“You were my friend!” Klob harangued him. “Turn here with me! A chance for an end of war! Will you—won’t you? If not, defend yourself, and I could always fence better—”
“I’m with you, Klob,” the other agreed, rather sullenly. And then he stood by Klob.
At that moment I beat the biggest of my own adversaries to his knees, and the others stood off. I stole a quick glance around. Klob had been joined by his late opponent, a short but well-knit warrior armed with both sword and rifle. It gave me hope and an inspiration.
“Fools!” I said, pointing my swords. “You won’t trust me, when I only want to help you, and these other fools who have been fighting you! You can’t conquer me! So join me!”
“Why?”
That was Harvison, again on his feet, holding a bloody hand to his wound. The query was enough to slow up the others. They listened, and I had time and wit to reply.
“A handful of rulers, with blind ambition, caused the war. They’re mostly gone. I want peace, a chance to bring both sides together.”
“Stop his traitor mouth!” cried someone far back.
“Who’s afraid to hear?” I yelled. “You almost walked into a trap, and I stopped you. These defenders have mined the cavern beyond—”
“He tells the truth, you Newcomers!” Klob seconded me. “If you can’t understand truth and tell it from lies—look out, they come!”
He meant his own late comrades. Gederr had urged a fresh body at us.
“Quick!” I cried. “They heard me tell of their ambush, they want to silence me! Won’t anyone help!”
“I will,” gurgled Harvison, wounded as he was. He stepped past me, sword in his left hand, and engaged a Dondromogon warrior. Another big Newcomer leaped forward to do likewise. I seized my opportunity.
“Don’t move without my order!” I addressed the remainder of Harvison’s party, as if they were my allies again. “These defenders have the advantage of you in their planted explosives!”
“Then destroy them some other way,” growled an under-officer.
I whirled toward the Dondromogon front. The attackers fell back.
“You still scare any man you look at, Barak,” said Harvison. He was a little tottery from loss of blood, but game. “Well, shall we charge?” He managed a grin.
“I’ve been trying to keep you from doing that,” I groaned. “I don’t want tragedy here and extermination afterward. Can’t this world stand peace—”
“If you can do it,” someone said behind me, “I give you full authority.”
I knew him. He was Dr. Thorald—high in the Newcomer command. With him were the other leaders, Parkeson and Captain Cross.
“Danger!” I gasped at them. “Don’t come through here. Doriza, see that they do not—” I looked for her. She was not there.
“She slipped away while we fought,” said Klob. “First setting the glare-lamp to run—”
My heart sank. “Which way did she go? Toward the Newcomers, or toward Dondromogon?”
“Toward Dondromogon,” he said, and my heart sank the rest of the way.
She had decided to betray me after all.
“Wait here, all,” I commanded, and moved clear of the glare-field. Moved straight toward the host of Dondromogon.
Gederr laughed again. I could read his thoughts. He had clinched his own power by judicious murders. Now he thought I was in his hands. “Shoot him down,” he bade.
“Let no man shoot,” I warned. “A pellet flying past me will strike and set off the glare-field. It’s still swords, and in the open we can use their rays.”
I flicked on my own. The blade glowed like hot iron.
“Come and fight,” I invited. “All of you. Or withdraw and explode this trap on me alone.”
“He’s tired of life,” snarled Gederr, hidden in the ranks.
“I’m tired of this fighting,” was my reply. “If I die alone, the Newcomer force remains intact. It can move upon you and force you to peace. Men of Dondromogon, overthrow this coward tyrant Gederr, who defends his pride and power with your bodies!”
I think they indicated that they knew the truth of that, and Gederr knew it, too. At any rate, he moved boldly to reestablish his influence.
“I’ll prove he lies! I hide nowhere!” The words fairly rang out. “Retreat, quickly, to the positions behind. Leave me to face him.”
They fell back, quickly and orderly. Of a sudden I found myself in that big cave, and Gederr before me, no more than twenty paces distant. He held his ray-saber, glowing and ready, in his right hand. In his left was some sort of silvery cylinder. He grinned murderously.
“You offer yourself as a sacrifice,” he said, “and I accept you.”
I moved toward him, my body in line with the glare-field.
“You overgrown bully-swordsman,” he taunted. “An ounce of my brain can defeat a ton of your big lumpy muscles.”
“Explode the mine,” I said. “It will take us both. You can’t retreat out of both my reach and the explosion’s.”
“Can’t I?”
He held up his cylinder. “Here’s the fuse. By remote control it can set off all, or any part I select. Understand before you die, Barak. I’ll blow up a small area, and you with it, as soon as you set foot where I want.”
His broad face sniggered. “Oh, you’ve played into my hands from the first! You tried to disrupt—you only gave me an excuse to wipe out the rest of that Council, and take all power for myself. Now I’ll kill you. Will you come on? Or retreat, and die as you flee? Or just stand there, like a captive statue?”
I continued my advance upon him. “You’re lying,” I said, but my heart told me that for once he was not.
“Your life is in my hands,” he said. “You don’t know what moment will see your own feet carrying you to your death. Come, pursue me, brave Barak, stupid Barak. Let your last thought be this—your death helps me immeasurably.”
“You’re lying,” I said again, and he laughed again.
“Reflect. Let your thick skull filter these facts. I shall destroy you. To my followers I will be a hero. Your own Newcomers will pause and wonder. I can reorder my defenses,
