heaving mental bolts at the alien. While one of you is recharging, the other is to unload. That won't give him time to get any sort of defense organized and certainly no counter-attack.

"Harrell-three and Harrell-four, you're to attack physically, one armed with sword and one with blaster, from opposite sides at once. That ought to keep him busy, while he's fighting off the rest of you.

"Harrell-five, your job is to serve as front runner—to find the Dimellian and engage him in conversation while the other four are getting ready to attack. Make him angry; get him concerned about what you're saying. The instant his defenses drop the other four of you jump in. All of you got that?"

They nodded in unison.

"Good. Meanwhile I'll make an assault on the castle and maybe I can get through with you five running interference for me."

He dismissed them and they set out in different directions. He didn't want the Dimellian to find out what was up; if the alien saw the strategy and had time to create duplicates of its own the conflict would end in stalemate again.

Harrell waited, while his five duplicates went into action.

Through the mental link with Harrell-five, he listened as his duplicates said, "The time has come to finish you off, alien. I'm glad I found you. That acid trick almost got me but not quite."

"A pity," the alien replied. "I was hoping the ruse would finish you. It's becoming quite irritating, having you in here. You're starting to bore me."

"Just you wait, you overstuffed wart-hog. I'll have those tentacles of yours clipped soon enough."

"Empty words, Earthman. You've run out of strategies; your best course is to get out of my mind and forget this entire silly affair."

"Oh, no. I'll have those secrets pried out of you quicker than you think."

"How?"

"I'm not giving away my secrets, alien. I'm here after yours."

Harrell readied himself. He gave the signal: now.

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