"Wait, you fool. They may not even have seen us." But he was gone, running toward a group of ships lined up at the end of the cavern.
"Who was that crazy coot and what is this place?" Brian demanded.
"That was Gort Sterling, our leader," the girl said bitterly. "And this is our headquarters." One of the ships at the back of the cavern thundered to life, streaked across the floor and burst out through the opening Crystal's ship had left. "He hasn't got a chance! We'll be spotted for sure, now."
The other rebels waited uncertainly, but not for long. There was the crescendoing roar of ships in a dive followed by the terrific crash of an explosion.
"They got him!" Crystal's voice was a moan. "Oh, the fool, the fool!"
"Sounded like more than one ship. They'll be after us, now. Is there any other way of getting out of this place?"
"Not for ships. We'll have to walk and they'll follow us."
"We've got to slow them down some way, then. I wonder how the devil they traced us? I thought we lost them in that fog."
"It's that Serono Zeburzac, the traitor. He knows these mountains as well as we do."
"How come?"