They picked up the trail in the asteroid belt, in the wreckage of a
gutted town. It led to Horla, then, and from there to the burning
sands of Mercury's barren wastes, and then back out to the moons of
Saturn. But always Reggar was a jump ahead, and always there was blood
and death and pillage.
Once, on Juno, Shane thought he had him. But Reggar blasted off as the
Earthman ramped in, and they lost the trail in the outer asteroids.
And then, one night, Shane came to Titan.
As always, there was desolation. As always, the great slaveship was
gone. And a weeping _bartok_ woman shook her fist at Shane and cried,
"So now you come! But they have killed my man. My children starve, and
I am left to care for Reggar's cursed, dying _Malyalara_--"
Shane turned on her, "A _Malyalara_--? Quos Reggar's _Malyalara_?"
An emotion that might have been fear flickered in the woman's eyes, and
she would have fled had Shane not caught her arm. "Please, Earthman--!"
she pleaded piteously. "My man is still warm in his grave. I say
strange things--senseless, without meaning. Please let me go--" And
when Shane released her, she scurried off through the rubble like a
frightened mouse and disappeared in the ruins of a broken building.
But Shane followed her--cautious, cat-footed; through alleys and
shadows and tumbled wreckage; till finally she went into one of the
ancient, conical, loaf-like hovels in the oldest part of the native
city.
For ten long minutes the Earthman watched and waited. Then,
half-angrily, he rose from the place where he lay hidden, and slapped
the gun slung at his hip, and strode to the door through which the
woman had gone. His knock echoed.
After a moment the woman opened the door a crack. When she saw who it
was, her eyes went wide, and she tried to force the door back shut.
But Shane put his weight against it and held it open, and said, "I want
to see your house, _bartok_."
"No, no--!" the woman panted.
"I must," Shane said. As gently as he could, he pushed her aside, and
stepped into the room.
And there was Quos Reggar.
* * * * *
The giant mongrel stood in the corner, behind the door through which
Shane had entered. A light-pistol gleamed in one webbed hand, and the
great lobed eyes were hot with hate.
And about the creature's waist still was drawn the iron-linked
belt--Shane's _Chonya_ belt, the belt of the asteroids.
"Welcome, Earthman!" the mongrel rasped, just as on the other night
that now seemed so far away, so long ago. "Welcome to death!"
Shane froze in his tracks--statue-like, taut-muscled. His eyes alone
moved ... gauging Quos Reggar, measuring the distance, weighing the
light-gun against his own draw.
And the mongrel saw the things in the cold blue eyes--the death, the
decision; and he snapped sharply, "No, _chitza_! Wait--!"
"Why?" clipped the Earthman. "Why put it off?" And there was
recklessness in his voice; a fierce exaltation.
"Because it may be you need not die!" the mongrel came back swiftly.
"Because there are things you do not know--things that still may save
your life and make it worth living."
Shane still stood taut, motionless, waiting. He did not answer.
"I thought you would come to Talu's name," the hybrid told him, and now
the creature's tone held a gloating note. "I planned it well--and you,
fool that you are, came to the trap as on wings of fire."
"Get on with it!" Shane slashed harshly. "We both know what is between
us. Why waste this time?"
"The time is not wasted," Reggar answered. "Your coming here as you did
proves something ... a fine point on which much may hang, for you as
well as me."
Shane bared his teeth. His left hand moved in a savage, contemptuous
gesture. "Get on with it!" he slashed again. "What is it you seek to
say?"
A sly smile of sorts came to Reggar's lips. He called: "Talu--"
"Here, _Sha_ Reggar." She stepped through the doorway, lithely graceful
as always, garbed in a _ban-dong_ of scarlet and gold. A gold clip
held the midnight hair, and a gleaming fire-ruby of Neptune hung by a
golden chain in the hollow of her throat.
Her eyes met the Earthman's, poised and calm. "_Sha_ Shane...."
* * * * *
A touch of color came to Shane's lean face. Quickly, he looked away,
back to Quos Reggar.
