Jarl shot for rey Gundre's weapon.
The ray-gun flew out of the high commissioner's hand.
Panting, Jarl lurched to his feet. His whole body trembled. For an instant he thought he was going to faint.
Then, out of the depths of his will, new strength came. He leveled the ray-gun; held it steady.
rey Gundre went white to the lips. Unsteadily, he moved backward, till his body, the palms of his hands, were pressed flat against the wall. He could not seem to tear his eyes from the hideous metal mask Jarl wore.
"Is the high commissioner afraid, then—?" Jarl laughed harshly. "Forget it, Gundre, I've things for you to do before you die."
"Jarl Corvett—!" The commissioner's eyes went wide with shock, mirror-bright with fear.
Jarl laughed again, a bleak and mirthless sound. With his free hand, he unclamped the mask; dropped it to the floor.
Tightly, he said: "Get a cross on your fleet, Commissioner. Give them their true orders—that Ceres is to be spared."