he
tried to move his left arm.  As he stepped through the airlock
and down the metal steps to the hangar deck, he saw the medics,
ready with three stretchers.  Tanaria helped the specialists lay
her father on the nearest, and then she helped Mark onto his
own.  She climbed onto the third stretcher and lay like she was
taking a nap. Doctors, clothed in white from head to toe,
activated the antigravity units, and all three stretchers rose
from the deck.

        Assistants eased the stretchers toward the hangar airlock. 
Behind them, security guards had removed the Kremlagite cube
from the shuttle, and they, along with Myer and Smith, walked
towards the airlock.

        "What's the status of the Bellikan destroyer?" Myer asked one
of the guards.

        "Two Council cruisers will be arriving within a few hours.  The
Captain said they'll handle it from there.  Then, we are to
proceed to the drop-off point for the cube."

        "And where is that?" Smith asked.

        "The Captain hasn't told us yet.  One of the cruisers will
accompany us, just to make sure we don't run into any Bellikan
forces that we can't handle."

        "I doubt if we will" Myer said.  "This destroyer was sent here
to evacuate an outpost.  They were trying to keep a low profile
in this sector."

        In sick bay, all three of them had been cleaned and were lying
in comfortable beds.  Mark and Mushlik were being sedated for
surgery.  Tanaria watched both of them close their eyes, tired
and weary from their ordeal and their injuries.  One of the
doctors, inspecting Mark for further injury, noticed the huge
scar on his right side.

        "We don't have any record of a prior injury here" she said.

        Tanaria turned to her and smiled.  "That requires a bit of
explaining.  Some absolutely miraculous things happened to us on
Dalthigia.  I need to get some rest now though.  Can we talk
about it tomorrow?"

        "Certainly, I'd be glad to" the doctor replied from behind her
white mask.  "Once we've given you a check, I think you'll be
released from sick bay.  These two will probably be here for a
day or two."

        Tanaria watched her boyfriend and her father being wheeled into
surgery, and she lay down in bed, falling asleep in minutes. 
She slept without a dream.

                               136.

        Tonur awoke suddenly from her sleep.  Looking around the room,
she heard the breathing of the two dozen people asleep around
her.  From between the wooden slats of the wall, slices of
yellow light moved across the floor.

        The slices curved as they fell over sleeping children.  In one
case, Tonur watched a little girl stir and roll over as the
light fell onto her eyelids.

        Tonur felt the urge to go outside, to enjoy the morning, while
everyone slept.  Once the children woke up, she wouldn't have
more than ten seconds at a time for herself.

        Tonur and her friends had gathered the children from the
streets as they had moved south of the city.  They had realized
that the children, if not evacuated, would have died at the
hands of Cinrekkian soldiers.

        Now, as the sun rose, Tonur felt refreshed, ready to begin a
new day.  She moved quietly across the floor, stepping over
sleeping children and adults, until she stood at the door.

        The door creaked as she opened it, and Tonur blocked the
sunlight from streaming through the doorway.  The sunrise filled
her eyes as she beheld the ascending orb of fire.  

        Stepping outside into the morning air, she closed the door
behind herself and walked away from the house.  A cool breeze
massaged her face, and she kept her eyes closed, feeling her way
along the path which wound sinuously from the house to the road
almost a quarter mile away.  She left the house behind, glad to
have a least a few minutes to herself.

        Her hands were outstretched at her sides, feeling their way
between the coarse shrubs which grew along the path.  When her
left hand mingled with what felt like flowers, she opened her
eyes, squinting as they adjusted to the bright light.  Her face
was only inches away from a Porkesh bush, covered with velvety
blue flowers, their ovular tops ruffled with purple.

        Placing her nose near a flower, she inhaled and smelled the
delicate fragrance.  She stroked the blossom with her fingers,
thinking of when she was young, picking the flowers for her
mother and father.  She left the bush, and began walking along
the path, her eyes now drinking in the beauty around her.

        She prayed to Lamper, asking that the children would be fed
today, that the fighting would end, and that she would have the
courage to continue living as a witness to her faith.

        Then Tonur felt something.  Stopping, she thought that one of
the children was following her.  She turned, suddenly shocked at
who stood before her.

        "Etar!" she cried.  "You're alive!"

