"I caught you, though, didn't I?"
"It all depends on how you look at it. Perhaps I've caught you."
Tanner held an unfamiliar weapon in his hand. Stan looked at it curiously and then knew exactly what it was. Tanner had gotten hold of Avis' time pistol. He was going to kill him like William Clark had been killed.
Tanner was going to age him a hundred years in a second.
"Think you'll get away with it, Tanner?"
"Why not? There's nobody to stop me!"
How many times had he died in the last eight years? Stan wondered. How many times had his life been hanging by a thread, waiting for somebody to cut it?
"Stan! Duck!"
Tanner had been distracted just long enough by the shout. Stan dropped to the carpet and rolled against Tanner's legs. Then they were both on the floor. Stan grabbed for the arm which still clung to the time pistol. Tanner grunted and twisted and then....
Stan paled and almost gagged.