Gor Hajus thought that

it would be better if we could come into Toonol secretly and there, through one

of his friends, secure arms and a flier of our own. It would never do, he

insisted, to attempt to go far without arms for himself and Dar Tarus, nor could

we hope to reach Phundahl without being overhauled by pursuers; for we must plan

on the hypothesis that Ras Thavas would immediately discover my absence; that he

would at once investigate; that he would find Dar Tarus and Gor Hajus missing

and thereupon lose no time in advising Vobis Kan, Jeddak of Toonol, that Gor

Hajus the assassin was at large, whereupon the Jeddak's best ships would be sent

in pursuit.

Gor Hajus' reasoning was sound and coupled with my recollection that Ras Thavas

had told me that his three ships were slow, I could readily foresee that our

liberty would be of short duration were we to steal one of the old surgeon's

fliers.

As we discussed the matter we had made our way through the Pits and I had found

the exit to the tower. Silently we passed upward along the runway and out upon

the roof. Both moons were winging low through the heavens and the scene was

almost as light as day. If anyone was about discovery was certain. We hastened

towards the hangar and were soon within it where, for a moment at least, I

breathed far more easily than I had beneath those two brilliant moons upon the

exposed roof.

The fliers were peculiar looking contrivances, low, squat, with rounded bows and

stems and covered decks, their every line proclaiming them as cargo carriers

built for anything but speed. One was much smaller than the other two and a

second was evidently undergoing repairs. The third I entered and examined

carefully. Gor Hajus was with me and pointed out several places where we might

hide with little likelihood of discovery unless it were suspected that we might

be aboard, and that of course constituted a very real danger; so much so that I

had about decided to risk all aboard the small flier, which Gor Hajus assured me

would be the fastest of the three, when Dar Tarus stuck his head into the ship

and motioned me to come quickly.

"There is someone about," he said when I reached his side.

"Where?" I demanded.

"Come," he said, and led me to the rear of the hangar, which was flush with the

wall of the building upon which it stood, and pointed through one of the windows

into the inner garden where, to my consternation, I saw Ras Thavas walking

slowly to and fro. For an instant I was sick with despair, for I knew that no

ship could leave that roof unseen while anyone was abroad in the garden beneath,

and Ras Thavas least of all people in the world; but suddenly a great light

dawned upon me. I called the three close to me and explained my plan.

Instantly they grasped the possibilities in it and a moment later we had run the

small flier out upon the roof and turned her nose toward the east, away from

Toonol. Then Gor Hajus entered her, set the various controls as we had decided,

opened the throttle, slipped back to the roof. The four of us hastened into the

hangar and ran to the rear window where we saw the ship moving slowly and

gracefully out over the garden and the head of Ras Thavas, whose ears must

instantly have caught the faint purring of the motor, for he was looking up by

the time we reached the window.

Instantly he hailed the ship and stepping back from the window that he might not

see me I answered: "Good-bye, Ras Thavas! It is I, Vad Varo, going out into a

strange world to see what it is like. I shall return. The spirits of your

ancestors be with you until then."

That was a phrase I had picked up from reading in Ras Thavas' library and I was

quite proud of it.

"Come back at once," he shouted up in reply, "or you will be with the spirits of

your own ancestors before another day is done."

I made no reply. The ship was now at such a distance that I feared my voice

might no longer seem to come from it and that we should be discovered. Without

more delay we concealed ourselves aboard one of the remaining fliers, that upon

which no work was being done, and there commenced as long and tiresome a period

of waiting as I can recall ever having passed through.

I had at last given up any hope of the ship's being flown that day when I heard

voices in the hangar, and presently the sound of footsteps aboard the flier. A

moment later a few commands were given and almost immediately the ship moved

slowly out into the open.

The four of us were crowded into a small compartment built into a tiny space

between the forward and aft starboard buoyancy tanks. It was very dark and

poorly ventilated, having evidently been designed as a storage closet to utilize

otherwise waste space. We dared not converse for fear of attracting attention to

our presence, and for the same reason we moved about as little as possible,

since we had no means of knowing but that some member of the crew might be just

beyond the thin door that separated us from the main cabin of the ship.

Altogether we were most uncomfortable; but the distance to Toonol is not so

great but that we might hope that our situation would soon be changed – at least

if Toonol was to be the destination of the ship. Of this we soon had cheering

hope. We had been out but a short time when, faintly, we heard a hail and then

the motors were immediately shut down and the ship stopped.

"What ship?" we heard a voice demand, and from aboard our own came the reply:

"The Vosar, Tower of Thavas for Toonol." We heard a scraping as the other ship

touched ours.

"We are coming aboard to search you in the name of Vobis Kan, Jeddak of Toonol.

Make way!" shouted one from the other ship. Our cheer had been of short

duration. We heard the shuffling of many feet and Gor Hajus whispered in my ear.

"What shall we do?" he asked.

I slipped my short-sword into his hand. "Fight!" I replied.

"Good, Vad Varo," he replied, and then I handed him my pistol and told him to

pass it on to Dar Tarus. We heard the voices again, but nearer now.

"What ho!" cried one. "It is Bal Zak himself, my old friend Bal Zak!"

"None other," replied a deep voice. "And whom did you expect to find in command

of the Vosar other than Bal Zak?"

"Who could know but that it might have been this Vad Varo himself, or even Gor

Hajus," said the other, "and our orders are to search all ships."

"I would that they were here," replied Bal Zak, "for the reward is high.