For a moment, none of them could speak. Then Gordon, remembering the foulness of the life he had briefly fused with, muttered a heartfelt, 'Thank God!'
'They will not come again.' Zarth Arn's voice, thready with distance, held an iron resolve. 'We shall gather a force from all the star-kingdoms, to go after them and smash them on every world where they rule.'
He added, 'Gordon?'
'Yes?'
'I know now what you meant when you told me how using the Disruptor shook you. I've known about the thing all my life, but I never
When the contact was broken, they looked at each other, too exhausted to drained of emotion to feel much of anything. The relief, the joy, the triumph... all that would come later. In the meantime, it was enough to be alive and know that hope lived too.
Lianna led the way out of the room, up the ways of the palace, all empty now.
They came out onto the great balcony and in their faces was the diamond flare of Fomalhaut, setting toward the horizon. Across the ravaged city its brilliant rays struck down into the streets, and everywhere the hordes were moving out, out across the plain to where the transports waited.
Down the great Avenue of the Kings, away from the palace, went a little troop of the Gerrn, not running now but walking slowly. They went apart from the others, as a guard of honor, and across the back of their giant leader lay the body of a man in glittering garments. Narath of Teyn was going home.
Down from the sky rolled the massive thunder, as the barons continued their grim patrol. And, as she looked out over the scarred city with the forlorn smokes still rising from it, Lianna's fingers tightened on Gordon's.
'It will live again,' she said. 'The people will come back, and you and I will help them to rebuild. And... it's a small price to pay for the defeat of the H'Harn.'
There was a discreet cough behind them. They turned and found Shorr Kan standing there, ignoring Hull Burrel's frown.
'Highness, I'm glad that all came well,' said Shorr Kan blandly. 'You will admit that I was of some help.'
'I'll admit that your quick thinking about Narath's death saved us, yes,' said Lianna, as though the words were wrenched from unwilling lips.
'Good. Now I have a small favor to ask.' Shorr Kan came closer, speaking in a confidential voice. 'It's the damned barons I'm thinking about. They're a tough lot, not like you and Gordon. No sense of humor at all. If they catch me, they'll hang me in a minute.'
He added, 'And there's Jhal Arn to think about as well. He must still believe that I was concerned in the assassination of his father, although I wasn't... that was all Corbulo's idea, and stupid as Corbulo's ideas always were. But I shouldn't care to fall into his hands, either.'
Lianna looked at him coldly. 'I quite see your point. Now what is this favor?'
'Well,' said Shorr Kan, 'you'll remember that I overpowered Obd Doll and the rest of the crew of that little cruiser and we brought them here? Yes. Obd Doll and his men are down in the palace dungeons... luckily for them, since the Horde couldn't get to them. The cruiser is still in the royal spaceport, and I have ascertained that it's undamaged.'
'Go on.'
'I've been talking to Obd Doll and his men. They're pretty disgusted at the mess Cyn Cryver led them into with his plotting. They'd like to go back home and start their world going again under new leadership... sane, conservative leadership.'
'In other words,' said Gordon ironically, 'Shorr Kan's leadership.'
He nodded. 'It does so happen, that not only do they not hold it against me that I captured them, but they think I'd be just the man to bring things to order on their world. They think they can convince their people.'
'Go on,' said Lianna.
'The favor I ask, Highness, is simply that you let me take Obd Doll and his men with me in that cruiser, and send word to the barons... without mentioning me, of course... to let the ship through.'
'So that you can start new trouble in the Marches?' cried Lianna. 'You... !'
'Please, Highness!' said Shorr Kan, looking pained. 'I'm all through with that now, an older and wiser man. All I want is a little planet where I can live at peace, nothing more.'
'Oh, Lord!' said Gordon. 'You ought to put that to music.'
'I think,' said Lianna, 'that you will raise a racket in times to come, all through the Marches, and I will live to regret this day. But I am a queen, and a debt is a debt. Take your people and go.'
Shorr Kan gallantly kissed her hand. He shook Gordon's, and turned away. He stopped when he saw Hull Burrel glaring at him. He went up to the Antarian and took him by the hand.
'It's hard to part this way, old friend,' he said. 'We've been through a lot together, and I know how you must feel to see me go.'
Hull's coppery face flushed scarlet and he began to make inarticulate growling noises. But Shorr Kan wrung his unwilling hand and said, 'Don't try to express your sorrow at my leaving, Hull. No tears, old friend, no weakness! Farewell.'
He went away with a jaunty stride, heels clicking on the marble floor. Gordon, turning to Lianna, was amazed to see a half-smile on her face.
'At last I see what it is in that devil that attracts you,' she said. 'One hardly ever meets a man who is perfect at anything... but Shorr Kan is the perfect rogue.'
In a short while, a small dispatch cruiser went skyward from the royal spaceport, and they watched it streak away across the flaring heavens.
And the white sun went down.
THE END
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