d set him upright.
The soft voice of the commander flowed into his mind like a voice from
outer space:

"You will tell us your method of going into the macrocosm. The
equations, the type ship, its propellent, where the ship is hidden."

Thorus felt enveloped in a void.

The voice of the commander droned on. "All we need is a clue. We'll work
out the rest."

Life and feeling and thought were surging back into Thorus now. Strength
filled his muscles again. Sight came into his eyes. Again he sat
straight and stiff on the chair. The block held, he thought. It held and
they cannot know now!

"Speak!" The commander's voice rose. "Damn you!" He seized Thorus by the
hair. "You've blocked off the information. I'll see both of you tortured
until you'll wish to kill each other. Then we'll try the clamps again."
He smashed his fist into Thorus' face.

On the instant the commander pulled back his fist, Thorus reached out
and jerked the blaster from his belt. His foot came up hard against the
man's groin. There was a grunting cry of pain. Thorus fell backward off
the stool, pressing the blaster trigger as he hit the floor. He saw
blood gush from the commander's middle, saw him pitch sideways, like a
broken statue, heard Aria's scream. The clamps pulled from his head. He
swung the gun's muzzle to the two policemen, clawing at their holsters.
The blaster struck out, a long coughing hiss, a spray of flame. There
were cries and gasps and jerking and clutching and the scrambling fall
of the two bodies.

Then silence.

Thorus crawled unsteadily to his feet, stood swaying. The gun hung
loosely in his hand. Now he felt Aria close to him, heard her voice
trembling and breathy.

"Thorus! Are you all right?"

"Yes."

"The blocks held! They held!"

Steadying himself, he saw Aria glance at the bodies on the floor.

"Destruction!" she shuddered. "Nothing but destruction. Oh God, I'm sick
of it!"

Thorus let the gun drop to the floor. "There's no time to talk. Your
laboratory." He grasped her by the shoulders and turned her toward a
bright steel door across the room. "_You'll_ save time to go into your
damned microcosm. _You'll_ make it. Good luck. If I have any luck at
all, I'll make it too." He gave her a push. Without speaking or turning
back, she moved across the room, as though sleep walking. The gleaming
door slab slid back as she approached it, closed behind her.

The memory of her face stayed in his mind for a long mome