“What in the world for?” Mete frowned.
“Not for charity. I expect to make my investment back, and more. You see, after these past few months, I can’t possibly return to my old occupation. Not only do I have enough money now to make it a waste of time, but I think it would be an unending bore. One thing about Pyrrus-if you live-is that it spoils you for the quieter places. So I’d like to take this ship that I mentioned and go into the business of opening up new worlds. There are thousands of planets where men would like to settle, only getting a foothold on them is too rough or rugged for the usual settlers. Now can you imagine a planet a Pyrran couldn’t lick after the training you’ve had here? And wouldn’t you enjoy doing it?
“There would be more than pleasure involved, though. In the city, your lives have been geared for continual deadly warfare. Now you’re faced with the choice of a fairly peaceful future, or staying in the city to fight an unnecessary and foolish war. I offer the third alternative of the occupation you know best, that would let you accomplish something constructive at the same time.
“Those are the choices. Whatever you decide is up to each of you personally.”
Before anyone could answer, livid pain circled Jason’s throat Skop had regained consciousness and surged up from the floor. He pulled Jason from the chair with a single motion, holding him by the neck,
throttling him. The bowmen tried to shoot, but held their fire becaus Jason was in the way.
“Kerk! Meta!” Skop shouted hoarsely. “Grab guns! Open the lod
-our people’ll be here, kill the damn grubbers and their lies!”
Jason tore at the fingers that were choking the life out of him, but was like pulling at bent steel bars. He couldn’t talk and the blood han mered in his ears and drowned his thoughts. It was over now and h had lost. They’d butcher each other in the spaceship and Pyrrus woul keep on being a deathworld until every one of them was dead.
Mete hurtled forward like an uncoiled spring and the crossbovi twanged. One bolt caught her in the leg, the other transfixed her upp ann. But she had been shot as she jumped and her inertia carried hi across the room, to her fellow Pyrran and the dying off-worlder.
She raised her good arm and chopped down with the edge of hi hand.
It caught Skop a hard blow on the biceps and his arm jumped spa medically, his hand leaping from Jason’s throat.
“What are you doing!” he shouted in strange terror to the wounde girl who fell against him. He pushed her away, still clutching Jaso with his other hand. She didn’t answer. Instead she chopped agaii hard and true, the edge of her hand catching Skop across the windpip crushing it. He dropped Jason and fell to the floor, retching an gasping.
Jason watched the end through a haze, barely conscious.
Skop struggled to his feet, turned pain-filled eyes to his friend “You’re wrong,” Kerk said. “Don’t do itt”
The sound the wounded man made was more animal than humai When he dived toward the guns on the far side of the room, the cros bows twanged like harps of death. He skidded into the guns, his han knocking them aside, but he was already dead.
When Brucco went over to help Meta, no one interfered. Jase gasped air back into his lungs, breathing in life. The watching gla eye of the viewer carried the scene to everyone in the city.
“Thanks, Mete… for understanding… as well as helping.” J son had to force the words out.
“Skop was wrong and you were right, Jason,” she said. Her voice brol for a second as Brucco snapped off the feathered end of the steel be with his fingers, and pulled the shaft out of her arm. “I can’t stay i the city; only people who feel as Skop did will be able to do thi And I’m afraid I can’t go into the forest-you saw what luck I had wil the stingwing. If it~s all right, I’d like to come with you. I’d like to ve~ much.”