“Not if we help the Komani to smash the Terrans.”
Tarat objected, “But the Empire is probably sending more troops here. We can’t fight the whole Star Watch!”
“There are no reinforcements on their way here,” Merdon answered flatly. “Okatar Kang is certain of that, and so am I.”
“How do you know?”
“He has his ways of finding out. Shinar is just a tiny pebble to the Terrans. They won’t risk more men here until they realize that there’s much more than our single planet involved. By the time they make up their minds, it’ll be too late.”
“All this might have been true.” Altai said, “if we had beaten the Mobile Force in the valley of Carmeer. But we haven’t. The Mobile Force is still here, as strong as ever. The Watchman can fight the Komani indefinitely, if he has to.”
“Thanks to you.” Merdon snapped.
Altai stared at him, stunned.
-?,•/
‘%n ^
“Well, you let him escape from the Komani. We had the Terrans boxed in, but he pulled them out of the trap. We had a chance to get rid of the Terrans, and you worked for them, instead of for us.”
For several moments, no one spoke.
Finally Altai replied, in a voice trembling with pain and anger, “If I hadn’t helped the Watchman, if we had fought the battle that you were hoping to fight, most of us would be dead right now, and Okatar would be ruling this planet.”
“Shinar would be free, you mean.”
“No, Merdon, you’re wrong. If we must choose between the Terrans and the Komani, I will go with the Terrans.”
“What about freedom for Shinar?”
“There are more ways to obtain freedom than with a gun,” she said.