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“But could these Lakonians fight?” asked Correy. “That’s what I’d like to know. I doubt it. They look like a sleepy, ignorant lot.”

“I think they’d fight, to the death, if Liane ordered them to,” I replied thoughtfully. “Did you notice the way they stared at the flame, never moving, never even winking? My idea is that it exercises a sort of auto-hypnotic influence over them, which gives Liane just the right opportunity to impress her will upon them.”

“I wondered about that,” Kincaide commented. “I believe you’re right, sir. Any idea as to when we’ll shove off?”

“There’s no particular hurry; Fetter will be busy until evening, I imagine, so we won’t bother him until then. As soon as we’ve had a chat with him, we can start.”

“And without Hendricks,” said Kincaide, shaking his head sadly. “I wonder–“

“If you don’t mind, Mr. Kincaide, we won’t mention his name on the Ertak after this,” I interrupted. “I, for one, would rather forget him. Wouldn’t you?”

“I would, sir, if I could,” said Kincaide softly. “But that’s not easy, is it?”

It wasn’t easy. As a matter of fact, it was impossible. I knew I would never forget my picture of him, standing there shaken and miserable, beside the woman for whom he had disgraced his uniform, hiding his head in shame from the eyes of the men he had called comrades, and who had called him friend. But to talk of him was morbid.

* * * * *

It was late in the afternoon when I called Correy and Kincaide to the navigating room, where I had spent several hours charting our return course.

“I believe, gentlemen,” I remarked, “that we can call on Mr. Fetter now. I’ll ask you to remain in charge of the ship, Mr. Kincaide, while Mr. Correy and I–“

An attention signal sounded sharply to interrupt me. I answered it instantly.

“Sentry at exit, sir,” said an excited voice. “Mr. Hendricks and the woman stowaway are here asking for you. They say it is very urgent.”

“Bring them both here at once, under guard,” I ordered. “Be sure you are properly relieved.”

“Right, sir!”

I turned to Correy and Kincaide, who were watching me with curious eyes. My excitement must have shown upon my face.

“Mr. Hendricks and Liane are at the exit, asking to see me,” I snapped. “They’ll be here in a moment. What do you suppose is in the air?”

“Hendricks?” muttered Correy, his face darkening. “It seems to me he has a lot of nerve to–“

There was a sharp tap on the door.

“Come!” I ordered quickly. The door opened and Liane, followed by Hendricks, hurried into the room.

“That will do,” I nodded to the guard who had accompanied them. “You may go.”

“You wonder why we’re here, I suppose?” demanded Liane. “I’ll tell you, quickly, for every instant is precious.”

This was a very different Liane. She was no longer clad in diaphanous black; she was wearing a tunic similar to the one she had worn on board the Ertak, save that this one was torn and soiled. Her lips, as she talked, twitched with an insane anger; her amazing eyes were like those of a cornered beast of the wilderness.

“My council of wise old men turned against me when I told them my plans to marry the man of my choice. They said he was an outsider, an enemy, a foreigner. They would have none of him. They demanded that I give him to the Flame, and marry one of my own kind. They had not, of course, understood what I had said to you there in the great chapel of the Flame.

“I defied them. We escaped through a passage which is not known to any save myself, and the existence of which my father taught me years ago. We are here, but they will guess where we have gone. My old men are exciting my people against me–and for that shall all, down to the last one, know the embrace of the Flame!” She gritted her teeth on the words, her nostrils distended with rage.