The silence was cold, as though his passing had taken a fire from the room. Nuala shivered, looked dubiously at Travis. He said tactlessly, "I thought you said you'd won."
"I—underestimated him. I'd forgotten that Rudra smashed Flormaseron, that he has all the science that ever was at his fingertips. I thought that by taking his tower into another dimension I could strike at him before he knew where we were. Strike and annihilate! Now ... I do not know."
"I—I—underestimated him!"
There was doubt in the blue eyes, and the old fear. Only the fear was stronger, now. It was a curiously tangible thing, beating out and around the room, running chilled tentacles down Travis's back.
He shook himself, said savagely, "So we can't surprise him. Then let's slug it out, toe to toe. It's him or—us!"
"But he has so many sciences ..." she wailed.
"Sciences you know just as well!" Travis snapped. "And before we're over it'll be the first law of nature all over again. The survival of—the fittest!"