Dard caught the hands clawing at Kimber’s hold and together they dragged the struggling captive through the archway into the dimly lighted inner court.
“Either you come quietly,” Kimber hissed, “or you don’t come at all. Make your choice quick.”
The struggles ceased as Kimber pulled him on.
“Why try to take him?” Dard wanted to know.
Kimber’s grin was no longer pleasant, it was closer to a wolfish snarl. “Insurance,” he returned concisely. “We aren’t out of this place yet. Now move!” He gave the captive a vicious shove, keeping one hand clamped on the nape of the other’s neck, as the three moved on toward the outer door and freedom.
6: FIVE DAYS-FORTY-FIVE MINUTES
A GRILLE of bars and metal wire was down across the entrance of the outer court. When they reached it their captive snickered. He had snapped out of his first panic- surprise, and though he was quite helpless in Kimber’s hands, the voice with which he asked a question now was entirely self-possessed.
“How do you propose to get past this?”
The pilot met that demand almost jauntily. “I suppose that this is equipped with a time lock?”
The Laurel Wearer did not reply to that, he had a second demand: “Who are you?”