It was luck! Mihul was going to be the least easy of to away from ... particularly in time to catch a tomorrow night. Mihul her much too well.
"Like to come along and meet your now?" Mihul inquired. She grinned. "Most people the time an experience."
Trigger up resignedly. "All right," she said. They were being about it, but it was clear that it was still a and situation. And old friend Mihul! She something then. "I Major Quillan has my gun."
He looked at her thoughtfully, not smiling. "No," he said. "Gave it to Mihul."
"That's right," said Mihul. "Let's go, kid."
They out through the door that had appeared in the wall. It closed again them.
The up from a table at p. 90which she had been as Trigger and Mihul came into the room. She gave Trigger a brief, glance, then looked at Mihul.
Mihul performed no introductions.
"Dress, and scarf," she said to the facsimile. "The shoes are close enough." She to Trigger. "She'll be your when she leaves," she said. "Could we have the dress now?"
Trigger the dress over her head, it to Mihul and in her underwear, looking at her out of her clothes. They did to be a very close match in size and proportions. Watching the shifting play of in the long and back, Trigger the was a natural one. The silver-blonde was the same, of course. The almost identical—and the of the was a little too identical! They must have used a life-mask there.
It was a uncanny. Like one's image start moving about independently. If the girl had talked, it might have the effect. But she silent.
She put on the dress Trigger had been and it down. Mihul the result. She nodded. "Perfect." She took Trigger's and from the of a chair where someone had them and them over.
"You won't wear the scarf," she said. "Just it into a pocket of the coat."
The girl the over her and the scarf. Mihul looked her over p. 91once more. "You'll do," she said. She briefly. "All right."
The at Trigger again, and moved out of the room. Trigger frowned.
"Something wrong?" Mihul asked. She had gone over to a and was out a tumbler.
"Why she walk like that?"
"The little in the rear? She's it." Mihul the with water, a of something out of a pocket and the over the of the glass. "Among your friends it's to as the Argee Lilt. She's got you pat, kid."
Trigger didn't comment. "Am I to put on her clothes?"
"No. We've got another for you." Mihul came over, out the glass. "This is for you."
Trigger looked at the suspiciously. "What's in it?"
The her mildly. "You call it a sedative."
"Don't need any. Thanks."
"Better take it anyway." Mihul her with her other hand. "Little gun here. That's the alternative."
"What!"
"That's right. Same type of as in your Denton. Stuff in the is to take and won't you groggy."
"What's the idea?"
"I've you a while," said Mihul. "And I was you the last twenty minutes in that room through a screen. You'll take off again if you the least chance. I don't you a bit. You're being pushed around. But now it's my job to see you don't take off; and until we to where you're going, I want to be sure you'll quiet."
She still out the glass, in a long, tanned, hand. She three than Trigger, thirty-five more. Not an of that additional thirty-five was fat. If she'd needed assistance, the was full of helpers. She didn't.
"I I liked this arrangement," Trigger said carefully. "I did say I'd go along with it. I will. Isn't that enough?"
"Sure," Mihul said promptly. "Give word of parole?"
There was a long pause.
"No!" Trigger said.
"I not. Drink or gun?"
"Drink," Trigger said coldly. She took the glass. "How long will it put me out?"
"Eight to nine hours." Mihul by while Trigger the tumbler. After a moment the to the floor. She out and Trigger as she started down.
"All right," she said across her to the open her. "Let's move!"
Trigger and with tension. She a seconds, not opening p. 93her eyes. There was on her eyelids, but she was indoors. There was a of somewhere; after a moment she it came from a news low, in some room. But there didn't to be around her. Warily she opened her eyes.
She was on a in an airy, room in the of and ivory. One entire of the room was either a window or a screen. In it was a range with many peaks, an almost sky. Sun at or midafternoon.
Sun and all had the look of Maccadon—they still were on the planet. That was where the was to take place. But she also have been sent on a three-day space cruise, which would be a good way to make sure a where you wanted her. This be a with a view of any one of some hundreds of worlds, and with in.
There was one door to the room. It open, and the news talk came from there.
Trigger sat up and looked at the she wore. All white. A short-sleeved half-blouse of some soft, heavy, very stuff. Bare midriff. White kid which at the and were in to a close fit just above the and the calves, into kid with thick, soles.
Sporting outfit.... That meant Maccadon!
She a of and looked at it. They'd it—this time to a warm brown. She her off the and up quietly. A dozen soft steps across the thick-napped of took her to the window.
