Overhead the stars were paling. A light appeared diagonally across the courtyard. He flattened himself against the wall.
It was a torch, he saw, in the hand of a pink-skinned Caligan. A dozen grotesque Anolyn followed the torch bearer, then a company of Nehogans. Jupiter watched them make their way between the runs.
His eyes suddenly narrowed. They had stopped before a cage in which he could see a girl.
The door was opened, the girl dragged out, hustled toward a pen of long tailed Begans. The smoky light of the torch glared briefly on her face.
Tabak! They had taken away the girl's sarong, caged her like a wild animal.
Jupiter swung up the needle ray. He could see them leading Reiloc from the next cage.
He yelled: "Tabak! Reiloc! To me!" and flicked on the ray gun.
The disruptive beam of force touched one of the guards. There was a brief, brilliant flash. Then another and another as the ray fingered guard after guard.
The yard went from light to dark to light again, freezing the action. Jupiter saw Tabak break away, sprint toward him down the corridor between the runs. Reiloc was directly behind her. The giant Nehogan had snatched a sword from one of the guards whom Jupiter had rayed down. He brandished it over his head, yelled savagely.