"Stern."
"Stern." Skardoth leaned forward. "You know, of course, what the aims of our organization are."
"To build a ship and get off Earth, isn't it?" Stern said. He thought: This is incredible. Here I am talking to the murderer whose rap I took, and—
"Exactly," Skardoth said. "We've been exiled unjustly—and we're determined to take steps to save ourselves. You don't have to join us, but I think it's in your best interest to do so."
It was at that point that Stern realized what the man behind the desk was doing. Matt Skardoth was the leader of the Group! And yet, Matt Skardoth had managed to murder Bargon Frosz and frame Yorkan Varr for the crime.
And the murder had taken place less than six months before!
Obviously, the man called Matt Skardoth had some way of getting off the planet Earth!
John Stern had to clench his jaw muscles to keep from saying anything. If he were to denounce Skardoth now, without proof, it would probably cost him his life.
He noticed that Skardoth was looking at him queerly, and he realized that he had been acting unusually.
"What's the matter?" Skardoth asked.