As they entered Manning lit a handlight and set it on the floor. The
room was thrown into stark relief, the shadows of the motionless aliens
striking the walls and ceiling with an almost physical harshness.
Manning paused a moment to look at the Hirlaji, and at the altar across
the room.
"We can hear each other in here," he said at last.
"What do you want?" said Rynason. There was cool hatred in his voice,
and the knife-scar on his forehead was a dark snake-line in the hard
glare of the handlight.
Manning shrugged, a bit too quickly. He was nervous. "I want you out of
here, Lee, and I'm not accepting any argument this time."
Rynason looked at Mara, standing helplessly in the older man's grip. He
glanced down at the disintegrator in his hand.
Manning drew one of his stunners quickly, and trained it at Rynason's
face. "I said no arguments. Put the weapon down, Lee."
Rynason couldn't risk a shot at the man, with Mara in front of him. He
carefully laid the disintegrator on the floor.
"Slide it over here.
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