The news and silent.
"Not bad," Trigger said. She saw a long range of and open heath, into the of the mountains. On the right was the still, of two lakes. "Where are we?"
"Byla Uplands Game Preserve. That's the game bird area you." Mihul appeared in the doorframe, in an almost a of Trigger's, in pearl-gray tones. "Feel all right?"
"Feeling fine," Trigger said. Byla Uplands—the southern of the continent. She make it to Ceyce in two hours or less! She and at Mihul. "I also hungry. How long was I out?"
Mihul at her watch. "Eight hours, ten minutes. You up on schedule. I had sent up thirty minutes ago. I've already mine—took one and in. It's good!" Mihul's hair, Trigger saw, had been and a of added over the right side; and they'd the color of her to hazel. She what had been done to her along that line. "Want to come in?" Mihul said. "We can talk while you eat."
Trigger nodded. "After I've up."
The they'd left her alone. But there was a very that she was at an image plumper, shorter, than it should be—a teen-ager around seventeen or eighteen. Her narrowed. If they'd done flesh-sculpting on her, it complications.
She and checked. They hadn't with her body. So it had to be the clothes; though it was difficult to see how the most cut provide such a very of being more out, around the thighs, larger breasts—just missing being dumpy, in fact. She again, looked again, and came out of the bathroom, still puzzled.
"Choice of three game for breakfast." Mihul announced. "Never of any of them. All good. Plus regular stuff." She her midriff. "Ate too much!" she admitted. "Now in and I'll you."
Trigger in. "I had a look at myself in the mirror," she remarked. "What's this now-you-see-it-now-you-don't of fifteen or so of fat?"
Mihul laughed. "You don't have it."
"I know that too. How do they do it?"
"Subcolor job in the clothes. They're not white. Anyone looking at you his a little without it. Takes a view of areas, for example. You can play it around in a of ways."
"I of that one," Trigger said. "You'd think it would be in fashions."
"It would be. Right now it's top for as long as Intelligence can keep it that way."
Trigger a of something. "Then why did you tell me?"
"You're one of the gang, reluctant. And you're good at the mouth shut. Your name, by the way, is now Comteen Lod, just eighteen. I am your dear mama. You call me Drura. We're from Slyth-Talgon on Evalee, here for a days shooting."
Trigger nodded. "Do we do any shooting?"
Mihul pointed a at a table. The Denton there, looking like a toy a slender-barrelled pistol. "Bet your life, Comteen!" she said. "I've always been too to try out a first-class on my own money. And this one is class." She paused. "Comteen and Drura Lod exist. We're a very copy of what they look like, and they'll be out of till we're done here. Now—"
She comfortably, the chair and her hands around one knee. "Aside from the sport, we're here you're a convalescent. You're from a attack of Dykart Fever. Heard of it?"
Trigger reflected. "Something you up in some of the Evalee tropics, isn't it?"
Mihul nodded. "That's what you did, child! Skipped your on the last we took—and six months later you're still paying for it. You p. 97were in one of those Dykart when we you in last night."
"Very clever!" Trigger acidly.
"Very." Mihul her lips. "The Dykart temporary derangements, you know—spells which talk wildly, things."
Trigger another of meat her teeth and thoughtfully, looking over at Mihul. "Very good or whatever!" she said. "Like they've been more or less kidnapped, you mean?"
"Things like that," Mihul agreed.
Trigger her head. "I wouldn't anyway. You are to have all the legal covered."
"Sure," said Mihul. "Just I'd mention it. Have you used the Denton much on game?"
"Not too often." Trigger had been they'd left the loaded. "But it's a very gun for it."
"I know. The other one's a Yool. Good game gun, too. You'll use that."
Trigger swallowed. She met the her. "I've a Yool. Why the switch?"
"They're easy to handle. The for the is that you can't just someone with a Yool. It's if we armed, though it isn't necessary—so much money comes to play around here they can to keep the Uplands very policed, and they do. But an in the hurts." She considered. p. 98"Changed your mind about that yet?"
"I hadn't about it," Trigger said.
"I'd let you your own gun then."
Trigger looked reflective, then her head. "I'd not."
"Suit yourself," Mihul said agreeably. "In that case though, there should be something else understood."
"What's that?"
"We'll have up to three-four days to here together Whatzzit up."
"Whatzzit?"
