The Star Kings

Evidence pointing that way rose swiftly in Gordon's mind. Why else had Corbulo broken his duty and helped him to escape? Why, at the very moment when Arn Abbas' assassination was imminent?

Them Eldred read something of what passed in Gordon's mind, from his face. And the Sirian laughed again.

'You begin to realize now what a dupe you've been. Why, it was Corbulo himself who shot down Arn Abbas last night! And Corbulo will swear that he saw it done by you, Zarth Arn!'

Lianna was pale, incredulous. 'But why? Why implicate Zarth?'

'Because,' smiled the Sirian, 'it's the most effective way to split the Empire and leave it wide open to the Cloud's attack. And there's another reason that Shorr Kan will explain to you.'

The malice and triumph in Them Eldred's eyes detonated the rage that gathered in John Gordon's mind.

He plunged forward, heedless of Them Eldred's warning shout. He managed by a swift contortion of his body to avoid the glass paralyzer that the other jabbed at him. His fist smashed into the Sirian's face.

Them Eldred, as he sprawled backward, had Gordon atop him like a leaping panther. But the Sirian had managed to cling to his weapon. And before Gordon could carry out his intention of wrestling it away, Them Eldred desperately jabbed up with it again.

The crescent at the end of the glass rod touched Gordon's neck. A freezing shock smote like lightning through his body. He felt his senses darken swiftly.

When Gordon for a second time came back to consciousness, he was again lying in one of the bunks. This time, the freezing ache in his body was more painful. And this time, Lianna was sitting beside him and looking down at him with anxious gray eyes.

Her eyes lighted as he opened his own. 'Zarth, you've been unconscious more than a day! I was beginning to worry.'

'I'm-all right,' he muttered. He tried to sit up, but her little hands quickly forced him back down onto the pad.

'Don't, Zarth-you must rest until your nerves recover from the electroshock.'

He glanced at the porthole window. The vista of blazing stars outside seemed unchanged. He could glimpse the black blot of the Cloud, looking only a little larger in the distant forest of suns.

Lianna followed his glance. 'We are travelling at tremendous speed, but it will still require a few days before we reach the Cloud. In that time, we may encounter an Empire patrol.'

Gordon groaned. 'Lianna, there's no hope for that. This is itself an Empire cruiser and could pass any patrol. And if Corbulo is really leader of this treachery, he'd have his patrols arranged so that this ship could pass unseen.'

'I've thought and thought about it and I still can hardly believe it,' Lianna said. 'Corbulo a traitor! It seems fantastic! And yet-'

Gordon himself no longer doubted. The evidence was too overwhelming.

'Men will betray any trust when ambition drives them, and Corbulo is ambitious,' he muttered. Then, as deeper realization came to him, 'Good God, this means that if the League does attack the Empire, the Commander of the Empire forces will sabotage their defense!'

He rose painfully from the bunk despite Lianna's protestations.

'If we could only get word back to Throon somehow! That would at least put Jhal Arn on his guard!'

Lianna shook her ash-golden head a little sadly. 'I fear there's no chance of that, once we're prisoners in the Cloud. Shorr Kan is not likely to let us go.'

It all spun in John Gordon's mind in a bewildering chaos of known and unknown factors, in the hours that followed.

A few things, though, stood out clearly. They all, everyone in this universe, thought that he was Zarth Arn. And thus it was believed that he knew the secret of the Disrupter, that mysterious scientific weapon known only to Arn Abbas and his two sons.

That was why Corbulo had risked the plot that was sending him and Lianna now as prisoners to the Cloud! Once Shorr Kan had that secret, mysterious weapon, he would have nothing to fear from the Empire whose fleet was commanded by his own man. He would attack them at once!

The Markab droned on and on. When the ship bells signaled evening of the arbitrary 'day,' the aspect of the starry firmament had changed. Orion Nebula flamed now in all its titan glory far in the east.

Straight ahead, far in the distance against the remotest suns of the galaxy, brooded the black blot of the Cloud. It was visibly larger than before, and its gigantic dimensions were now becoming more clearly apparent.

Neither Them Eldred nor any of his officers or men entered the cabin. There was no opportunity for a second attack. And after searching vainly through the room, Gordon conceded defeatedly that there was nothing in it that might facilitate escape.

Sick anxiety for Lianna's safety deepened in him. He reproached himself again for letting her accompany him on this flight.

But she did not seem afraid as she looked up at him. 'Zarth, at least we're together for a little while. It may be all of happiness we'll get.'

Gordon found his arms instinctively starting to go around her, his hand touching her shining hair. But he forced himself to step back.

'Lianna, you'd better get some sleep,' he said uncomfortably.

Lianna, looked at him with a wondering little smile. 'Why, Zarth, what's the matter?'

Gordon had never in his life wanted anything so much as to reach forth to her. But to do so would be the blackest treachery.

Treachery to Zarth Arn, who had trusted his body, his life, to Gordon's pledge! Yes, and treachery to Lianna herself.

For if he were able to reach the Earth laboratory, it would be the real Zarth Arn who would come back to her-Zarth Arn, who loved Murn and not Lianna.

'That won't ever happen!' whispered a subtle, tempting voice in Gordon's mind. 'You and she will never escape from the Cloud. Take what happiness you can, while you can!'

Gordon desperately fought down that insinuating voice. He spoke huskily to the puzzled girl.

'Lianna, you and I will have to forget all talk of love.'

She seemed stricken by amazement, unbelief. 'But Zarth, at Throon that morning you told me you loved me!'

Gordon nodded miserably. 'I know. I wish to God I hadn't. It was wrong.'

Little clouds began to gather in Lianna's gray eyes. She was white to the lips.

'You mean that you are still in love with Murn, after all?'

Gordon forced the answer to that out of strained, desperate resolve. He spoke what he knew was the exact truth.

'Zarth Arn does still love Murn_. You have to know that, Lianna.'

The incredulity in Lianna's white face gave way to a hurt that went deep in her gray eyes.

Gordon had expected stormy resentment, wrath, bitter reproach. He had steeled himself against them. But he had not expected this deep, voiceless hurt, and it was too much for him.

'To the devil with my promise!' he told himself fiercely. 'Zarth Arn wouldn't hold me to it if he knew that situation-he couldn't!'

And Gordon stepped forward and grasped the girl's hand. 'Lianna, I'm going to tell you the whole truth! Zarth Arn doesn't love you-but I do!'

He rushed on. 'I'm not Zarth Arn. I'm an entirely different man, in Zarth Arn's body. I know it sounds incredible, but-'

His voice trailed off. For he read in Lianna's face her quick disbelief and scorn.

'Let us at least have no more lies, Zarth!' she flared.

'I tell you, it's true!' he persisted. 'This is Zarth Arn's physical body, yes. But I am a different man!'

He knew from the expression on her face that his attempt had failed. He knew that she did not believe and never would believe.