But a ghoulish grin twisted the mongrel's lips. "Why stare at me,
Earthman? Look at her, look at her! Is she not lovely?"
Shane's eyes did not waver. "I'm listening, Reggar," he answered
tightly.
The hybrid chuckled. "You came quickly, Earthman ... so quickly, when
you heard mention of this woman. You threw caution to the winds and
came alone, in spite of all sense and judgment."
"So--?"
"So I knew there is a feeling between you and this _Malyalara_--a thing
without logic, beyond your judgment, perhaps what you humanoids call
love."
The color heightened in the Earthman's face. "You're mad as a _ban_,
Reggar!" he challenged angrily.
"I think not," leered the mongrel. "And it is good. Because you shall
have the woman--untouched, too, Earthman, for I am not as your race,
and she could never catch my fancy, save as a pretty toy."
"And the price, Reggar?" Shane queried tightly. "What must I do to earn
such favor?"
The creature before him shrugged. "I need not feign you have not hurt
me. For you have. You and your _Chonyas_ have harried me through the
void, and up and down among the planets. You've tracked me down as the
_zanth_ tracks down its prey. But now, I tire of being hunted. My crew
is weary and sick, and the hull of my ship is worn to cracking. So I
have stayed behind this time to strike a bargain with you, if I can."
"A bargain?" The Earthman laughed harshly. "When was your word ever
worth a _xi_, that I should take it now?" His eyes narrowed, and he
studied the other. "Besides, what bargain could I make? The Federation
hunts you also."
"The Federation?" Reggar sneered. "Loot will always buy someone in the
Federation. But you--you fight from hate; and that is different."
"Then why haggle with me? Why not kill me now, if indeed you fear me?"
"Why does anyone bargain?" Again the mongrel shrugged. "Because you
have something I want and need--something I cannot get without your
aid."
"Well? What is it?"
Thoughtfully, the great lobed eyes surveyed the Earthman. The rasping
voice sank lower. "It is sanctuary, _Gar_ Shane. That is what I
seek ... a place in the asteroids to hide, away from the eyes of the
Federation. As for you, you need not even call off your war against
me. Not openly; you will merely manage never quite to find me."
* * * * *
The Earthman frowned. He looked away--to Talu, still standing in the
open doorway; to the woman who'd lured him here, mousy and frightened
in the farthest corner; to the tawdry room and its tawdrier trimmings.
Then, at last, his eyes moved back to Reggar. In a tone of wonderment,
he asked, "Did you really think that I might do it?--That I might break
the oath I swore; betray the trust the _Chonyas_ gave me with their
great iron belt?"
Almost silkily, Reggar murmured: "Before you refuse, there are things
you should consider."
The cloak of control fell away from Shane. His blue eyes blazed. His
jaw was hard. "I swore my oath on the star-stone of Hiaroloch, Reggar,"
he slashed harshly. "There's nothing in this world or any other that
will make me break it." And then, with savage force: "Get on with your
killing, butcher--and make sure your first beam hits me true, for it
will be your last!"
The mottlings stood out on Reggar's scaly face. The light-gun thrust
forward, and muscles stood out along the webbed hand's bones. "Perhaps
there is a thing you have forgotten, _chitza_!" he snarled. "Perhaps
you do not recall--the _theol_!"
"The _theol_--?" And though the words came out as a question, already
the color was draining from the Earthman's face.
"Yes, the _theol_, _starbo_--and you know what I mean, for the fear is
crawling through your eyes like the worms of Thora! Two doses you've
had. A third will make you my slave forever!"
The muscles in Shane's neck knotted. His head came forward just a
fraction. "Wrong, Reggar!" he clipped. "To make me stand and take the
_theol_, the fear of death must be in me even stronger. And that dread
I do not have. I'll fight--here, now! So the choice is yours, not mine!
You must kill me, or die yourself--"
"Wait, Shane--!" cried the mongrel. "There is more! There is the
woman--the _Malyalara_!"
Shane went rigid.
"I can kill you," rasped Reggar. "Have no doubt about it. My gun is
out, and yours is still holstered. But let me tell you this: if I
do, Talu is the one who shall suffer! I'll sell her in the brothels
of Uranus! The great, hairy beasts there shall have this woman of
yours--and she will be a long time dying...."
