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Blade, sweating now, kept working away. Duped. Had. He did not understand it.
What could the man gain?
The lance point, razor sharp, dug painfully into his flesh.
The Russian said: "The pains are getting worse, chappie, but I think I have
figured out a way to beat the computer. The drug. The ashi
. I've been loading myself with it. My brain is practically paralyzed now.
Maybe the cells won't react to your damned computer. Anyway it's worth the
gamble. Keep plugging away, laddie. Our Canda here is hard to satisfy. As we
both damned well know but with you out of the way things might be a little
easier."
Canda moaned and writhed and clutched at Blade with her legs. "More," she
sobbed. "Oh, Blade!
More more more "
"I had one hell of a time getting the stuff into her," said the double. "But I
did and she won't remember much. So much the better for me."
"Why?" panted Blade. "Why? I don't understand you. I made you a promise, man.
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Defect and "
The lance jabbed harder. "I have been misleading you a bit, lad. I don't want
to go back to Home
Dimension! Ever! You would understand if you had ever lived in Russia. Only a
fool would go back to that!"
"But you don't have to "
Again the lance. Blade wondered how much time he had. He had to make a
desperation move soon.
"Your bloody England won't be much better," said the Russian. "For that
matter, our world won't be any better. Much worse. I've got it made here with
the Moghs, and I am staying. I'll be consort to Canda and probably end up on
the throne. Now that is something to look forward to, eh? But I can't afford
to have you around, chum. You see that? You would only louse things up. Two of
us is just one too many!
Sorry, old man. You have got to go."
Blade played for time. He was already bleeding from the lance point.
"But the computer, man! Any minute now it will "
"No good, old boy. You said yourself that you can't trust it. I don't want to
go and I can't know when it will take you, if ever. Killing you is the easiest
and surest way. Finished yet? No? Well, I'm sorry for that, but no help."
Blade moved sideways, fast as angel's flight, taking the point of the lance in
the loose flesh under his left armpit. He felt the tear of flesh and blinding
pain as he ripped away. Canda, so drugged that she did not even scream, took
the point in her breast. Blood gushed.
Blade, bleeding like a butchered pig, was off the bed with an armful of bed
clothes. The Russian cursed and jabbed again with the spear. Blade flung a
pillow and took the lance on his flimsy shield, felt the point nick into his
leg near his groin. He let out a piteous moan and fell to his knees, hoping
the
Russian would take the bait.
The man leaped on the bed, straddling the dying Canda, and raised the lance
for the death thrust.
Blade got both hands under the edge of the bed and heaved. Every muscle in his
massive shoulders worked as he threw the bed and man and the woman against the
wall with a tremendous crash.
The Russian shouted a curse and tried to disentangle himself. Blade leaped
across the room like a great cat and seized the butt of the lance. He and the
Russian strove mightily for it, silent now, grim, their bare feet shuffling on
the floor as they moved back and forth across the room.
The butt end of the lance broke off in the Russian's hand. He smashed Blade
across the face with it.
In so doing he loosed one hand from the lance and Blade gave a mighty tug. He
had it. Had the weapon.
The Russian turned and ran for the door. Blade leaped after him, remembering
that he had put the door on lock. The man would have no time. Blade prepared
to jab with the broken lance, to run it through the man from the back. Get it
over with.
The Russian screamed and fell. He writhed and tore at his head. Blade, stunned
by his own terrible pain, gazed down at the screaming man and then looked
dully at the lance. He had not yet touched the man.
New pain seared his skull. He knew. The computer had him. This was it!
The Russian arched his back and screamed again. Blade, already falling into
the void, managed by a last effort to point the lance at the man's heart.
Slowly so very slowly he placed the lance point over the heart.
The chamber spun green and gold. Voices clamored for Blade to come, to come,
to come
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A huge hand appeared from nowhere and beckoned. Canda came alive again and
smiled at him from a far off mountain and he saw that she was all covered with
blood and sweat and long fine hair. She was desirable. The smell of her
smashed into his nostrils. He reached for her. She vanished.
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