Valnar's eyes glowed with interest. "Good idea!" he approved. "I was thinking that we'd need help."
The city prison was a grim structure. It contained few people, but those it did swallow were seldom heard of again. Barlow felt a tightening of his muscles as they approached.
Valnar was carrying the ray projector. He walked along confidently, with an unserious buoyancy like that of a person engaged in a game with children. Barlow envied him.
He was well aware of what they were fighting. And the thought that possibly the projector wouldn't work, made him feel hollow. The guards at the entrance stepped forward to bar the way.
Valnar's fingers switched on the projector and he swept it over the two guards. They dropped their rifles and slumped to the stone entranceway. Barlow picked up their rifles, then stared at them. They were sleeping peacefully.
Valnar strode into the building, applied the ray to another man, and entered the warden's office. The warden leaped to his feet angrily.
"We want the prisoners brought in yesterday," Valnar informed.
"Shoot, Perkins!" cried the warden.
Barlow wheeled, rifle ready. A secretary that they hadn't noticed at the other end of the room was leveling a pistol. Barlow moved the rifle swiftly, but Valnar was the swifter and the secretary lay back in his chair and went to sleep.