"Get out of the way," Walsh commanded.
Joe shook his head slowly. "This is not what you told me. A friend, you said. A surprise. You said you wanted to...."
"Get out of the way, you damned sav...."
With one swift movement Joe leaped forward. The knife gleamed in his hand and there was momentary panic on Walsh's face.
The stun gun snapped up. It crackled once in the Venusian jungle, its blast blinding me for a moment. It shuddered through Joe's left arm and paralyzed it momentarily.
But the hand with the knife was hacking away at Walsh's throat, the blood dripping down over the silver planet on the collar of his tunic.
I made my report to Bransten.