He hurled the acid-tipped drill far across the room, where it smashed against the wall. Then he pulled his other arm free and, with one final straining effort, rose from the chair and stood unbound.
"What?" Ghuvek's half-whispered question was almost impossible to hear. "You're free?" Captain Yknor opened his bulging eyes even wider and flattened himself against the wall, while Ghuvek gasped in terror.
"I'm free," Marten said. "I got tired of having you play with me."
He smiled cheerfully—and then sprang into life as one of the projectors that lined the wall, manned by guards outside, moved just a fraction of an inch. A burst of energy from one of those projectors could kill him—but it would kill anyone or anything else.
He leaped on Ghuvek. He sensed the acrid, nauseating odor of the alien, and wrapped his legs around the Flesso's body, pitching them both to the ground. The two of them rolled over against the far wall.
A quick glance told Marten that the projectors in the walls were following, but they couldn't shoot for fear of hitting Ghuvek.
The Flesso leader squirmed in Marten's grip as he tried to get his ray pistol out of its holster.
"No you don't!" Marten said, and grabbed the alien's arm. Ghuvek grunted as Marten bent the arm upward and twisted until the ligaments creaked.
"No!" Ghuvek moaned.
"Drop the gun, then."