He took her into his arms. And it was then, as he held her, that Nick Sloan's calm voice came out to them.
Sloan and the other three had issued from the tube into the turbine, but they had not come out of the turbine into the light of the cold fire. Nelson knew why. They were afraid he had more bullets.
"Nelson!" called the cool, hard voice. "Nelson, are you ready to quit making a fool of yourself and talk business?"
"Say what you have to say, Sloan," he called back.
The other's voice was almost a drawl. "Nelson, even though you got your body back, you joined the losing side and I guess now you know it. You're trapped, but I've no wish to rub you out. Give yourself up and I'll let you go free out of L'Lan."
Nelson thought swiftly. "You'd let the girl, and Tark, go with me?"
"Sure," came the quick answer. "Just toss your gun out and come out with hands raised."
Eric Nelson's mind was racing. He saw a vague possibility, a slender chance—
He put no faith whatever in Sloan's specious promise. He knew as completely as he could know anything that, when he walked out unarmed into the light, Sloan would give him a burst. But he had still one card in his hand that the others knew nothing of — a card that was a poor one, perhaps, but worth playing.
"I don't trust you, Sloan," he answered harshly. "But I'll give my gun to Shan Kar if he will guarantee our safety."