Half an hour later there still hadn't been any openings. Trigger was a at the moment. Mihul, her, in the driver's seat of the hopper, about this and that. But she didn't appear to any answers.
There weren't many half-hours left to be wasted.
Trigger out through the ground-view plate her, while the at a thousand toward the two-mile square of area which had been to them to over that morning. Dimly in the view plate, she see the of the gun-pup who with that particular area above the seat-back her. He was ahead the two humans, in reflections.
There was of bird life there. Some were original Terran forms, in the U-League's banks. Probably many more were produced on Grand Commerce game ranches. At any other time, Trigger would have herself the almost as much as Mihul.
Not now. Other through her head. Money, for example. They hadn't returned her own cash to her and didn't to—at least not until after the interview. But Mihul was at least part of their money in a pocket wallet. The of it might be in a room safe or deposited with the hotel's cashier.
She over at Mihul again. Good friend Mihul had looked so large, lithe, and fit for a rough-and-tumble. That un-incentive idea was ingenious! It was difficult to plan through and while one's self-esteem at of the results of making a mistake.
The settled near the center of their territory, the last mile by Mihul who had the looks of some shrub-cluttered ahead. Trigger opened the door on her side. The gun-pup across the seat and came out her. He to look over his and gave them a wag, a but one. Then he waiting for orders.
Mihul him. "Guess he's in p. 105here," she said. She a hand at the pup. "Go 'em, old boy! We'll along."
He off swiftly, a creature, a Grand Commerce of some Terran and a on the best of his progenitors. He around a thick of like a low-flying hawk. Two feather-shapes, emerald-green and crimson, up out of the near of the shrubbery, saw the them and rose steeply, up speed.
A great many separate, to be going on the next four or five seconds. Mihul swore, the Denton out of its holster. Trigger already had the Yool out, but the gun was unfamiliar; she hesitated. Fascinated, she from the speeding, feather-balls to Mihul, the tall woman for an overhead shot, left hand right to the Denton—and in that particular Trigger what was going to next.
The Denton one bolt. Mihul a little more for the next shot. Trigger matter-of-factly, the Yool, left close in to her side. Her left into Mihul's midriff, just under the of the cage.
That punch, in those circumstances, would have the person. It didn't Mihul. She forward, up and for breath, but p. 106already around toward Trigger. Trigger across her, up the Denton, its setting, it to twelve-hour max, and let Mihul have it the blades.
Mihul and limp.
Trigger there, violently, looking at Mihul and the that she had just cold-blooded murder.
The gun-pup up with the one bird. He it by Mihul's hand. Then he sat on his and Trigger with something of the of a good undertaker.
Apparently this wasn't his with a casualty.
The Trigger into the hopper's a minute later was that Drura Lod had to an attack of Dykart coma—and that an and a fast to a hospital in the nearest city were indicated.
The hotel was but reassuring. That the mother should be with the same as the was news to them but enough. Within eight minutes, a police was Mihul and Trigger at a small Uplands City the mountains.
Trigger out the city's name. Three minutes after she'd Mihul's into the hospital, she left the again by a entrance. Mihul's p. 107had two hundred and thirteen crowns. It was enough, barely.
She got a complete of in the Automatic Service store she came to and left the store in them, the in a bag. The she to take her to Ceyce had to be paid for in advance, which left her eighty-two crowns. As they over a a while later, the with the and was out of the cab's window. It was just possible that the Space Scouts had been able to put that material idea to use.
In Ceyce a two hours after she'd Mihul, Trigger called the and learned that the Dawn City was open to and their guests.
Birna Drellgannoth up her and on board, with a group in a mood of leave-taking. She more a when the group stopped to for a girl from one of the news agencies. She her after a search, set the door to don't-disturb, around the and to it in more detail later.
She off her slippers, on the which passed here for a bunk, and out.
She there a while, at the and a little about Mihul. Even a stunner-max blast couldn't Mihul p. 108the permanent damage. It might, however, her in a mood after the off, since the impact wasn't to be pleasant. But Mihul had she would no over a successful attempt; and if they up with her again she got to Manon, this attempt had to be a success.
They might catch up, of course, Trigger thought. The Federation must have an of means at its when it set out to one of its missing citizens. But the Dawn City would be some hours on its way Mihul to think again. She'd spread the then, but it should be a while they started to Trigger had left the planet. Maccadon was her home world, after all. If she'd just wanted to up, that was where she would have had the best to do it successfully.
Evalee, the Hub stop, was only nine hours' away; Garth less than five hours Evalee. After that there was only the long to Manon....
They'd have to work very fast to keep her from the Hub this time!
Trigger over at the Denton by the ComWeb on a little table at the of the divan-thing. She was aware of a of great contentment, of relaxation. She closed her eyes.
By and large, she thought—all considered—she hadn't come off among the p. 109cloak and experts! She was on her way to Manon.
Some hours later she slept through the Dawn City's takeoff.
When she up next she was in semidarkness. But she where she was and a familiar of low-weight told her the ship was in flight. She sat up.
At her motion, the area about her brightened, and the visible again. It was large, oval-shaped. There were three closed doors in the walls, and the themselves were light amber, of appearance. A was up from the level through them, and as the color higher and deepened, there came an of far-off, music. The don't-disturb still from the panels of the passage door. Trigger its on the and it off.
At once a soft from the ComWeb on the bedstand. Its screen with a glow, and there was a voice.
"This is a recording, Miss Drellgannoth," the voice told her. "If Room Service may with an message, be so good as to touch the circle at the of your ComWeb."
