"Abdul-if you don't get on with it, I'm going to climb you like a tree, stand on your shoulders, and punch you in the nose!"

"Abdul Muhammed laughed. "Yes. Then I propose something we could not have done earlier, with our higher direct velocity-that we make turnover and ac- celerate for a time, then reverse again to pass Hishtoo

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while still exceeding light speed-and finally, apply maximum deceleration until Hishtoo catches us."

After a moment. Barton whooped- "You'll blind-side him! He'll know we've passed him but not until after the fact, and then he won't know where the hell we are- until we knock to collect for the charity drive. Abdul- did anyone ever tell you you're a genius?"

"Oh, yes. But always that I would never make anything of it."

"Oh? How come?"

"My scholarship to University was athletic. It was predicted that my brain would be scrambled in playing rugby, or perhaps soccer."

Except for Eeshta and Limila, everyone laughed. In, the room, tension diminished.

"Okay then," said Barton, "when is the party? For Hishtoo ..."

"In slightly over six hours. If we gather here at 2100, ship's time, there will be ample time for preparation."

"Okay-good enough. Alene, if Hishtoo changes so much as his socks, call me. Correction-call Abdul; I'd only be the middleman, anyway."

"Right. And I'll pass the word to Cheng when he takes the watch-in case you don't see him first."

"Good enough," said Barton. He and Abdul left for the galley, leaving Alene and JSeshta to finish the shank- end of their watch. Certainly, thought Barton, it had been an eventful one.

They found Cheng and Myra dawdling sleepily over a prewatch brunch. "Hey," said Barton, "you missed the show-starring Hishtoo, as Houdini the escape artist."

"Hishtoo? What happened?" Suddenly both were wide awake.

"You tell 'em, Abdul-I'm pooped. See you all later."

Feeling only mild hunger, Barton found a slice of cheese to munch, on his way to Compartment One.

Limila was awake, dressed and fed-ready to share beer and information. Barton gave her a full report. The news excited her. At the end she smiled for a moment, then shuddered.

"Mostly it is good, Barton-that we can perhaps stop Hishtoo from rousing Demu power against us. But now we must face-oh, the poor, young livajj!"

"I'll do everything I can-you know that. Lunila,

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would you rather stay away tonight? It might be ugly.

"After seeing me. Barton, as I came from the Demu- how can you say that anything else is ugly?" She shook her head; the motion rippled the long Tilaran wig. "No- I must be there, and see. If only to know, to say to the other needful ones of livajj and Gerain, how it was tha^ they must die, and how well they undertook the death."

"Assuming we get back ourselves."

"I have no fear that we will not." She looked at him squarely. "Barton, I do not entirely understand the Earthani theological construct called Hell. But if it were to exist, and you were to be taken there, I would have no doubt of your return." She paused. "Have I said, I wonder, what I wished to say?"

He could only hug her, and he did. The rest would have to wait.

At 2100 hours, the seven gathered in Control. Eeshta sat farthest from the screen. Barton went to her.

"Eeshta, perhaps you shouldn't be here. You don't have to be."

"I must, yes. Barton, I know what may happen'. But I do what I do because it is right. And I will not hide away from what may come of it.'* Eeshta's gaze was steady, eye to eye. "Do not ask me to. Barton. I am Demu."

"I know," he said. "That's the hell of it."

"What do you mean?"

'The more I know you, Eeshta, the more I see the good side of your people. But I can't let that stop me, stop us all. The Demu have got to be made to let other people alone."

"Yes, Barton, I know-or I would not be here as I am."

"Yes. Well, I hope ... I hope it goes better than I think it will." He left her and took his place. Abdul- who eke?-as pilot, with Myra Hake on comm-leaving the weapons seat to Barton. For if killing were to be done by his decision, he was not going to delegate the dirty work.

On the screen Hishtoo's ship grew from a dot to a tiny silhouette, seen from the rear and at an angle. The pass- ing maneuver had gone well; now both ships, decelerating, dropped tail-first toward distant Sisshain. But Ship One, ahead, was slowing harder, allowing Hishtoo to overtake.

And the Demu could neither see Ship One nor know of

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its proximity. If Demu could sweat. Barton decided, Hish- too should be sweating quarts.

"Getting close, Abdul," he said. "About time to pop out through his wake-much closer and it could shake us up pretty good, even at these speeds. When we come out of it, tilt and try to give me a dead-bead on his nOsv, U the way in."

"As well as I may," said Abdul. "He will move when he detects us."

"Maybe-we'll see. Just try to keep the laser on tar- get, if you can. Too bad the forward delivery system can't traverse." He grinned tightly. "So stay loose for quick alternatives, just in case."

"You have other plans?" said AbduL

"Yeh. The sleep-gun's on, for one-in case we crack his Shield good, we've got him. Watch it now-here comes the wake."

Out of that hazard, Abdul's closing of the last few hun- dred kilometers was rapid. "When do you wish-?" he began, but Barton waved him off. Hishtoo had spotted Ship One and was changing deceleration-and perhaps course; Barton couldn't tell for sure.

He had to think fast. If be had the ship turned to bring the sidearm laser to bear, Hishtoo would be out of range in seconds. The chance wasn't good enough. But Abdul was having trouble keeping Any part of Hishtoo's ship in Barton's sights, let alone the nose of it.

Barton activated the Tilaran ion beam; it had limited traverse-and the range was close. Where the beam touched Hishtoo's Shield, a golden glow appeared. Bar- ton heard hull plates creak, forward, under the stress of the sweep-magnets.

And at the nose of Hishtoo's ship a flower of blue fire bloomed; where his antenna systems had been, twisted stubs remained. Barton drew deep breath and leaned back in his seat.

"Get him on the screen, Myra. Tilaran frequencies."

"With his antenna gone?'*

. "Do it. This close, he'll hear us-maybe not good, but good enough. Move us in closer, Abdul-ready to dodge if he goes to point at us. And go in on a spiral-I've got another target in mind. . . ."