Gwen stood on the bleak hillside and looked in the direction of Doctor Rognvald's tower. She wasn't really seeing it any more: but it's what she was thinking about, and her thoughts were in control. Her eyes just kept pointing that way.
Behind her, the volcano's barren slope was bustling. Over the past couple of hours it had filled up with squads from the Space Patrol, along with the technicians who were analyzing Rognvald's tower and its defenses. It was like a little city on the side of the Icelandic volcano - a city with a center, where anxious Patrolpersons were laying their plans, and an improvised airfield, and outflung suburbs where tents and sheds hid... well, Gwen had no idea what they were hiding. She hadn't been paying attention. But she had found that the Patrol made awfully good coffee. She was sipping at it now.
Between Gwen and the tower stood Rognvald's defenses. There were tall gun towers that turned to track anyone near the perimeter and around them was the perimeter itself, marked by a fence of blue energy that seemed to dare anybody to try to get in. So far, no one had tried.
And inside the tower, of course, was Nat, who had confronted the brain thieves and covered Gwen's escape. He was still inside, all alone with Doctor Rognvald and Ignatius in the dark laboratory where the brain thieves had assembled their strange toaster and attached it to a human brain.
"Miss Hopkins?" She turned. "We're about ready now." She took one last look at the tower and followed the Patrolman back to the center of the camp. It's okay, Nat, she thought. We're gonna get you out of there. I promise.
