the screen.

"It's unfortunate. We'll try to get your other partner alive."

"You destroyed him!" Kir looked a little sick.

"No. We didn't destroy him. He should have known better than to fire
into a tractor. I'll have to admit, I did slip a little. I assumed he
was the usual type of drone. I didn't recognize the full extent of his
aberration."

Lanko got out of his chair, and crossed the room, to confront the
prisoner.

"Look, Kir. I don't know whether your other partner's like that one or
not. But I think it's about time you helped a little. If you had given
us clues to Sira Nal's personality and probable location, we might have
been able to take precautions. He might be with us now. Or, do you enjoy
seeing your friends turn themselves into flaming clouds of smoke?"

"You mean I ... I'm responsible ... for that?"

"Partially. You helped them. You refused any assistance in their
capture. And you knew they were going to be captured, one way or
another."

Kir directed a horrified look at the screen.

"What can I do?"

"Get in contact with Koree Buron. Tell him what happened here. Tell him,
too, that we're looking for him, and that there is a Sector Guardsman
due to join us within a few hours. Explain to him that there will be
direction-finders on him very soon, and that any effort he may make to
use his body shield, his weapons, or even his thought-radiations, will
be noted, and will lead to him.

"Once you establish contact, we will ride in, if you wish. And we can
assure him that he'll be either hunted down promptly, or he will have to
assume and accept the role of a native--and a very inconspicuous,
uninfluential native, at that.

"Tell him that he is free to come to us and surrender at any time within
the next twenty hours, planetary. After that, he will be taken by the
most expedient means. After the surrender deadline, you can assure him
that his life will be of less importance to us, and to the Sector
Guardsman, than that of the most humble native.

"Here's your mental amplifier, if you need it."

Genro Kir looked at the proffered circlet, then slowly extended a hand.
He took the device, turned it around in his hands for a few moments,
then put it on.

Suddenly, his face set in decision, and he sat quietly for a while, grim
faced. At last, he looked up.

"I got him. He argued a little, but he had a poor argument, and he knew
it. He'll be here within an hour, screens down."

THE END