"John, we can gun down Trask from here!” Sual Av whispered excitedly, tensely fingering his atom-pistol.
"No. Killing Trask now wouldn't stop the League, for there are a hundred of his underlings ready to take his place,” Thorn muttered tautly. “Wait, I have a better plan."
The door of Lana's cell clicked open. Watching through the grating, the Planeteers saw the dictator stride into the girl's prison-room, followed by Jenk Cheerly and the captain.
"— almost morning. Days and nights are so short on Saturn,” the psychophone was speaking forth Lana's thoughts.
Thorn understood. Lana was trying to avoid giving away the presence of the Planeteers, by thinking of other things.
Haskell Trask surveyed the girl bound in the chair, his gloomy eyes meeting her defiant blue ones.
"Are you ready yet to tell us what we want to know, girl?” he demanded harshly.
Lana made no vocal answer. But the psychophone spoke her thoughts.
"I'll never tell them! Never!"
Trask's nervous face twitched violently and he seemed seized by a raging passion. He flung his arms out widely.