But, at Corbulo's shouted command, from secret apertures high in the walls of the Hall of Stars had flicked down swift atom-pellets that tore into the spy's body and instantly exploded. The man fell to the floor, a torn, blackened corpse.
Screams rent the air, as the crowd recoiled in sudden panic. Gordon was as stunned as everyone else in the Hall by what had happened.
But Arn Abbas' rumbling roar rose quickly to dominate the scene. "There is nothing to fear! The man is dead, thanks to Corbulo's vigilance and our guards inside the walls!"
The big ruler shot orders. "Take the body into another room. Zarth, you and Jhal come along. Corbulo, have that thought-spool ray-searched, it may be dangerous. Lianna, will you reassure our guests?"
Gordon went with the giant emperor into another, smaller room where the blasted body of the spy was quickly carried.
Jhal Arn bent over the body, ripped away the scorched jacket. The mangled torso was not bronze in color like the face. It was a curiously pallid white.
"A Cloud-man! A League spy, as I thought!" snapped Arn Abbas. "One of Shorr Kan's agents in clever disguise!"
Jhal Arn looked puzzled. "Why did he come here? He wasn't primarily trying to assassinate any of us-he didn't draw his weapon until he was detected."
"The thought-spool he was trying to give Zarth may tell us something," muttered the ruler. "Here's Corbulo."
Commander Corbulo had the thought-spool in his hand. "It's been thoroughly ray-examined and is a simple thought-spool and nothing more," he reported.
"It's cursed strange!" rumbled Arn Abbas, his face dark. "Here, put the spool in this reader and we'll listen to it."
The thought-spool was inserted in the reading-mechanism on the desk. Arn Abbas flicked the switch.
The spool started unwinding. Gordon felt the impact of its recorded, amplified thought-pulsations beating into his mind as into the minds of the others.
A clear, resonant voice seemed speaking in his mind as he listened.
"Shorr Kan to the Prince Zarth Arn: It is unfortunate that the arrangements we agreed on for bringing you to the Cloud were thwarted by the chance interference of an Empire patrol. I regret this as much as you do. But rest assured that I will make new arrangements at once for getting you here in safety and secrecy.
"The terms upon which we agreed still stand. As soon as you join forces with me and impart to us the secret of the Disrupter, we of the Cloud will be able to attack the Empire without fear of defeat and you will be publicly recognized as my co-equal in ruling the entire galaxy. Make no move that might arouse suspicion, but wait until my trusted agents are able to bring you safely to me."
9: In the Palace Prison
To Gordon, at first, that thought-message did not make sense. A message from Shorr Kan to him, to Zarth Arn?
Then as the significance of it sank in, he felt a shock of bewilderment and dismay. And his dismay deepened as he encountered the raging eyes of Arn Abbas.
"By Heaven, my own son a traitor to the Empire!" cried the ruler. "My own son intriguing secretly to betray us to the Cloud!"
Gordon found his voice. "This message is a lie! I never made any arrangements with Shorr Kan, nor had any discussions with him!"
"Then why would he send you such a secret message as this!" roared the emperor.
Gordon caught desperately at the only explanation that suggested itself to him.
"Shorr Kan must have sent this message hoping it would be discovered and make trouble! There can be no other reason."
Jhal Arn, whose handsome face was deeply troubled, spoke quickly.
"Father, that sounds possible enough. It's impossible to believe that Zarth could be a traitor."
"Bah, it's too thin!" raged Arn Abbas. "Shorr Kan is too clever to devise such a harebrained plan that would gain him so little. Why, his spy was only detected at all by the mere chance of Corbulo noticing his naval insignia."
His massive face darkened. "Zarth, if you have been secretly plotting with the Cloud, the fact that you're my son won't save you!"
"I swear I haven't!" Gordon cried. "I didn't arrange with those League raiders to come to Earth for me. And why in the world should I betray the Empire?"
"You're my second son," Arn Abbas reminded grimly. "You may have secretly envied Jhal the succession, all the time you pretended to be absorbed in your scientific studies. Such things have happened!"
If his position had seemed nightmare to John Gordon before, it seemed doubly nightmare now.
"This thing is going to be sifted to the bottom!" roared Arn Abbas. "In the meantime, you'll remain locked up in the palace prison!"
Jhal Arn protested. "You can't send Zarth down there!"
Commander Corbulo supported the protest. "At least for appearance's sake, confine Prince Zarth to his own quarters."
Arn Abbas glared at them. "Have you two lost your wits? Don't you realize that if Zarth is a traitor, he represents mortal danger to the Empire?
"He knows the secret of the Disruptor, that only Jhal and I beside him know! Let Shorr Kan get that secret, and the Cloud will strike like lightning! Do you want to take a chance of that?"
"But the wedding tomorrow, the guests-" Jhal began. "Announce that Prince Zarth was suddenly taken ill," snapped the ruler. "Corbulo, you take him down to the prison. And you're responsible for him with your life!"
Gordon's thoughts were whirling wildly. Suppose he told them the truth, the real truth? Suppose he told them that he was only Zarth Arn in physical body and was really John Gordon of the 20th Century? Surely Zarth Arn couldn't blame him for breaking his pledge of secrecy now!
But would they believe if he told? He knew that they wouldn't. No one would believe that incredible story. Zarth Arn had kept his method of mind-exchange secret, and no one even dreamed of its possibility. They'd think he was merely trying a desperate, wild lie to save himself.
Gordon's shoulders sagged. He made no further protest but dully went with Commander Corbulo out of the room.
On the corridor motowalk that bore them downward to the lower levels of the palace, Corbulo spoke to him bluntly.
"Zarth, I don't believe a word of all this talk of treachery on your part. I have to lock you up, but you can depend on me to do everything I can to clear you."
The unexpected support from the veteran officer pulled Gordon a little out of his stunned despair.
"Corbulo, I swear the whole thing is some kind of frame-up! Surely my father can't believe I'd really betray the Empire?"
"You know as well as I what a violent temper Arn Abbas has," said the Commander. "But as soon as he cools off, I'll make him listen to reason."
Deep down beneath the great palace they came to a massive metal door. Corbulo flashed a tiny beam from a heavy ring on his finger, into a needle-hole in the door. It slid aside and revealed a square, bare little metal room.
"This is a cell of your father's secret prison, Zarth. I never thought I'd be locking you in here. But don't worry-we'll do our best to change Arn Abbas' mind."
Gordon gripped his hand gratefully, and entered the room. The massive door slid shut.
The room had only a cot with a thin pad for furniture. There were two taps in the wall, one for water and the other for nutritional fluid. Walls, floor and ceiling were of solid metal.
Gordon sat down heavily. At first, he felt a little cheered by Corbulo's assurance of support. But then his hope faded. Even if Corbulo and Jhal believed in him, how could they prove his innocence?
And, the thought forced into his mind, what if he really was guilty of treachery? What if Zarth Arn, the real Zarth Arn, had in the past been intriguing with Shorr Kan?