the force screen orget out now," he said. "Unless, that is, there's some heavy artilleryaround the house. Nothing else will stop a Darzent Robot. And even thescreen probably won't last long. That ship looks as though it hasenough high powered stuff to breach any screen we can put up."
Astrid looked up at him. "We do have the jet, Roger. It's armed, butit will take time to get it ready for take-off."
"Let's get the force screen up now, then."
Pyuf snapped switches. The whine of power at emergency levels began.The Darzent force had screen detectors, because they stopped at onceand turned back to their ship. Short, sharp rocket blasts shot outfrom the bow tubes of the ship, as it turned on its axis to attack theforce screen.
"Let's get going," Thane said.
"We all can't go," Pyuf pointed out. "Our jet is only two-place, andanyway, someone will have to cut off the screen to let the jet out."
"You and I can do it," Astrid said to Thane. "I can handle the enginesand the defensive screens while you fly it and man the gun."
Thane considered quickly. If they succeeded in knocking out theDarzent forces they'd be able to get the others out withoutdifficulty. If not, it would be wise to separate Astrid and herfather. With one of them, the plan that was shaping up might succeed,but if both were lost there'd be no chance.
"All right," Thane said. "Let's go."
Just then the first attack on the screen came. There was vibrationthrough the room and the needles of the indicators all jumped up overthe red lines. The whine of power momentarily became a shriek and thendied down.
"That was close," Thane said. "The sooner we stop them the better." Heturned to Pyuf. "Drop the screen for two seconds when I signal, to letus out."
The bitterly cold wind cut into Astrid and Thane as they hurriedoutside. Astrid was ahead, leaning against the wind, running towardsthe outbuilding which housed the jet. They were in full view of theDarzent attackers who renewed their thrust at the screen when they sawthe running figures.
"We won't take time to ease it out," Thane shouted above the wind."Full power at the start. It'll knock over this shack but that's asmall loss at the moment."
Thane climbed into the nose position of the little jet while Astridslid in behind him. They ran a fast check while the engines warmed.Thane waited for the next attack on the force screen. It came and hegave a short sharp blast to signal their readiness. They had twoseconds leeway before the screen went up again. The ship was not fullywarmed. Thane flicked on all the rockets and gave the jet fullthrottle.
There was the barest hesitation, and then they were forced back intheir seats, with 5G acceleration. The outbuilding flamed andcollapsed behind them. As Thane went into semi-consciousness he pulledback on the control wheel to clear the hill ahead. The corners of hismouth pulled down, his eyeballs felt as if they were being forced downinto his cheekbones. His vision became a red blur, then grey....
He came out and looked down. The house and the Darzent ship were tinyblurs in the storm, three kilometers below. He looked back at Astrid."Make it all right?" he asked anxiously.
Her face was white and strained but she managed a smile. "Still withyou, skipper. Let's get back down."
* * * * *
"Here we go. Hang on and hope. Keep the screens up till I nod. Thendrop them fast." Thane put the jet into a steep dive, lining up theDarzent ship in the sights of the Baring gun. He was ready to firewhen there was a tremendous jolt and a flash of light. The little jetwas thrown over on its back and Thane fought the controls to steadyit.
He went into a climbing turn and saw, above and behind him, the longblack shape of an Onzarian atmosphere cruiser. "The protector screensare dead," Astrid cried in alarm. "Whatever that was that hit usburned them out!"
"That was a disrupter." He pointed at the Onzarian cruiser. "Ourvisitor is playing for keeps." His knuckles went white as he pulledback on the wheel into another long climb with emergency power.Another disrupter burst behind them barely missed.
"They've got everything on us," he said. "Speed, firepower and range.Except maneuverability." He turned to Astrid. "Just how far out is theforce screen from the house?"
"Four hundred meters."
"Let's see if we can judge it," he said grimly. "It's going to beclose." He put the jet into a tight turn and slipped off into a steep,screaming dive. There was another disrupter burst and a sudden flutterof the controls. He fought them to maintain the dive, straight for thehouse and its invisible bubble of force. The flutter became worse astheir speed increased, and vibration racked the whole ship. He judgedthe distance by the range-finder on the Baring. At the last moment hepulled out and up. The ship skidded down sickeningly, and then caught.Thane fought bitterly to keep conscious.
They heard the explosion above the sound of the wind shrieking pastthem. Thane looked down and back. It had worked! The Onzar ship hadfollowed them down, but it had not allowed for the invisible forcescreen. It had hit the screen, caromed off into a wild, twisting skid,and hit the ground, completely wrecked.
But Thane had time only for a glance. The vibration was getting worse.One more strain and the little jet would be torn to pieces.
He eased out of the climb and tried to put the jet into a long flatglide. It kept slipping off to the right, and the glide increased insteepness. The ground came up and he managed to pull back into apartial stall. At the last instant the jet dipped to the right andhit. It spun crazily on the ground, straightened, skidded and thenburied itself in a drift of snow.
He was still numb with shock when he heard Astrid's voice. "Whathappened, Roger? Why did they attack us?"
"They must have been sent as soon as our force screen was detected.Let's get back."
They climbed out into the biting wind and started towards the house inthe distance. The red sun of Onzar was setting and the cold deepenedand chilled bitterly as they hurried on.
* * * * *
It was almost dark when they reached the house. In the lengtheningshadows there was no sign of the Darzent ship. They hurried on ingrowing fear. The front of the house showed the signs of the blastthat had knocked out the force screen. Inside the house was dark. Allpower had been burned out when the screen went. They went in throughthe smashed, tilted doorway. In the gloom they saw the old medicfirst. He was slumped in a chair against one wall. His neck wastwisted and his head slanted back. His chest was a gaping hole, withthe blood already frozen. His assistant lay beside the dead fire,headless. What had been Pyuf was at the instrument cabinet, one handstill on the fused panel. Manning Reine was not there.
There was a tremble of panic in Astrid's voice. "Roger, they killedthem ... and ... where is Dad?"
"They killed them deliberately with hand weapons after they knockeddown the screen. And they have your father now. That was theirpurpose."
"What will they do to him? Where have they taken him? Roger, we've gotto find him!"
Roger Thane turned to her in the shambles of the wrecked room. Thequaver in her voice indicated that she couldn't take much more. Hetook her arm and led her down the corridor to the laboratory. "We'regoing to fight back, Astrid, and we're going to win. Right now there'snot much we can do for your father. But don't worry about him. He'ssafe. He's much too valuable to be mistreated by the Darzent Empire.But they will get everything they need from him with theirinterrogatory drugs."
In the laboratory nothing had been touched. Once the Darzent force hadReine they must have left at once. Astrid's shoulders were shaking asThane led her to a chair. "We've got a lot to plan and a lot to do. Itwon't be easy and we'll be fighting all the way. But we'll win ifwe're steady."
Thane could see the effort Astrid was making. "I'm ... I'm ready,Roger. Where do we start?"
"We'll start with what we have, the underground. And Astrid, thereally important jobs may be up to you because I'm going to be out ofcirculation for a while." Astrid looked up with a question on her lipsbut he went on before she could voice it. "Pyuf mentio
ned that we havesome support among the Onzarian priestesshood. Just what do we have?"
"There's been general dissatisfaction with Candar all through thereligion," she said. Her voice was low, carefully controlled, with anundercurrent of stress. "The whole priestesshood feels that Candar istheir enemy. They feel that Candar's eventual aim is to destroy everyorganization not under his direct control. Of course, the church alsohas a long tradition of remaining aloof from the temporal government.And outwardly, Candar has so far usually respected the church."
She looked up at Thane. "That's