security officer, to enter. Achaia waited in the companionway, his weapon at the ready.
"Jerva, I want Commander Zermicazyne confined to his quarters until the Earth woman is returned to the planet."
"Yes, Commander." Jerva approached Micah, his hand on the stunner at his side. "Will you come peacefully, Commander?"
"Pergith, I beg you, do not do this."
"You will thank me when it is over."
"Don't count on it."
Pergith saw the rage glittering in Zermicazyne's eyes as he glanced at Jerva, and then at Achaia. The commander took a deep breath, fearing he was about to destroy a lifelong friendship, yet certain that he was only doing what needed to be done.
"You had best put him in restraints until you reach his quarters," Pergith suggested. He looked at Micah and shook his head. "I am sorry, my friend."
A muscle twitched in Micah's jaw as Jerva fastened the restraints around his wrists. They were a remarkable piece of work; lightweight yet virtually unbreakable, they were infused with a substance that reacted to violent emotion and movement. Should a prisoner become hysterical, try to escape, or become violent, the sudden accelerated change in heart rate and body temperature immediately caused the restraints to inject a drug into the bloodstream that rendered the prisoner unconscious within seconds.
Micah stared at the restraints, and then at Pergith. "Let me go to her and explain what is happening."
Seeing the refusal in Pergith's eyes, Micah took a deep breath, hating his old friend for making him beg. "Please, Pergith, at least let me tell her good-bye."
Pergith glanced down at the medical report on his desk, wondering how much Zermicazyne knew, and then he shook his head.
"I think not."
Micah took a step forward, his hands curled into tight fists. "Damn you, why are you doing this?"
"I think perhaps being so long on Earth has warped your thinking," Pergith replied. "We will return the woman to Earth when it is dark, and then set course for Xanthia. You will feel better about everything once you are home again."
Micah glared at Pergith. For one brief, irrational moment, he thought of unleashing his power, of destroying his friend and anyone else who dared stand in his way. He could incinerate Pergith and perhaps the other two before the restraints rendered him unconscious...
He swore softly, appalled that the thought had even crossed his mind. With a last accusing glance at Pergith, he followed Jerva out of the room.
Lainey paced the floor of her quarters, wondering where Micah was. She had no idea of how much time had passed since she'd seen him last, but she was sure it had been at least twelve hours. Where was he?
Tired of pacing, she sat down on the edge of the narrow bed and gazed at her surroundings. The room was small and round, with a domed ceiling, white walls, and a white floor. The chair beside the bed felt as if it was made of plastic, yet she knew it wasn't plastic at all. She stared at the ceiling curiously. There were no lights visible, yet the room was as bright as day unless she sat on the bed, at which time the light grew dim; when she lay down, the light went out altogether.
There was a low table on the far side of the bed, made of the same substance as the chair. A tall blue vase holding a trio of bright red flowers of a kind Lainey had never seen before stood on the table. It was the only splash of color in the room.
Where was Micah? She tapped her fingertips on the tabletop, the quiet of the room and the strain of not knowing what was going on making her more nervous by the minute. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep in some sort of examining room. When she'd awakened, she'd been here, in bed.
An alien dressed in some sort of dark-green uniform had brought her something to eat an hour or so ago. A short time later, he had returned with her clothes, neatly washed, mended, and folded, in his arms.
When she'd asked him of Micah's whereabouts, he'd merely smiled and shrugged.
Dressing quickly, she had tried the door, only to find it locked. Muttering a very unladylike oath, she began to pace again, her imagination running wild.
Micah was dead.
She was being taken to an alien planet to be studied like a bug under a microscope.
She was going to be sold as a love slave to some horrible slimy creature from another world. She