“But one traitor I know to be such is Thern Eldred, the Sirian naval captain who took us to the Cloud. He can prove it all, if I can make him talk.”

Jhal Arn frowned at Gordon for a moment. Then he touched a stud and spoke into a panel on the desk.

“Naval Headquarters? The Emperor speaking. There is a captain in our forces named Thern Eldred, a Sirian. Find out if he's on Throon. If he is, send him here immediately under guard.”

Gordon grew tense as they waited. If the Sirian were away in space, if he had somehow heard of events and had fled – Then a sharp voice finally came from the panel. “Thern Eldred has been found here. His cruiser has just returned from patrol. He is being sent to you now.”

A half-hour later the door opened and Thern Eldred stepped inside. The Sirian had a wondering look on his hard-bitten greenish face. Then his eyes fell on Gordon and Lianna.

“Zarth Am!” he exclaimed, startled, recoiling. His hand went to his belt, but he had been disarmed.

“Surprised to see us?” Gordon rasped. “You thought we were still in the Cloud where you left us, didn't you?”

Thern Eldred had instantly recovered his self-possession. He looked at Gordon with assumed perplexity.

“I don't understand what you mean, about the Cloud.”

Jhal Arn spoke curtly. “Zarth claims that you took him and Lianna by force to Thallarna. He accuses you of being a traitor to the Empire, of plotting with Shorr Kan.”

The Sirian's face stiffened in admirably assumed anger.

“It's a lie. Why, I haven't seen Prince Zarth Arn and the princess since the Feast of Moons.”

Jhal Arn looked harshly at Gordon.

“You said you could prove your claim, Zarth. So far, it's only your word against his.”

Lianna broke in passionately. “Is my word nothing, then? Is a Princess of Fomalhaut to be believed a liar?”

Again, Jhal Arn looked at her somberly. “Lianna, I know you would lie for Zarth Am, if for nothing else in the universe.”

Gordon had expected the Sirian's denial. And he was counting on his estimate of this man's character, to get the truth out of him.

He stepped forward to confront the man. He kept his passionate anger restrained, and spoke deliberately.

“Thern Eldred, the game is up. Corbulo, is dead, the whole plot with Shorr Kan is about to be exposed. You haven't a chance to keep your guilt hidden, and when it's exposed it'll mean execution for you.”

As the Sirian started to protest, Gordon continued swiftly, “I know what you're thinking. You think that if you stick to your denials you can face me down, that that's your only chance now to save your skin. But it won't work, Thern Eldred.

“The reason it won't work is because your cruiser, the Markab, had a full crew in it when it took us to the Cloud. I know those officers and men had been bribed to support you, that they'll deny ever going to the Cloud. They'll deny it, at first. But when pressure is put on them, there's bound to be at least one weak one among them who'll confess to save himself.”

Now, for the first time, Gordon saw doubt creep into the Sirian's eyes. Yet Thern Eldred angrily shook his head.

“You're still talking nonsense, Prince Zarth. If you want to question my men in the Markab, go ahead. Their testimony will show that you're not telling the truth.”

Gordon pressed his attack, his voice ringing now. “Thern Eldred, you can't bluff it out. You know one of them will talk. And when he does, it's execution for you.

“There's only one way you can save yourself. That's to turn evidence against the other officials and officers in this plot with you, the others who have been working for Shorr Kan. Give us their names, and you'll be allowed to go scot-free out of the Empire.”

Jhal Arn sternly interrupted. “I'll sanction no such terms. If this man is a traitor, he'll suffer the penalty.”

Gordon turned passionately to him. “Jhal, listen. He deserves death for his treachery. But which is most important-that he be punished, or that the Empire be saved from disaster?”

The argument swayed Jhal Arn. He frowned silently for a moment, and then spoke slowly.

“Very well, I'll agree to let him go free if he does make any such confession and names his confederates.”

Gordon swung back to the Sirian. “Your last chance, Thern Eldred. You can save yourself now, or never.”

He saw the indecision in Thern Eldred's eyes. He was staking everything on the fact that this Sirian was a ruthless realist, ambitious, selfish, with no real loyalty to anyone but himself.

And Gordon's gamble won. Confronted by the imminence of discovery, presented with a loophole by which he might save his own skin, Thern Eldred's defiant denials broke down.

He spoke huskily. “I have the Emperor's word that I am to go scot-free, remember?”

“Then you were in a plot?” raged Jhal Arn. “But I'll keep my word. You'll go free if you name your confederates, as soon as we have seized them and verified what you tell.”

Thern Eldred was ghastly pale but tried to smile. “I know when I'm in a trap, and I'm cursed if I'll get myself killed just for loyalty to Shorr Kan. He wouldn't do it for me.”

He went on, to Jhal Arn. “Prince Zarth has told the truth. Chan Corbulo was leader of the little clique of officials who planned to betray the Empire to the Cloud. Corbulo killed Arn Abbas, and had me carry off Zarth Arn and Lianna so they'd be blamed. Everything the prince has said is true.”

Gordon felt his eyes blur, his shoulders sag, as those words brought shaky relief from his intolerable strain of many days.

He felt Lianna's warm arms around him, heard her eager voice as big Hull Burrel and Val Marlann excitedly slapped his back.

“Zarth, I knew you'd clear yourself.”

Jhal Arn, face pale as death, came toward Gordon. His voice was hoarse when he spoke.

“Zarth, can you ever pardon me? My God, how was I to know? I'll never forgive myself.”

“Jhal, it's all right,” Gordon stumbled. “What else were you to think when it was so cunningly planned?”

“The whole Empire shall soon know the truth,” Jhal Arn said. He swung to Thern Eldred. “First, the names of the other traitors.”

Thern Eldred went to the desk and wrote for minutes. He silently handed the sheet to Jhal Arn, who then summoned guards forward.

“You'll be confined until this information is verified,” he told the Sirian sternly. “Then I'll keep my promise. You shall go free-but the tale of your treachery will follow you to the remotest stars.”

Jhal Arn turned his eyes to the list of names, when the guards had taken the Sirian out. He cried out, stunned, “Good God, look!”

Gordon saw. The first name on the list was “Orth Bodmer, Chief Councilor of the Empire.”

“Bodiner a traitor? It's impossible!” Jhal Arn said. “Thern Eldred has merely accused him because of some grudge.”

Gordon frowned. “Perhaps. But Corbulo was as trusted as Orth Bodmer, remember.”

Jhal Arn's lips tightened. He spoke sharply into a panel on the desk. “Tell Councilor Bodmer to come in at once.”

The answer was quick. “Councilor Bodmer left the anteroom some time ago. We do not know where he went.”

“Find him and bring him here at once,” ordered Jhal Arn.

“He fled when he saw Thern Eldred brought in here to be questioned,” cried Gordon. “Jhal, he knew the Sirian would expose him.

Jhal Arn sank into a chair. “Bodmer a traitor. Yet it must be so. And look at these other names. “Byrn Ridim, Korrel Kane, Jon Rollory, all trusted officials.”

The guard-captain reported. “Highness, we can't find Orth Bodmer anywhere in the palace. He wasn't seen to leave, but isn't to be found.”

“Send out a general order for his arrest,” snapped Jhal Arn. He handed the list of names to the guard-captain. “And arrest all these men instantly. But do so without arousing attention.”