"Either or else," Marvak said, bringing up his gun until it pointed right at the little inventor's forehead.
Fradin had something that a man could call courage. He looked that gun in the eye. His face went a shade whiter, but his eyes did not drop.
"I'm afraid it will have to be else," he said. As he spoke the words, he seemed to stiffen himself until he stood very straight. He looked like a soldier standing at attention. "But if you shoot me you may find it difficult to operate my invention."
Marvak's finger tightened around the trigger. His face was cold with rage, his grey, killer eyes looked like icicles.
"Don't shoot him, you fool!" I hissed. "Then you'll never find out what you want to know."
I was stalling for time, stalling for anything, stalling for a chance to jump that gun. I was standing beside Fradin, but the gun covered both of us.
"Shut up!" Marvak snarled at me.
The gun went off.
He had shot Fradin. It was cold blooded murder. But as he had shot the little scientist, he had taken his eyes off me. I started to jump. The gun instantly swung to cover me. I saw Marvak's face, with no mercy in it. The gun froze me motionless.
Fradin didn't fall. There was a look of surprise on his face, but he didn't fall. Then I saw what had happened. Marvak had shot him in the shoulder instead of through his head.