* * * * *
Shane's lips drained white. His face grew grey. Of a sudden his hands
were shaking.
"Is it not a pretty picture, Shane?" the creature before him gloated.
"You dead--the _Malyalara_ sold for the sport of the beasts there
on Uranus--and all because you would not stretch your oath even a
little--?"
"Damn you, Reggar!" the Earthman whispered. "Damn you, damn you, damn
you--"
"Then it is agreed?" the mongrel cried, in a voice alive with hideous
glee. "You will promise me sanctuary, somewhere in the asteroids?
You'll pledge your sworn word to hide me and shield me and give me aid?"
"Reggar--" The veins were throbbing in the Earthman's temples.
Only then Talu cried out, "No, Shane! No--!" She rushed forward, hurled
her lithe body straight at Quos Reggar. "I would rather die than see
you yield! You know the things this monster has done to the _Malyas_,
the Chonyas! Kill him, kill him--!"
A roar of rage burst from the mongrel. His clubbed light-gun slashed
down at the woman's bare breasts, trying to drive her off.
Shane leaped like a tiger. He clawed at the hybrid's pistol; wrenched
it back--away from Talu's supple body, hard against his own.
Twisting and snarling, Reggar crushed down the exciter.
A faint, misty spray spurted from the muzzle, straight into Shane's
throat.
But now Shane's own gun was out. Purple light slashed like a sword at
the mongrel's belly.
Reggar reeled back. He smashed a wild blow to Shane's head, sent the
Earthman crashing to the floor. Again Shane fired.
Reggar's mottled face went black under the beam. An awful scream rose
in his throat. He tottered ... lurched ... fell.
Talu was with Shane, then--clutching him to her, the dark face all
anguish. "Shane, Shane...."
* * * * *
Dazedly, the Earthman muttered, "The light-gun ... what happened to his
light-gun? He triggered it straight into my throat--"
With an effort, he rolled to the weapon; broke it open.
The ray mechanism was gone. A hypodermic injector had been inserted in
its place.
Shane's hand clutched his throat.
There was still a trace of moisture there ... clear, colorless moisture.
Talu whispered: "Shane, let me hold you--"
Shaking, he forced her away. His voice quaked: "No, _Malyalara_. No!
Get away from me--now, while you have the chance--"
"Shane, what is it--?"
Numbly, he showed her the gun. "An injector--with _theol_. It makes
three doses. In the end, Reggar wins. The madness will come upon me--"
"No, Shane--" She would have embraced him.
"Get away!" he shouted fiercely. "Don't you understand? This was the
third dose--the dose that brings madness. And there is no cure--"
His face was a mask--all despair, and all fury.
She laughed, gently, then--warm, comprehending. There was no panic
in her face, her voice. "No, Shane," she told him. "There will be no
madness."
He stared at her blankly. "It is _theol_--"
"Yes, it is _theol_. But not the third dose."
"Not the third--?" His tongue stumbled.
"No, Shane. Because before the third, there must be a second, and I
gave you what Reggar thought was the second that night back at Horla.
But he left me alone for a moment with the injector, and I replaced the
_theol_ with another solution--without color, but harmless."
A choking sound rose in the Earthman's throat. His trembling hands
touched her--smoothed her hair, brushed her shoulder.
She came to him--smiling, lips warm with welcome. And suddenly their
bodies were together, tight-welded, and he was whispering feverishly,
"Talu ... Talu...."
And when at last they parted, she said, "I am yours, Earthman ...
yours now and forever. But you still have a role to play, your oath to
uphold. You are _gar_ of the _Chonyas_."
"And you will rule with me!" he answered her fiercely.
"Your belt, Earthman...."
"My belt ... the belt of the asteroids." Bending, he stripped the iron
links from the corpse of Quos Reggar and girded it tight about his own
waist once more. His eyes met Talu's. "Come, _Malyalara_...."
Together, they crossed the threshold, into the night and the stars.