It was no good. We'd had it. And across the distance of battle
Rajay-Ben's face appeared on the screen. The colored lights that were a
Lukan's face and I knew enough to know that the shimmering lights were
mad. "The hell with them, Red, let's go all the damned way!"
And a new face appeared on the screen. A face I knew too well. First
Councillor Roark. "Stone! You've done a lot in your day but this is the
end, you hear me? You're defending a madman in a Council crime. Do you
realize the risk? Universal imbalance! The whole pattern of galaxies
could be destroyed! We'll destroy you for this, Stone. An ionic project
without Council authorization."