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a very interesting spectacle. But don’t you think you are somewhat rash to volunteer, when no man has won the games in the last hundred cycles?”
    “It seems to me,” Theseus said, “that Minos is the rash one, to keep repeating thegames. But what is your joke?”
    Phaistro laughed again, until tears came into his eyes. “The joke … the joke is very simple,” he panted at last. “You tell us that you are sailing to Crete to enter the Minoan games. And the orders of the fleet, Captain Firebrand, were to bring you to Knossos—to be flung into the games!”
    “If that is a joke,” said Theseus, “aren’t you perhaps laughing ahead of thepoint?”
    Phaistro flushed red again with anger. His thin hands clenched and his dark eyes glittered. After a moment, however, he gulped and tried to smile at the tall Achean.
    “I forgive your insolence, Captain Firebrand, because you are a brave man,” he said. “And I am going to offer you a piece of advice—again because your audacity moves me.”
    Phaistro stepped quickly forward from his officers,and: “Don’t surrender your sword,” he urged quickly, in a lowered voice. “Don’t let us take you alive to Knossos! Better throw yourself upon your own blade, and die cleanly outside the shadow of the Dark One.”
    Theseus touched his sword, smiling. “Thank you, admiral,” he said softly. “And I shall not surrender the Falling Star. Butneither shall I kill myself.” He drew the long steel blade outof its scabbard. “I am going to carry the Falling Star to Crete.”
    Phaistro’s thin face turned dark again. “Pirate, your impudence has gone too far,” he snapped angrily. “Give up your sword—or my men will take it.”
    Theseus lifted the blade. “Let them try!” His blue eyes smiled warily. “There are wizards outside Knossos,” he said softly. “One of them, admiral, is my slave. And my sword was forgedfrom a burning star. It is an enchanted blade, and it will cut any other. If you want it—take it!”
    Phaistro’s dark eyes flickered uncertainly aside at the tall golden form of Tai Leng, standing lazily beside the steering oar. They roved the empty decks, and came uneasily back to Theseus and the brandished Falling Star.
    Theseus watched the admiral’s narrow face. It still had the tensity of anger,but the pallor of fear was now upon it, too. Phaistro was obviously afraid of wizardry. And it must seem strange, Theseus knew, to meet a ship sailed by two alone: such a man as he was, and such a woman as Tai Leng.
    The full red lips of the admiral quivered uncertainly. His thin hands clenched and opened, and tugged uncertainly at the edges of his purple robe. And his awe of magic at last prevailed.

    “If your weapon is indeed protected by enchantment,” he yielded at last, “then you can carry it until we touch Crete. There Minos and his wizards can break the spell soon enough. And no doubt brazen Talos can take it from you, if he must. For no man carries any weapon into the Minoan games.”
    “We shall see,” Theseus said, “when we come to Crete.”
    Phaistro made a gesture toward the flagship. “Now,Captain Firebrand,” he said, “come aboard my vessel. You will be my guest of honor, until we land. I’ll leave a crew to sail this ship. The priests will be waiting for you at the docks.”
    Theseus shook his head. “This ship is my prize,” he said quietly. “I am sailing her to Crete, carrying gifts to Minos, and I require no aid. I’ll deal with Minos and his priests when I meet them.”
    Dark red ofanger mounted once more into the admiral’s thin face. His quivering mouth opened for some command. But his eyes dwelt anxiously upon the bright ready sword ofTheseus and the strange yellow beauty of Tai Leng. Abruptly he muttered something to his officers, led them back toward the flagship.
    “Sail on, Captain Firebrand!” Phaistro shouted hoarsely from his own deck. “We shall follow you to Knossos.”

    His marines cast the lashings