"For reference," Mihul said, "Whatzzit will be that which—or he or she who—wishes to have that with you and has for it. That's in case you want to talk about it. I might as well tell you that I'll do very little talking about Whatzzit."
"I thought," Trigger suggested, "I was one of the gang."
"I've got special on the matter," Mihul said. "Anyway, Whatzzit up. You have your interview. After that we do Whatzzit says we're to do. As you know."
Trigger nodded.
"Meanwhile," said Mihul, "we're here. Very place to three-four days in my opinion, and I think, in yours."
"Very pleasant," Trigger agreed. "I've been it was you who it would be a good place to wait in."
"No," Mihul said. "Though I might have, if p. 99anyone had asked me. But Whatzzit's all the arrangements, it seems. Now we have fun here—which, I suspect, would be the purpose as as you're concerned."
"Fun?" Trigger said.
"To put you into a good of mind for that interview, might be the idea," Mihul said. "I don't know. Three days here should almost anyone. Get in a little shooting. Loaf around the pools. Go for rides. Things like that. The only trouble is I'm you're dark which are likely to take all the out of it. Not to mention the possibility of relaxing."
"Like what?" Trigger asked.
"Oh," Mihul said, "there're all of possibilities, of course." She her at the guns. "Like the Denton out of my and me a of the stunner. Or up that coffee pot there and me on the with it. It's about the right weight."
Trigger said thoughtfully, "I don't think either of those would work."
"They might," Mihul said. "They just might! You're fast. You've been to improvise. And there's something you. You're as a cat."
"So?" Trigger said.
"So," Mihul said, "there are a number of alternatives. I'll them out for you. You take your pick. For one, I just keep you doped. Three days in won't you, and you'll be no problem then. Another way—I'll let you p. 100stay awake, but we in our rooms. I can lock you in at night, and that window is escape-proof. I checked. It would be of boring, but we can have and up. I'd have the put away and I'd watch you like a every minute of the day."
She looked at Trigger inquiringly. "Like either of those?"
"Not much," Trigger said.
"They're safe," Mihul said. "Quite safe. Maybe I should.... Well, the heat's off, and it's just a now of you for Whatzzit. There're a of other choices. One of them has an you won't like much either. On the other hand, it would give you a to take off if you're wild about it. And it's in line with my instructions. I them you're tricky."
Trigger stopped eating. "Let's that one."
Mihul the chair a little and her a moment. "Pretty much like I said before. Everything and casual. Gun a bit, swim a bit. Go for a or soar. Lie around in the sun. But of those of yours, there'd be one thing added. An un-incentive."
"An un-incentive?" Trigger repeated.
"Exactly," said Mihul. "That isn't at all in line with my instructions. But you're a little character, and I think it should work."
"Just what this un-incentive of?" Trigger warily.
"If you make a and away," Mihul said, "that's one thing. Something's you, p. 101and I'm not sure I like the way this matter's been handled. In fact, I don't like it. So I'll try to stop you from leaving, but if it out I couldn't, I won't any grudges. Even if I wake up with lumps."
She paused. "On the other hand," she said, "there we are—together for three-four days. I don't want to them off to me every thirty seconds. So any time you try and miss, Comteen, is going to pin you fast, and up your seat with is handiest."
Trigger at her.
She her throat.
"While I'm a gun?" she said shakily. "Don't be ridiculous, Mihul!"
"You're not going to gun me for to out of a licking," Mihul said. "And that's all the Yool can do. How else will you stop me?"
Trigger's the table top briefly. She wet her lips. "I don't know," she admitted.
"Of course," said Mihul, "all this can be very easily. There's always the fourth method."
"What's that?"
"Just give parole."
"No parole," Trigger said thinly.
"All right. Which of the other will it be?"
Trigger didn't hesitate. "The chance," she said. "The others aren't choices."
"Fair enough," said Mihul. She up and over to the wall. She a p. 102from the pair there and it around her. "I you'd it," she said. She gave Trigger a grin. "Just make sure it's a good opening!"
"I will," Trigger said.
Mihul moved to the table, took up the Denton, looked at it, and it into her holster. She to out the window. "Nice country!" she said. "If you're done with breakfast, how about going out right now for a try at the birds?"
Trigger the coffee pot gently. It was about the right weight at that. But the range was a little more than she liked, the un-incentive.
Besides, it might the monster's skull.
She set the pot again.
"Great idea!" she said. "And I'm all eating."
