"Look out!" cried Thorton too late.
Cameron fell to his knees. The same foot that brought him down crashed into his chin. His head snapped back and he sprawled on the floor. Blood trickled from his face.
"Docchi!" shouted Thorton from the screen.
Docchi didn't answer. He was crashing through the door. The commander was lounging against the wall. Head down, Docchi ran into him. The toaster fell from his belt to the floor. With scarcely a pause, Docchi stamped on it and continued running.
The commander got to his feet and retrieved the weapon. He aimed it tentatively at the retreating figure; a thought occurred to him and he lowered it. He examined the damaged mechanism. After that, it went gingerly into a tunic pocket.
Muffled shouts were coming from Cameron's office. The general broke in.
The medicouncilor glared at him from the screen. "I can see that you let him get away."
The disheveled officer straightened his uniform. "I'm sorry, sir. I'll alert the guards immediately."
"Never mind now. Revive that man."
The general wasn't accustomed to giving resuscitation; it was out of his line. Nevertheless, in a few minutes Cameron was conscious, though somewhat dazed.