Laura looked at him, at this man who would carve a solar empire for himself by twisting the legitimate motives of the Outworld people. It's for Dad, she thought. She tried to fill her mind with that and nothing else. For her father. Otherwise, he would be tortured. For her father. For her father....
But when Keifer smiled down on her, calmly sure of himself, she thought of other things, of Earth, which did not yet understand the full extent of Keifer's madness, of Alan, who had been slain treacherously....
"That's for my father!" she cried, and slapped Keifer's face.
He caught her hands, pinning them at her side. "You little vixen," he said. The imprint of her fingers was on his cheek. There was quick hatred in his eyes, but lust as well. "Why don't you cry for help?" he taunted her. "My guards will hear you."
Laura freed one of her hands and slapped him again, then watched as rage swept the lust from his eyes. "I'll break you," he promised, biting off the words one at a time. "You'll come crawling." He forced her down slowly on the couch.
They both looked up as the door to the room slid noisily into the wall.
Alan stood there.
CHAPTER V
"Get up," Alan said, jerking the atomic pistol from his belt.