correctly, we heard a high-pitched whistle, which was the preconcerted
signal among the raiders to use if any danger was nigh. We looked up
directly and saw its reason: a squadron of Zards had been garrisoned
inside the palace and had not left like the others, apparently because
its sole purpose was to protect their king, who did not leave the city,
being preoccupied with business and not seeing the flames. When he did
go to the window, he saw the fire, and rushed to see what was about, but
instead of finding out, he ran into us, who were right outside the
palace.

Wagner dashed wildly through the streets in an impressive show of
dexterity, and did a wall-jump between two lofty buildings to gain the
wall. The others had done likewise, having been trained by a lifetime of
conflict to have nerves of lightning speed and earthly strength. Their
instincts had come in subconsciously when they had seen the cause of the
alarm and they escaped, without thinking of me in the critical moment. I
lacked such strength and speed of mind and was caught as soon as I had
seen the squadron, aided, probably, by the fact that upon seeing me the
king had become excited and rushed at me with great speed. When Wagner
had first turned around and saw me their prisoner, he looked crestfallen
and hopeless, for he had no way to rescue me. He held the remote control
for the atomic anionizers in his hand and was about to set them off and
make good the plan, but before he could, our eyes met for an instant,
and we connected beyond time and space, experiencing a strange intra-
personal deja vu. All was silent and still in that instant, and I saw
him struggling inwardly: would he detonate the anionizers and make good
his long awaited plan, or would he retreat and leave the city unharmed,
for though I was wearing the electron reflecting suit, the collapse of
all the high rise buildings would litter the ground with debris from
them, and all on the ground would be crushed. Would he spare me from