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"Yes, sir?"
"Sweep the meadow."
"Yes, sir."
"Trukel?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Bring the groat."
"Coming..."
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Selby heard the words numbly. Sweep the meadow? With a jolt of dismay he
remembered the powerful field lights the 404 men had carried from the ship.
And the groat! Had Lora heard? Glancing hurriedly around, he saw the shadowy
figures of the exiles and moved quickly to within a few paces of the boy.
"Johnny," he hissed. When the boy failed to respond, he realized he was
already in rapport with the distant world of the nebula -- out of touch with
the reality of this world. He felt a wild despair. Catching a sound, he
whirled and recognized Lora's slender form as it emerged from the night. She
quickened her step, running the last half a dozen paces.
"Is Johnny ready?" she asked in a frightened voice.
"Wig's here," he shot back. "We have to..."
"I know," she interrupted. She took a step toward Johnny, looking at him. "We
have to hurry."
"We have to get out of here," he snapped grimly. "Can you awaken him?"
"No, no..." She glanced back, clasping her hands. "I've brought Mr.
Olaf."
She stepped aside and Selby's eyes fastened on the figure behind her. He
stared stupidly, trying to fit the figure into the context of his memory.
"Hello, Alek."
The voice, that voice. The newcomer took another step forward and something
clicked in Selby's mind. He suppressed the wild desire to laugh.
Mr. Olaf was Hallam Vogel.
Thirteen
"DAXON...the lights!" Wig's voice cut through the night with a snap.
"Yes, sir." Selby froze as a beam shot from the end of the meadow and cut a
silver swath across the grass. He swung toward Lora, shouting a silent
warning. Urging the exiles onward, she gave no sign that she heard. He looked
back at the distant 404 agents with dismay. Seemingly only seconds had passed
since he'd first discerned the exiles moving toward him through the night --
since Hallam Vogel had made his surprising appearance. Now everything was
collapsing in on him.
"Sweep the field," Wig ordered curtly. A second beam flicked on and both swung
slowly over the clearing. Selby watched, his mind grappling with this new turn
of events as Lora exhorted the exiles to greater speed.
"Hurry," she pleaded. He saw five figures hastening through the night, one
carrying a child in arms. As they started up the low slope of the knoll a
light beam swept over them, then jerked back, pinning them in its glare.
"There they are!" a voice shouted. The second beam swung around and flooded
the knoll, outlining Johnny's small figure in a circle of light. "It's the
boy!"
Selby stared blindly into the light, hearing the distant shouts. Jerking his
eyes away, he looked toward Johnny. Great silver spheres floated in front of
him as he fought to regain his vision. Dimly he sensed bodies rushing past
him.
"Halt where you are!" the executor shouted.
"Hurry! Hurry!" Lora urged. As Selby's vision began to clear, he saw the first
figure stride past Johnny...and vanish.
"Halt!" Wig demanded imperiously. The sound of rushing feet filled
Selby's ears as another figure -- that of a woman carrying a child -- scurried
past him and disappeared.
"Halt or I'll shoot," Jonman screamed in a high voice.
"Don't hit the boy," Wig shouted. Before Jonman could take action, the last of
the exiles brushed past Johnny and vanished into thin air.
Selby swung back to face the executor. In the distance he saw Trukel racing
toward him with the groat. Rok sensed them too, for a low rumble broke from
his throat.
"Down!" Lora commanded. As the dog subsided back into the grass, Selby threw a
quick glance around and saw there was no hope for escape. Hallam Vogel
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evidently figured the same, for he stepped to Lora's side, calmly
contemplating the approaching figures.
Selby shot a fast glance at Johnny. The boy sat as if totally unaware of the
commotion around him, his face turned toward the sky. He jerked his eyes back
toward the executor. Lieutenant Stagg, he thought desperately. Stagg's
presence would put a brake on Wig, prevent wholesale murder.
"Lieutenant Stagg! Lieutenant Stagg!" He sent the call thundering through his
mind. "Come to the meadow bordering the village immediately.
Hurry. Hurry!"
Could a transmitter put thoughts into the mind of a nontelepath? Yes, he'd
influenced Trukel. He shouted the message several times, hoping against hope
the lieutenant would get it.
"Hurry, lieutenant, please!"
The words tinkled in his mind and it took him an instant to realize Lora had
read his message and was trying to reinforce it with her own plea. "Keep it up
while I try to stall them," he urged.
She nodded imperceptibly as Wig came to a halt a few paces from them, flanked
by Jonman and Conrad. The latter, holding a wicked-appearing heat rifle, moved
to one side to enable him to cover the entire group. Smiling
balefully, Jonman thrust a small hand weapon at Selby's middle. As Wig started
to speak, his eyes fell on the psymaster and an incredulous look spread over
his face.
"Vogel!" He exclaimed the name wonderingly.
"It's the psymaster," Jonman blurted.
"Well, well..." Wig's face changed, taking on a triumphant expression.
"This is far better than I'd hoped for," he said finally.
"It's a strange world," Vogel returned calmly.
Wig brandished a hand weapon and demanded, "Where did those people go?"
"Where you can't get them," answered Vogel.
Listening, Selby realized what he had to do, wondering why he hadn't thought
of it sooner. Taking a quick step to one side, he caught Lora and whirled her
toward Johnny.
"No, Alek, no," she screamed.
"Stop," roared Wig. With a quick shove, Selby pushed her past Johnny and she
disappeared.
"Where did she go?" Jonman shouted, a touch of terror in his voice.
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