“Ah,” said Lord Dom, “he is invoking Clause 41, responsibilities of the planet responsible for assembling emissaries.”

“Ah,” said Fowljopan. “Then you cannot also be charged. Where are those chains?”

A Chinese guard was running up with coils of jangling, mine-hoist chains. Two pilots followed him with another tangle of heavy links.

“Under Clause 41,” said Jonnie desperately, “I must demand of the prisoner that he surrender his offensive forces at once.”

Lord Dom looked at Fowljopan.

Fowljopan shook his head. “All that can be arranged, per Clause 19, is a temporary suspension of hostilities where warfare threatens the physical safety of a conference.”

“Good!” said Jonnie. He knew he was at risk. These emissaries were not as friendly now. But he would push it all he could. He had to save lives. Not only theirs but those of any survivors of Edinburgh. He shoved the radio close to Schleim's mouth. “Declare an immediate suspension of hostilities, Schleim! And tell that captain up there to draw his forces off!"

Lord Schleim simply spat at them.

They were wrapping him in chains now. Somebody had found a spare filter in the hamper and replaced the shattered ones over his eyes so he could see. They had him on the ground and he looked like a huge coil of hoist chain. Only his face was visible now. His lips were drawn back and nothing but hisses were coming out of him.

Jonnie was about to rage at him that if he didn't talk into this radio, the planet of Tolnep would get one big dragon. The thought that this, too, might violate something made him hesitate for a moment, searching for words.

Lord Dom accidentally solved it before Jonnie could speak. "Schleim," said Lord Dom, “I am sure it will go much easier with you at your trial if you call off your forces.”

This was the bit of grass that Schleim had been wriggling to get. “On that condition, and if the captain of that fleet up there will forego his piratical venture and follow my orders, give me the radio.”

It was promptly shoved to his mouth by a Jonnie who would rather have smashed his fangs in with it. “No codes! Just say, 'l have hereby declared a temporary suspension of hostilities' and 'You are ordered to withdraw into orbit remote from all combat areas.' "

Schleim looked at the faces above him. When Jonnie pressed the hidden talk switch, Schleim surprised them all by saying exactly what Jonnie had told him to say. But was there a lurking smile on the Tolnep's mouth?

Some prearrangement or regulation must be going into effect up there in space. Rogodeter Snowl's voice came back through the scepter, “It is my duty to inquire whether the emissary of Tolnep is under any physical threat or duress.”

They looked at each other. It was obvious that Tolnep naval regulations covered such sudden and otherwise inexplicable orders.

Schleim, wrapped to the chin in heavy, mine-hoist chain, smiled. “May I speak to him again?”

“Tell him to comply at once!” said Jonnie. He didn't want to make an overt threat against the Tolnep planet in this company and at this time.

Again, Schleim said exactly what Jonnie had told him to say.

Rogodeter Snowl's voice came back, “I can only comply if I am assured that the personal safety of the emissary of Tolnep is guaranteed and that the conference promises to return him unharmed to the planet Tolnep."

Fowljopan said to Lord Dom, “It simply precludes execution.”

“By Clause 42,” said Lord Browl, “a trial can still be held. It is quite normal.

I move we guarantee this emissary's safe return as a personal matter. All those in favor?”

The ayes came back, unanimous this time.

Fowljopan was looking around. “Where is...where is...?”

The small gray man appeared among them. He took the scepter from Jonnie. He looked around at the faces of the lords and then, as they nodded, he spoke into the mike. First he gave a code word followed by a peculiar buzz which seemed to come from the lapel of his gray suit. Then he said, “Captain Snowl, it is certified that the emissary of Tolnep will be returned, physically unharmed, to his planet in due course but not with any unreasonable delay.”

Snowl's voice came back: “Thank you, Your Excellency. Please inform the emissaries that I will honor a temporary suspension of hostilities and at this moment am withdrawing to an orbit clear of this and all Combat areas. End transmission.”

Jonnie was pointing at the emissaries of the other combatants. They were the ones wrecking Edinburgh and Russia! “Lord Fowljopan," said Jonnie, “I am certain any temporary suspension of hostilities includes all combatants.”

“Ah,” said Fowljopan. He thought. “We have no guarantee that only Tolnep ships were up there. It would be irregular for these others not to agree.”

But the Bolbod, Drawkin, Hawvin, and other combatant lords were pointing at Sir Robert who was standing outside the ops room.

“We agree!” shouted Sir Robert with an expression of disgust for their delays.

The combatant emissaries started to look around for communication facilities. A mob of communicators with mikes rushed out and almost knocked them down.

With a spatter and batter of many tongues, the other combatants ordered a temporary suspension of hostilities for all their ships.

Good god, thought Jonnie. All this while men went on dying. It was still very touch-and-go. No one had said hostilities would not be resumed and with even greater ferocity.

And who was this small gray man who exerted such power over them? Where did he fit in? Who was he? What would he want out of all this? Another threat?

Chapter 9

The emissaries were dragging Schleim off when Quong, Sir Robert's Buddhist communicator, ran up to Jonnie.

“Sir Robert asks me to tell you,” whispered the boy, “that there will be a sudden exodus in a moment and not to be alarmed. They have been working it out in ops for the past half-hour and the orders are being issued this instant. There are hundreds of people trapped in shelters in Edinburgh. The tunnel corridors and entrances fell in under heavy bombs. They do not know how many are alive or anything else. He says it is like a caved-in mine. They are leaving in minutes and he wants you to carry on here. If needed he will come back.”

Jonnie felt like a cold hand had gripped his heart. Chrissie and Pattie were part of that.

If they still lived.

“I should go!” said Jonnie.

“No, no,” said the boy Quong. “Sir Robert said you would say that, Lord Jonnie. They will do everything that can be done. He said to tell you he is leaving all this in your hands.”

At that moment pandemonium broke loose. Sir Robert raced out of the ops room. He had somewhere changed his clothes and the gray cloak billowed as he donned it on the run.

“Goodbye, Lord Jonnie," said Quong and raced away.

Sir Robert was at the passage, waving his arm with an urgent swing, “Come on!” he bellowed. “Come on!”

Doctors MacKendrick and Allen sped out of the hospital area, shutting valises as they ran. Allen turned and shouted something at the nurse and then sped on.

The walking wounded hobbled and limped out, heading for the passage.

Four pilots raced by.

Guards who a moment before had been covering Schleim from pits were yelling to one another and a soldier carrying several packs raced toward them and then they were gone.

A crowd of officers and communicators slammed out of ops and headed for the passage exit.

Suddenly, Jonnie was aware of the turmoil and commotion among the Chinese. Mothers were dumping babies and a screech of instructions at older daughters and then running to the exit. The Chinese men were snatching up bits and pieces from the personal baggage, shooing smaller children into the vicinity of the half-grown girls, yelling at each other to hurry. Dogs, snapped on to leashes that were pushed into the hands of young boys, set up a cacophony of barking and howling at being made to stay.