CHAPTER XIII

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.