The third storage area was far out beyond the Ural Mountains and to the North, in the remote Siberian wilderness of the great Eurasian land-mass. They retreated back into time far enough to account for the two hours it took them to rocket from the Urals to Siberia, then circled over the storage areas while searchlights probed the sky for them like groping fingers.
"That way," Tedor explained, "all the plants will blow up simultaneously, with no chance for one to warn another."
They circled, and Dorlup said, "I'm bringing her down."
"Just a minute." It was Laniq, sitting near the telio. "Someone's calling." A face flashed into view on the screen—Ruscar.
"Let me speak to Barwan," he said. "You have a few seconds to decide whether you want to live or die."
"Take the conveyor back up," Tedor told Dorlup, and went to the telio. Ruscar looked far from happy.
"Tedor, you still have a chance. I've been following you in time, ever since we found out what happened to Malenkov and Chenkov. You can't stop me now, Tedor. Everything is ready and there are enough atom and hydrogen bombs here at this one base to do the job."
Tedor was looking at Ruscar for the first time since his dual life had been revealed. Enemy of time-tyrants on the one hand, tyrant who wanted all the world and all of time under his control on the other.
"Throw in with me, Tedor! I'll forget what you've done. We need men like you."
Tedor shook his head. "It would take me years to tell you what I think of you, so I won't even try. The answer is no."