“Don’t you realize,” Myles replied mildly, “that this is a pretty poor place for me to pretend to have gyro troubles? If I were going to fake, I would have done so back there in the ravine.”
“That’s true,” Yuri admitted. “Well, stop her and we’ll get out and walk.”
Cabot accordingly brought the kerkool to a standstill. Yuri cautiously backed to the rear of the car and dismounted, keeping his prisoner covered with the revolver.
“Come along now,” he called. “Get out and unhitch the cross, so that we can carry it as a protection.”
For reply the earthman suddenly threw the control into full speed reverse. Down went the astonished prince, his revolver flying from his hand as the kerkool backed onto him. Cabot saw the weapon as it sailed by him; and instantly he stopped the car and reached for his own revolver. But it was not at his side. Quite evidently he had left it at Wautoosa when he had gathered up his accouterments after his sightseeing tour there.
So he jumped from the car and ran over to where the prince’s weapon lay. With it in his hand, he turned and faced his late captor, who was just picking himself up out of the dust and staggering to his feet.
“Halt,” the earthman commanded, “or I fire!”
Yuri halted. Then, to Cabot’s surprise, he grinned.
“What was it that you quoted from Poblath a while ago?” he said, with seeming irrelevance. “Oh, I know. ‘The saddest thing about a fool, is that he doesn’t realize he is one.’ That revolver which you now hold, and which terrorized you into bearing me in safety through your lines, is empty, wholly empty! Better throw it away, you poor fool.”
And he gave a mocking laugh. Myles flushed with shame and humiliation. Bluffed again by the arch-trickster of Poros! So he started to throw the weapon to one side. Then suddenly he realized what a fool he would be to accept any statement from this liar. Perhaps the prince was bluffing now, rather than before. Perhaps the revolver was loaded, after all.