"My name's Carlton. We're rebels. You better hurry up and shoot, it'll save you trouble."
"These men are all right," Brian defended hastily. "Serono murdered some of the Carltons."
Nathan grunted. "Well, thanks, boys. You saved us a job." He slipped his atomic projector back into its holster. "We're inspectors from Earth. We'll have to arrest you for murder, but I guess it's up to Governor Hanson here to decide what to do with you."
"Governor?"
"Yeah. That was decided before we left Earth. Where was Zeburzac heading? Where does this corridor lead to?"
"To his apartments. Maybe he had something there. I'll go and see." Brian started down the corridor.
Governor! Governor of this young, green frontier planet. There should have been a thrill in it somewhere but he felt as though he had come to the end of a pointless journey. He opened the door of Serono's apartment and stepped inside.
There was no one in the luxurious room. Brian's scalp tingled; he felt that he was not alone. He shuddered as he remembered Serono's ghastly death, then stepped quickly to the bedroom door. He opened it cautiously, then moved in and shut it noiselessly behind him. He stiffened as something prodded him in the middle of his spine.
"Don't move!" The voice was thin and vicious with hate. It stopped incredulously—"Brian!"
He swung around in amazement, and in synchronism as perfect as a trained chorus, he and Crystal James cried: "You! I thought you were dead!"