Getting out was a harder job. It involved threading his way through the maze of air-shafts once again, getting past the swabbing-crew, and out into the open. But he made it. By now the air was beginning to smell sweet, and he knew the drug was taking effect.

The problem now was to locate Meero. But that proved to be simple. Lawrence headed across the plaza toward the pair of great buildings that seemed to be the administrative sections of the base, and stopped the first Vegan he saw.

"Andsu Meero?" he asked.

The Vegan looked blankly at him.

"Andsu Meero," Lawrence repeated, with great urgency.

The Vegan pointed to the building on the left and uttered a stream of words. Lawrence smiled politely and headed toward the left-hand building.

After he had gone about half the distance, he noticed the increase in the sweetness in the air. He stopped, ripped off his shirt, and wrapped it over his mouth and nose. That would be ample protection.

By the time he reached the building, the guards posted outside were safely asleep. He seized one of the strange pistols from them, and entered.

Where to find Meero and the girl, he wondered. Vegans were sagging into sleep all over the lobby of the building. Shrugging his shoulders, he decided there was only one way. He would have to look in every room of the immense building.

But he didn't have far to look. After about ten minutes' search of the slumber-wrapped building, he stepped into an ornate, impressive-looking building, and found Meero.

Awake.

The thin Vegan whirled in astonishment as Lawrence entered. He was at the back of the room, bending over the nude form of Bette Bauer. Lawrence noticed a strange odor in the room, even through his improvised face-mask—and it wasn't the odor of the drug he'd slipped into the air system.

Angrily, Andsu Meero ripped out a barking sentence in Vegan. Then his eyes narrowed. "Oh, the Earthman? How did you get in here?"

Lawrence's pistol rose. "Get away from that girl, Meero. Get away or I'll shoot you."

"Just try," Meero chuckled. He calmly drew his own gun from its holster, and Lawrence realized with a shock that he was as good as unarmed, because he did not know how to use the Vegan gun!

 Prev. P 10/11 next