        She ran at him, throwing her arms around his shoulders.  He
embraced her in return, without saying a word, as Tonur's
shoulders rocked with her laughter.  When she ended the embrace,
she looked into his eyes.

        He was smiling at her, clothed in his usual gray and green
tunic and trousers.  She remembered his robe, but then realized
he had probably given it to someone more in need than himself.

        "I'm so happy that you are safe" he said at last, his words
calm like the morning breeze.  "I know that the others are safe
as well."

        "Where is Lira?" Tonur asked.

        "She will be with you soon" he said, and she knew it to be true.

        "I have brought renewal and redemption to the world" he said. 
"Whoever follows my words follows the will of Lamper.  Whoever
follows the will of Lamper will never die."

        "Rellaj!" she cried, holding her hands into the air.

        "I can no longer be with you.  I must go now, to join Lamper,
forever."

        Tonur covered her mouth with surprise.  "Why?  Why must you go,
now that you are needed more than ever?"

        "I was sent to bring salvation to the world, to all people,
Mishrian, Cinrekkian ... everyone.  This word is delivered,
planted in your heart and the hearts of many.  For most, this
word has taken permanent root.  Your happiness will be
multiplied every day of your life.  Go now, Tonur, my dear
friend, and spread this word, with the others.  Spread it to
every corner of the world."

        "But why can't you help us?"

        "I shall always help you.  As you speak with Lamper, so you are
speaking with me."

        Tonur watched Etar become motionless, his hair and tunic no
longer moving in the wind.  She began to see flowers and bushes
through his body, as it became translucent to everything that
lay behind him.  His form slowly dissolved, leaving his
footprints in the path.

        Tonur knew that she would never see Etar again.  She sat down
at the edge of the path, and the children found her there later,
praying to Lamper for the strength to continue her holy mission.

        The young ones picked flowers and adorned her hair with them,
raising her to her feet and leading Tonur back to the house,
where there was much work to be done.

                             137.

        Mark awoke.  For a long time, it had seemed like days, he had
fought his way back to reality, rising ever so close, only to
sink back into the oblivion of unconsciousness.  As his eyes
stayed open and finally focused, he found himself lying on a
soft bed.

        Above him, a soft square of white light glowed.  He turned his
head to the side and saw other beds, one of them occupied by a
person.  The man looked familiar, and Mark searched his memory
for a name.

        "Payter" he said at last.  The man turned from his book and
smiled.  He patted his leg, wrapped in a black sheathing which
Mark knew was a cast.

        "Welcome back, Mark.  How are you feeling?"

        Mark felt a slight numbness in his left shoulder, and he
noticed that some sort of brace prevented him from tilting his
head forward.  The obstruction felt soft, and he saw Mushlik sit
straight up in bed, laying the book face down on his lap.

        "The doctors said you had quite a nasty break.  Your collar
bone, near your neck, and your left shoulder too.  Some muscles
and connective tissue were torn up, and the internal bleeding
would've soon sent you into shock."

        Mark felt relieved that the skills of the Corona's medical
staff included the complete elimination of pain.

        "How long will I need this brace?" Mark asked.

        "They told me only about another day.  They just want the
artificial bone to set properly.  The muscles and ligaments are
already repaired, but you'll have to take it easy for a while."

        "How long in bed?"

        "Probably another couple days.  However, you'll be happy to
learn that you can rest in your own quarters once the brace is
off."

        Mark heard a door closing, and he saw Tanaria appear above him,
her large, clear eyes gazing down into his own.  She bent over
and kissed him gently on the lips, and Mark felt a rush of
emotion.

        "I love you" he said, feeling tears in his eyes.

        "I love you too" she replied.  Tanaria sat down on the edge of
his bed and caressed his forehead with her fingers.

        "How are you feeling?"

        "Pretty weak, though I have no pain at all.  Your dad tells me
I have to wear this brace for another day, and then I get to
rest in my quarters for a while."

        "That's right" she replied.  "But I'll keep you company."

        Mark suddenly remembered the cube and the Bellikan attack.

        "Where is the cube?" Mark asked.

        "The Ilkland, a Council battlecruiser, took the cube just
several hours ago.  She and a task force of three destroyers are
taking the cube to Guafa."

        "The same star as for the first kremlagite cube?" Mark asked.

