Ship One was still "behind" Hishtoo; the spiral brought Barton the view he wanted. Briefly, Hishtoo's side-mounted laser tube showed, dead-center. Barton's

289.

own laser drove through the other's Shield and cut a great swatch from the side of that tube. He didn't know whether the weapon was permanently disabled-^ut the

odds, he thought, were improving.

The picture on the screen was streaked and wavering, but good enough for Barton's purposes. In the foreground he saw Hishtoo-by nature, the exoskeletal face showed no expression. Behind him were two bound figures- livajj and Gerain. From what Barton could see, blurring and shifting, Hishtoo had not harmed them-yet. But Barton knew why the Demu had the two with him, on

display, so to speak.

Time to say hello-"It is that I greet you, Hishtoo,"

Barton said m Demu, "May we speak now?"

The voice was distorted, too, but Barton could make it out. "It is that Hishtoo does not speak with animals. I

will speak with my egg-child."

Wih no further prompting, Esehta came forward. "Hish- too, it is that these are not animals, but DemiL You are

to speak with them."

"Is it that you are without sight, Eeshta? You see they are not Demu-that they have not correct appearance.

As these with me are not Demu, but animals.- But it is that they will learn, Eeshta, and on Sisshain, become

Derou."

"Whnee!" Barton recognized Eeshta's call of distress.

Eeshta switched to Tilaran. "livajj! Gerain! Do not leam of Hishtoo's speech-do not! Or he will do of you as was done of Limila-and Siewen, and the Freak. You saw- you would be as dead." Eeshta turned away and stag- gered; Limila caught her. "Limila, I am sorry. But it was

needed, to say it."

"You were right to say it. I was as dead."

Barton had been trying to get back to Hishtoo, now he could. "Hishtoo, it is that I want of you the two Tilarans, who are Gerain and livajj. I will have them. We have protective coverings for moving between ships-"

"It is that you have nothing, animal, I proceed to Sis- shain and you do not hinder- Or it is as you have said to me-crab salad." And he lifted livajj's forearm to his chi-

tinous, serrated mouth.

"Hishtqol" Barton's shout was urgent. "It is that your first bite is your last. I kill you, Hishloo, if you draw her

blood."

290.

Hishtoo gave a pulsed hiss, the Demu laugh. "Kill me, kill all," he said. "It is that I think you do not."

"But it is that I do." Then, m Tilaran-"Gerain- livajj, my dear-I am of grief. In moments you may be dead, of my doing. It is of need greater than your lives, or of ours here. Be, if you can, of understanding, of accep- tance. And-"

"Barton!" It was Ivajj. "I know-I understand enough.

And so does Gerain. So do of need-and be of peace." i

Hishtoo pushed her aside. "Why is it that you kill, anM mal? To kill your own-why do you?"

"It is that you give me them, Hishtoo, and I do not kill. You, or anyone."

"It is that I give you nothing, animal."

Say that word a few more times. Barton thought, and I'll show you what it means. But he said, "It is that you give me only their safety, Hishtoo-your saying that you wiU not cut and change them. Give that, and I do not kill."

Hishtoo did not answer in words-on the monitor screen came a burst of light. "Swing us right, Abdul!"

Without thought. Barton's hands moved-switch laser output, traverse, activate! The ship rocked and shud- dered with impact.

"What was that. Barton?" Limila.

"The-" A wave of blackness hit him.

"What-?"

"I-" And another wave.

"Barton!" And another ...

"Abdul-I"

"-Get us-

"-away!" The ship lurched.

291.

The surges of blackout grew less and finally ceased.

Alene was first to speak. "What the hell was that?"

Barton shook his head, clearing it. "First, the Laffka-Te high-drive torpedo. I tried for it with the side-gun-don't know if 1 even touched it-those things are fast. More likely, the propagation-speeds didn't match right for Hishtoo, and the Shield took care of it.

"But it got the Shield, too, sort of. See that meter- oscillating? The Shield's out of balance, blinking on and off. And every time it blinked off, Hishtoo's sleep-gun got through. Nothing we could do but get the hell out, before he could get his ion beam on us."

He turned to Abdul. "Good job, maa-you can drive my kiddie-car, any time you want." Then, "How's our position now?"

Abdul shook his head. "He's ahead of us again. I'm sorry-if possible, I would have done differently. Bat the recurrent unconsciousness would not allow connected thinking. My hand was on the power control-I, could only push it, applying maximum deceleration. Another choice would have been preferable."

"Don't feel bad about it," said Alene. "You got us^out, didn't you?"

."She's right," said Barton. "And under those circum- stances, it took some doing.