"doctor! get out of the way!"

"no, ron. you don't know what you're doing—"

the old man was shielding the ron-body with his own. ron put the weapon down.

"but why?" he said.

"because this is no answer! this is the assassin's way—" he turned to the ron-body, and his voice was shaking. "listen, scholar. i want to arbitrate. will you listen?"

"do i have a choice?"

"yes!" the doctor said fiercely. "life or death! will you listen to my terms?"

the ron-body shrugged. "all right."

"very well. then i want you to spare ron carver. i want you to allow me to deliver him into the hands of friends, deliver him alive and safe. in return, i promise that your twelve-year-old body will leave this earth virtually at once. i will send it to the colony on mars, where it will stay until adulthood. will you allow this?"

the scholar's smile was thin. "and that is your only condition?"

"my only one!"

"doctor—" ron stepped towards him. "you can't leave things as they are—"

"are you willing, scholar? will you let ron carver live his life in peace?"

the ron-body stiffened.

"yes," he snapped.

"ron—" the doctor waved towards him. "hand him your gun."

"what?"

"give it to him! we've made a pact."

ron hesitated, and then extended the butt towards the scholar. he took it with a slight bow, weighed it in his palm, and then slipped the weapon into his pocket.

"you did wisely," the doctor said, with noticeable relief. "if you had turned that gun on us, scholar, i would have killed you on the spot." he patted the metallic bulk beneath his own coat. "i came prepared, too...."