He continued his roll and came up, pivoting and instinctively side-stepping. A dark body flung past him—but that instinct spoken of before warned him that it was El Man, flinging himself clear across the room to aid the general confusion. Donal reversed his field and went back the way from which El Man had come. He came up against an opponent plunging forward with a knife held low, slipped the knife, chopped at the man’s neck with the calloused edge of his hand—but missed a clean killing stroke and only broke the man’s collar bone. Leaving that opponent however in the interests of keeping on the move, Donal spun off to the right, cornered another man against the wall and crushed this one’s windpipe with a stiff-fingered jab. Rebounding from the wall, and spinning back into the center of the room, his ears told him that El Man was finishing off one opponent and Ian was engaged with the remaining two. Going to help him, Donal caught one of Ian’s men from behind and paralyzed him with a kidney punch. Ian, surprisingly enough, was still engaged with the remaining enemy. Donal went forward and found out why. Ian had caught himself another Dorsai.

Donal closed with both men and they went down in a two-on-one pin, the opponent in a stretcher that held him helpless between Donal and his uncle.

“Shai Dorsai!” gasped Donal. “Surrender!”

“Who to?” grunted the other.

“Donal and Ian Graeme,” said Ian. “Foralie.”

“Honored,” said the strange Dorsai. “Heard of you. Hord Van Tarsel, Snelbrich Canton. All right then, let me up. My right arm’s broken, anyway.”

Donal and Ian let go and assisted Van Tarsel to his feet. El Man had finished off what else remained, and now came up to them.

“Hord Van Tarsel—Coruna El Man,” said Donal.

“Honored,” said El Man.

“Honor’s mine,” replied Van Tarsel. “I’m your prisoner, gentlemen. Want my parole?”

“I’d appreciate it,” said Donal. “We’ve got work to do here yet. What kind of contract are you under?”

“Straight duty. No loyalty clause. Why?”

“Any reason why I can’t hire you on a prisoner’s basis?” asked Donal.

“Not from this job.” Van Tarsel sounded disgusted. “I’ve been sold twice on the open market because of a typo in my last contract. Besides,” he added, “as I say, I’ve heard of you.”

“You’re hired, then. We’re looking for the man you’re guarding here. Can you tell us where we’ll find him?”

“Follow me,” said Van Tarsel; and led the way back through the darkness; and opened a door. They stepped through into a short corridor that led them up a ramp and to another door.

“Locked,” said Van Tarsel. “The alarm’s gone off.” He looked at them. Further than this he could not in honor go, even on a hired prisoner’s basis.

“Burn it down,” said Donal.