        "Of course.  According to our astrophysicists, it should go
supernova relatively soon."

        "How do we know they won't keep the cube, to harness the
secrets within it?"

        "Faith.  You were right on some things and wrong on others"
Tanaria said.  "Analysis by our engineers showed that this cube
didn't contain the plans for the antimatter generator.  It
contained another mechanism, just like the first, but of a more
advanced design."

        "It was so much lighter" Mark blurted.

        "Right" Mushlik piped in.  "Supposedly, the mechanism you found
was much smaller and lighter than the first.  But this one had
the same capacity for completing the antimatter generator.  You
know that the Council is in agreement with the Captain.  It must
be destroyed.  It is too dangerous."

        "Very noble of them, don't you think?" Tanaria said with a grin.

        "Yes.  On Earth, any government in the world would die to have
such a device.  I wouldn't trust any of them with it, however. 
They're all too selfish."

        "And our research paid off" Mushlik said proudly.  "The footage
we took on Dalthigia has been disseminated through Council
headquarters, and an emergency meeting of the Council has taken
place."

        Tanaria continued with the account.  "They reached their
decision by unanimous vote.  A massive blockade is being set up
around the Bellikan Empire, and the dismantling of their entire
military force will begin within a week or so."

        "War with the Bellikans?" Mark asked.

        "You could call it that, I suppose" Tanaria replied.  "But the
Bellikans will be outgunned, probably about a thousand to one. 
If they resist, the Council will bring all of their force to
bear on them.  It's safe to say that the Bellikan threat to
galactic security is at an end."

        "How long have I been unconscious?  It seems like I missed all
the action."

        "You've been unconscious for the past day and a half" Mushlik
replied.  "The Council is very quick to react to situations like
this.  Besides, we all knew it would happen, once they saw our
evidence, as well as having a Bellikan destroyer captive in
Dalthigian orbit.  They've boarded her and are piloting the ship
to a Council base about twenty light years from here."

        "It'll be scrap metal soon" Tanaria said.  "While we were
fighting for our survival, two other primitive worlds were found
to be host to covert Bellikan operations.  The crime is
multiplied accordingly.  It'll be interesting to see just how
many Council worlds contain Bellikans."

        "The mother of all parasites" Mark said, trying not to laugh.

        Tanaria looked at him with puzzlement.

        "Never mind" Mark said.

        They sat and talked in sick bay until Mark, still exhausted
from his injury, fell asleep.  Tanaria sat with him for a while,
holding his hand while her father continued to read his book.

                              138.

        Mark sat upright in bed, his heart pounding in his chest.  He
saw the faint glow of the night light next to the desk.  Moving
his gaze toward the window screen, he saw Aron, standing between
the drapes.

        "You're Kapp, aren't you?" Mark asked softly.

        "I was Kapp, or part of Kapp" the man replied.  "You took the
cube."

        "Call me reckless" Mark said, smiling.  "But I fulfilled your
request."

        "Thank you.  By the way, I just watched the cube being dropped
into the fires of Guafa."

        "Such a shame to waste your discovery" Mark said.

        "Yes.  For a long time, I thought that hiding the two cubes
would be the answer, and that the galaxy would find them when
civilization had evolved into complete peace.  I was wrong."

        "Any others perhaps?" Mark asked.

        "No, no others.  But the technology will be reinvented someday.
 I won't be here to help protect the galaxy from it, should it
occur too soon."

        "Why did you come here?"

        "To thank you."  There was a long pause.  "And to say good-bye.
 My objectives are complete.  Stay with Mushlik.  He's the best.
 And Tanaria is more wonderful than you can imagine."

        "Yes, you're right.  I love her.  We've been through a lot
together."

        "You have indeed.  You won't be seeing me again."

        Aron's face melted into that of Kapp.  "Good-bye" Kapp said.

        Mark blinked, and the apparition was gone.

        Opening his eyes, Mark sat upright.  He felt a slight headache,
so he laid back down again, in his own comfortable bed.  Turning
to his right, he saw Tanaria, sleeping soundly in the faint glow
of the night light.

        "Good-bye" Mark whispered.  Closing his eyes, Mark lay against
Tanaria, falling into a deep and satisfying sleep.

        Outside, the Corona moved through the silence of space,
leaving, in its wake, the beautiful blue-green world of
Dalthigia.