"Wait ... it's all wrong. What are you doinghere? And where is here? And ... if you're here--if we're together,then it must have worked! It must have worked!"
Garth lit his cigar. His face changed slightly. It might have been asmile. "Yes. It worked. The old girl really hit the Onzarians. Theyhadn't heard any news at all in all the days of radio silence. Thentheir sets came on and there she was telling them that all their goldgimmicks were no good any more. That death was approaching for all ofOnzar. That Candar had ... well, you can hear the recording of it. Shemeant every word and they acted as if they believed every word. Ofcourse, they'd been conditioned to that with the propaganda newscasts.But after the long silence she really hit them."
Some one moved at Thane's other side. He turned his head. It wasAstrid. She was scowling at Garth. "You're a mean, bitter oldbureaucrat," she said mockingly, "talking to Roger like that."
Garth's face twisted into the approximation of a grin. "Well, thereactually were treason charges against him for a time. But I will saythat things have changed."
Thane looked from one to another and then overhead. What he could seeof the room looked vaguely familiar, but.... "Where are we?"
"At the space station," Astrid said. "Dad and Garth are working over atreaty between Onzar and the Allied Systems."
"Dad? Then Dr. Reine was rescued? But how?"
They both started talking. A moment later Manning Reine joined them,looking paler and more haggard than before. All three of them talked,constantly interrupting each other. Gradually Thane got the essentialdetails.
After the first impulsive, unorganized revolt, the church took over.It, at least, had an organization. A large part of the armed forceshad joined in. Some, though, had stayed on Candar's side, and therehad been sharp, bitter fighting. But by the time Candar landed it wasabout over. This was his greatest victory. He had destroyed the powerof Darzent, and was bringing back, as captives, most of the leadershipof the fleet and of Darzent. In addition, there was Dr. Reine, who hadbeen discovered in captivity, on the leading staff ship. But whenCandar stepped out into the spaceport, instead of meeting hisadulating subjects, a very determined group of his own soldiersstopped him.
Thane finally turned to Astrid. "But how did we get away? The last Iremember...."
"You got them all, Roger. One of them hit your leg with a blaster ashe went down. All I had to do was to get you to the anti-grav, and outof there."
Thane moved the leg, experimentally, and winced. "How is it?"
"Surface burn and shock," Astrid said. "In a week you can ski on it."
"Skiing--haven't done that since I was at Earth University." Hethought for a moment. "How did you get into it, Garth? Did my messageget through to Liaison?"
"Oh, yes. We picked up the recording an hour or so after it wasrecorded. I listened to it myself, and it convinced me. It soundedlike you, and I could sort of see what you might have done. I shovedevery available Liaison in the adjacent sectors right into Onzar, onmy own responsibility. It worked out as it turned out. All they had todo was to clean up the tag-end of things."
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