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There could be a nasty homecoming ahead, Blade realized. First, though, came the comparatively straightforward job of removing Loyun Chard's starship from this Dimension. Lord Leighton could take his turn.
Blade ended the discussion with the Menel scientist as soon as he politely could. Then he ordered several bottles of wine and called up Riya
Blade and Riya
Fortunately she didn't have to fool the underground, because she never could. Blade wasn't even sure she'd be able to fool the enemy, «unless the light is weak and they're in a hurry or too drunk to see straight,» as he put it. He still didn't object, since Riya
«I'm an observer for the War Council, and how can I do my job if I can't go where I can observe? Besides, you may need another pair of eyes and ears and another gun for dealing with the underground. You've said it yourself-'Bare is the back that has no brother to defend it.' Perhaps a sister will do as well.»
«If that sister is you, she will,» said Blade. He hoped things would work out so that Riya
They made the return trip considerably faster than they'd made the trip out. The captain was pushing both the ship and the passengers to their limits. After the first Transition Riya
They spent several days on the asteroid base. Blade noticed two welcome signs that someone was taking the danger of war seriously. A Menel starship came in and unloaded a dozen short-range patrol ships. A big Kananite ship loaded several hundred civilians and all their baggage, then left for home.
On the sixth day another Kananite ship unloaded the interplanetary craft that would take Blade and Riya
«Don't worry, you'll get plenty of fighting if we fail,» Blade said. «Maybe if we succeed.» He looked at the ship again and at the two men and three women who made up her crew. They were the first Kananites other than Riya
«How many ships are there like Trenbar?» he asked.
«Only three or four ready for space,» said the captain. «We're the first one out here. I think there are five or six more building at home.»
Three or four! Blade looked at Trenbar again. He'd never seen a spacecraft with «warship» written so clearly all over her. If he and Riya
Blade's optimism suffered a rude shock when he and Riya
The trip itself was everything Trenbar's captain promised. They came in over the uninhabited north polar continent and hedge-hopped all the way south to their landing place without being attacked. Once a Targan plane started closing on them, but the captain accelerated and left the plane behind as if it was anchored in the sky. They slipped down through a mountain pass and landed less than a hundred miles from where Blade and Riya
Blade and Riya
Blade and Riya
At least Blade felt they were making trouble. He did his best not to let that feeling run away with him, because he knew it wasn't true. The Targan underground was battered, desperate, and sullen. They knew that Kananite aid might save them, but they also knew that Kananite treachery would finish them off like a moth dropped into a laser beam. They couldn't decide if it was worth risking the treachery in order to get the aid.
Blade understood all this, sympathized, and still began to feel like knocking the leaders' heads together. If there was one thing they couldn't do, it was refuse to make up their minds until Loyun Chard made the decision for them. At the same time Blade knew he couldn't push too hard, make a nuisance of himself, or arouse anyone's suspicions. Unlike the Kananites, the Targans wouldn't hesitate a minute in shooting troublemakers.
Eventually Blade saw that he had no choice, and Riya
So Blade removed the artificial skin, then appeared before the Targans with the technical films in his hand.
«Here is everything you need to know for making the Kananites' power cells and solar converters. Once you put these in production, Targa's energy problems will soon be solved. You can go before your fellow Targans and tell them that Loyun Chard leads them to war only to satisfy his own ambitions. There is no more need to conquer other planets among the stars and loot them or die by the millions trying to do so. All they need to do is overthrow Chard, then turn their factories from making planes and lasers to making these.» He dropped the films on the table in front of the leaders.
For a while Blade wondered if he'd made a mistake. Some of the leaders seemed to favor an agreement. Others went on muttering suspiciously. Since one of the things they muttered was «holding that Kananite bitch Riya
As he headed toward the door, two of the leaders drew their guns and things got rather lively. Blade shot one man in the leg and clubbed another with the butt of his own pistol. Riya