Trigger touched the circle. "Go ahead," she invited.
"Thank you, Miss Drellgannoth," said the voice. "For the of the your personal ComWeb will be opened to callers, for either or intrusion, only by your p. 110permission or by your touch on the circle."
It stopped. Another voice up. "This is your Personal Room Stewardess, Miss Drellgannoth. Forgive the intrusion, but the ship will in one hour. Do you wish to have a prepared?"
"No, thanks," Trigger said. "I'll awake."
"Thank you, Miss Drellgannoth. As a and in with Federation regulations, allow me to you that Federation Law not permit the of personal by a dive."
Her to the Denton. "All right," she said. "I won't. It's of hallucinations, I suppose?"
"Thank you very much, Miss Drellgannoth. Yes, it is of the which may be by hallucinations. May I be of service to you at this time? Perhaps you would like me to the of your personal ComWeb Cabinet?"
Trigger's to the end of the cabin. A large, very piece of there. Its hadn't been obvious, but she had of ComWeb Service Cabinets.
She thanked the but the offer. The lady off, a at not having anything Birna Drellgannoth's personal might do for Birna right now.
Trigger over to the cabinet. It opened at her touch and she sat it, p. 111glancing over its panels. A number of were indicated, which might make it to the Hub citizen. But she had been in communications, and the service cabinet was as as any in its class get.
She in the ship's diagram. The Dawn City was more than an hour out of Ceyce Port, but it hadn't yet the which and of energy about the Maccadon System. A ship couldn't in such an area without destruction; but the were against a day when might again through the Hub.
Trigger over the ahead. Evalee.... Garth. A green in the of space them Manon's sun.
Eleven days or so. With the money to a cubicle, the time be cut to a three or four hours.
But it would have been to sleep through the one on a Hub luxury she was likely to take in her life.
She set the cabinet to a of the Dawn City's facilities, and was that would at the of all dives. She over bars, fashion shows, and rooms. The Cascade Plunge, from the looks of it, would have been something for Mihul.... "Our p. 112Large Staff of Traveler's Companions"—just what she needed. The Solido Auditorium "... and the Inferno—our Sensations Unlimited Hall." A voice her that Federation Law did not permit the of full SU to cabins. It did, however, permit a sample glimpses. Trigger took her glimpses, austerely, to the fashions.
There had been a little black on there. While she didn't to start about the ship until it and the majority of her travelers were in their cubicles, she still would be in her Automatic Sales dress on a like the Dawn City. That little black hadn't looked at all expensive—
"Twelve hundred forty-two Federation credits?" she a minute later. "I see!"
Came to eight hundred fifty Maccadon crowns, was what she saw.
"May we model it in your suite, madam?" the store manager inquired.
"No, thanks," Trigger told her. "Just looking them over a bit." She off, at a "Your Selection of Personalized Illusion Arrangements," her head, the cabinet and up. It looked like she had a choice being and in her and playing around with like the of scenes.
And she was a little old for that of entertainment.
She opened the door to the narrow the and along it. It was very here. One of the this was the they'd had available was that it the main areas. To the right the opened on a larger which ran past a hundred yards of it came to a stairway. At the of the stairway, one came out on one of the levels. To the left the ended at the door of what to be the only other in this section.
Trigger looked toward the other cabin.
"Oh," she said. "Well ... hello."
The other door open. A odd-looking little person sat in a low it. She had a thin, green-sleeved arm in a or as Trigger turned.
She the now. "Come here, girl!" she called in a old-woman voice.
Well, it couldn't do any harm. Trigger put on her and walked the toward the open door. A old woman it was, with a either or naturally bald, in a of dark-green pajamas. Long of the same color the of her small ears. The of the was mainly to the that she a great of make-up, and that the make-up was a green.
She her to the left as Trigger came up, and something. Another woman appeared p. 114behind the door, almost a of the first, that this one had gone all out for pink. Tiny things. They up at her.
Trigger back. She stopped just the door.
"Greetings," said the pink one.
"Greetings," Trigger replied, what world they came from. The wasn't like anything she'd before.
"We," the green lady her with a not touch of condescension, "are with the Askab of Elfkund."
"Oh!" said Trigger in the of one who is impressed. Elfkund hadn't any bells.
"And with are you, girl?" the pink one inquired.
"Well," Trigger said, "I'm not actually with anybody."
The abruptly. They at each other, then looked at Trigger. Rather severely, it seemed.
"Did you mean," the green one asked carefully, "that you are not a retainer?"
Trigger nodded. "I'm from Maccadon," she explained. "The name is Birna Drellgannoth."
"Maccadon," the pink one repeated. "You are a then, Birna?"
"Of she is!" The green one looked offended. "Maccadon!" She got out of her chair with and moved to the door. "It's drafty," she said, looking past Trigger. The door closed on Trigger's face. A second later, she the lock shut. A moment after that, the don't-disturb appeared.
Well, she thought, to her cabin, it didn't look as if she were going to be with neighbors on this trip.
She had a and then a in a the mirror. She the out into the room, set it for a operation and sat it. A again a minute or so later, she the machine to Orado and left it to make up its mind as to what would be the most under the circumstances.
The above her for over a minute, and as it an survey of the job. Then it and to work. When it itself off, Trigger the results in the mirror.
She wasn't too pleased. An which out the of her well but didn't do much else for her. Possibly the had the Automatic Sales dress in its computations.
Well, it would have to do for her of the ship.
