This was much worse than that mob in Tonar City. He glanced toward the gate in the wall ahead and to his right.
Just beyond that door lay his yacht—and safety. If he could only figure out a way——
Across the lawn, a warden was making the signal for the advance. The way, then, was ritually clear. Stern stepped forward, still glancing toward that door.
They would pass within just a few meters of it. Now, where was that Michaels?
Suddenly, he realized he could never hope to get out his hidden weapon, find Michaels with it, and vaporize him. Not until the other had plenty of time to release a beam of his own. He shuddered, remembering the destruction that weapon had caused up in the Morek.
At this range, even the narrowest blaster beam would fan out enough to destroy a man's entire body. And that thing, whatever it was——
Suddenly, he smiled. That was it! It would spread out too much.
He flipped out the little khroal from its hiding place in his sleeve and placed it against Pete's back. With his other hand, he gripped the boy around the throat. Then he turned, seeking to locate Michaels. The fellow was out of sight.
Probably, Stern thought, he had remained in the shadow of the huge pillars of the porch—or even inside the Blue Palace itself.