“They’re on the other side of the south range,” he said quickly.  “She didn’t give me cooerdinates, but I should be able to find the spot.  When we get there, we land away from the city and go in on foot.”

Manning’s voice came coldly through the radioset:  “Are you giving orders now, Lee?”

“Right now I am, yes!  If you want to try going in before reconnoitering, that’s your funeral.  They have weapons.”

“When we touch ground again I’ll take over,” Manning said.  “Now let’s get going—­Lee, you’re first.”

But Rynason was already starting his run across the field.  When he had some speed he kicked in the rocket booster and fought the little flyer skyward.  When he had caught the air he banked southward and fed the motors all he had.  He didn’t look around for the others; he was setting his own pace.

The mountain range was ten miles to the south; they should be able to make it in five or six minutes, he figured.  Below him on the dry Flat he saw the pale shadow of his flyer skimming across the dust.  The drone of the motors filled the compartment.

The radio cut in again.  It was Manning.  “What’s this about a city, Lee?  Is that where they are?”

“The City of the Temple,” Rynason said.  “It’s down among overhanging rocks—­no wonder we hadn’t seen it before.  Doesn’t seem to have been used for centuries or more.  But that’s where the Temple of Kor is—­and the Hirlaji are all in the Temple.”

Static hissed at him for a moment.  “How did they bring her down?” someone asked.  It sounded like Stoworth.

“Probably the disintegrators,” Rynason said.  “The Hirlaji don’t have many of them, but they’ve got enough power to give us a lot of trouble.”

“And they’re using them, eh?” Manning said.  “What do you think of your horses now, Lee?”

Rynason didn’t answer.

In a few minutes they were over the range.  Rynason had to scout for awhile before he found the pass he had seen on Mara’s screen, but once he saw it below him he followed it out to the other side.  The city was there, lying darkly amid the shadows of the mountains.  Rynason banked off and set down half a mile away.

He waited for the others to land before he left the flyer.  He took a pair of binocs from the supply kit and trained them on the city across the Flat, but he couldn’t find Mara’s fallen flyer.

When they were all down he clambered out of the compartment and alighted heavily in the dust.  Manning strode quickly to him, wearing twin stunners.  He took one from its holster and fingered it thoughtfully as he spoke.

“The main party was back in the pass.  They should be here inside half an hour.  We’ll storm the temple immediately—­we’ve got them outnumbered.”

Rynason made a dubious sound deep in his throat, looking out at the city.  He was remembering that he had seen it before from this Flat ... and had stormed it before.  The defensive walls were high.