"Fairlie speaking."
"Mowler here," said Mowler. "Our guest wants to see you. He says he's ready to make that statement now—any statement you want."
"About time," growled Fairlie's voice. "All right, I'll come."
Wales switched off the instrument and took it away. He went out on the parapet, and waited in the darkness with the Venn gun in his hands.
Martha and Kendrick came out, and as another Marslift ship flamed up across the sky, he saw that her face was white and strained.
She said, "Don't kill him, Jay."
He said, without turning, "The Evacuation has been delayed, and there may not be enough time to make up that delay. We may not get everyone off Earth in time. And every one of those who are left to face Doomsday will have been killed by Fairlie and his pals."
"I know," she said. "But don't, Jay."
He would make no promise, or answer. He waited. And they heard the purr of the fast power-boat, less than an hour later.
Dawn was gray in the eastern sky when Fairlie, and one armed man in Evacuation Police uniform, came up the steps to the pedestal.