"No!" Boone grated. His finger went tight on the trigger. He backed to the wall-plates.
"So—?" Krobis leered at him. "Think of the girl, Boone—your precious Eileen! What chance would she have, if you let go a blast-bolt?"
Eileen—! Boone turned to stare at her.
She stood slumped, face covered. Her shoulders were shaking. Wearily, Boone let the guard take the blaster.
"Good!" Krobis stalked forward, still leering. "But not for you, Boone! This time you don't get off with just Venus Barracks!"
Boone raised his head slowly. "Not Venus Barracks—?"
"No, damn you!" Krobis' voice rang with elation. "I'm in command here—and this is an unchartered base! Under space law, that gives me full power to try and pass sentence." A pause, electric with tension. "I'm condemning you to death!"
It was the strangest of moments. For all at once Boone's heart was no longer pounding. The tension drained from him. It was as if he had known from the start what was coming. The words in themselves brought only relief, not more panic.
Krobis wouldn't even be censured. He stood too high in the Cartel for that. Federation officials could be counted on to go along, too, if for no other reason than the trouble at the Thelema base, the wrecking of the airlocks.