Rhodan had been briefed on the news that had transpired in the meantime. He knew that Raskujan had tried to abduct Thora and Tomisenkov and that both ex-prisoners had returned to the camp with Raskujan's body.

After entering the command center of the auxiliary ship, Bell gave him a formal report. He pa.s.sed on a request by Tomisenkov: "The general respectfully asks for an audience."

Rhodan nodded. "Where's Thora?"

Bell shrugged his shoulders. "I gather she wants to be alone. I always let her do what she wants."

Rhodan nodded a second time. "Well then let Tomisenkov come in!"

Bell left the command center and Tomisenkov soon appeared in the door. Rhodan offered him a chair.

"You'll be surprised," Tomisenkov began without preamble, "what I'm going to propose to you."

Rhodan was amused by his direct approach. "Go ahead."

"I've already talked to Raskujan's men before your arrival," the general said. "I described to them how we've lived on Venus for a whole year with a minimum of technical support and how comfortable we would have been if we'd been blessed with the benefits of modern technology. I've submitted a proposal that we remain on Venus in the future and they've agreed! All except four or five."

He looked hopefully at Rhodan.

"Excellent!" Rhodan replied. "I've no objections to your settling down on Venus as long as you don't interfere with the fortress."

Tomisenkov shook his head. "That's the farthest thing from our minds. We've all learned in the meantime what's happened to the government of the Eastern Bloc. My people and myself have written off the past long ago and it was apparently not very difficult for Raskujan's men to do the same."

Rhodan got up and paced the floor. Suddenly Tomisenkov heard him laugh. "I didn't think my plans would come true so quickly," Rhodan exclaimed.

"Your plans?" Tomisenkov expressed astonishment

"Yes, my plans! Why do you think I chose not to obliterate you and your entire fleet a year ago?"

"I don't know - why?" Tomisenkov stuttered.

"Because I believed," Rhodan explained to him, "that if I let your people live, you would develop into a healthy stock for the first colony of Venus. It was an experiment with humans and you've stood the test."

Tomisenkov was so amazed that his mouth gaped open. Only slowly did it dawn on him that he had acted during these last months like a puppet on a string. His mind resisted acceptance of this knowledge and when it finally had sunk in, anger welled up in him.

But only for a second.

It was no shame to be pulled on invisible strings by a man like Perry Rhodan!

Rhodan seemed able to read his thoughts.

"You needn't feel that your pride has been hurt," he said calmly. "I merely conceived an idea. You had complete freedom of action and I don't mind saying that you handled yourself with great distinction.

"I've complete faith in you and I don't believe I'll go wrong if I leave you a free hand in establishing a new colony. I promise you my help."

As if in a dream Tomisenkov got up, walked toward Rhodan and shook his hand. "Thank you!" he murmured. "Thank you very much!"

As he left the room he was muttering excitedly to himself. Rhodan couldn't hear what he said.

Ten hours pa.s.sed before Rhodan met the woman from Arkon again.

He'd paid no visit to her as yet. He remained in the command center taking care of dispositions prior to his return to Earth.

Thora eventually decided to go and see him.

The hatch slid open almost silently and she stood quietly for awhile in the opening before Rhodan noticed her. He recognized at a glance that she felt embarra.s.sed and unsure of herself. How she must have been torn by her emotions! By her ill-considered flight from Terra she'd brought on a succession of unforseen disasters in which Rhodan had almost perished and the New Power brought close to downfall.

Falteringly she came closer. Perry got up, walked toward her. Confronting her, he took her hand between his.

Thora parted her pale lips to speak but Perry spoke first. "You'll never know," he said softly, intensely, "how happy I am to see you again."

His affectionate declaration completely shattered the composure of the queenly creature. She was unable to voice at all the apologies she had intended to offer, the explanation she had intended to give for her motivations. Instead she reacted with an astonishing gesture: she leaned forward till her silvery-white head touched Rhodan's shoulder-

And cried!

Thora, the proud Arkonide, with a heart encased in ice - cried !

Rhodan tried to console her. He made a few feeble attempts to comfort her but could think of nothing that didn't seem inadequate under the circ.u.mstances. So he simply stood still, a pillar of silent strength, and put his arms around Thom's shoulders, drawing her to him and letting her give full vent to her flood of tears.

"Crew's aboard!" Bell reported. "Ship ready for lift-off."

Rhodan directed his gaze to the observation screen. The first light of the new day on Venus shone on the horizon. "Time to go home," he said, lost in thought. Bell reacted cheerfully. "Freyt's hair, must have turned gray in the meantime. He knows next to nothing about our adventures on Venus, only such little sc.r.a.ps of information as I could give him."

Rhodan put the ship's telecom mike to his lips. "Lift-off in 6o seconds," he announced quietly.

Reginald Bell went to his post.

"Control check!"

Several levers clicked in place.

"No malfunctions!" Bell reported.

"All set. Blast off!"

The s.p.a.ceship roared louder than a din of dinosaurs. Soon it was airborne in the ash-gray sky, destined to fly higher than any pterodactyl! Raskujan's camp - now controlled by Tomisenkov - was left far behind. To the northeast they caught a glimpse of the shimmering barrier surrounding the fortress.

With the advice and consent of the robot brain itself, the positronicomputer had been reprogrammed by Rhodan so that such undesirous actions as had happened in the past would never be repeated.

As the sun rose over the horizon, a big yellow lantern veiled by the clouded atmosphere, Rhodan mused pensively, "If it had always shone for us, we would have been spared many perils on Venus."

The Peacelord was headed home. But for how long could he hope to stay? Where might he be needed next?

Anywhere from Mars to the Milky Way.

In this solar system or among the stars.