The ComWeb her that it was now ten minutes to point. Waking who in any obtain by a call on any ComWeb. If they preferred, they have their under the of their personal or stewardess.
The Dawn City's still looked well when Trigger arrived. But some of the were of their to awake. Presently she aware of a herself.
It wasn't bad—mainly a as if the ship were trying to turn over on its around her and not making it—and she from previous that after the hour or so she would be free of that. p. 117She walked into a low, lit, very swank-looking room, still well by the of her travelers, for a place where she for a while and let the work itself out.
A a closed door near the end of the room about right for the purpose.
Trigger sat and around. There were a of in progress, all to her. The players were mostly men, but a number of women, gowned, around the tables as observers. Traveler's Companions, Trigger suddenly—the Dawn City's employees naturally would be to effects. From the of talk she up, the high.
A of up in her again. This one was than most; for a moment she couldn't be sure she was going to be or not. She up, over to the door a away, it open and through, it her.
There had been a black-light screen in the doorway. On the other was sunshine.
She herself on a long which a garden thirty below. There was no one else in sight. She against the the door, closed her and slowly and for some seconds. The to fade.
When she opened her again, she saw the little yellow man.
He at the end of the garden, next to some out of which he might have just stepped. He to be along the path which in toward the and it, the point where Trigger stood.
It was which her at first. Because there was not anything about that small, squat, figure. A yellow he seemed, and menacing. The garden, she suddenly, might be an scene. Or else—
The thing moved in that instant. It a of motion along the path and under the balcony. After a second or so she the of a door some away. The garden still again.
Trigger where she was, her a little. The appeared to have every of out of her, and her to return to normal. She took three steps to the railing, where the of a green tree branch was in reach.
She put her hand out hesitantly, the vegetable of a leaf, it, it away. She moved to the door and the leaf. It was a leaf. Thin a of at the in the as she looked at it.
No be to that extent.
So she'd just had her hallucination—and it had been a dilly!
Trigger the leaf, pushed at the door, and through the black-light screen into the of voices in the room.
An hour later, the ship's on. It that the Dawn City would surface in fifteen minutes of disturbances, and the of the way to Evalee in normal space, five hours schedule. Rest would not be disturbed, unless this was by a associate.
Trigger her attention to her viewer, relieved. She hadn't any hallucinations, or other of distress; but the one she'd had would do her for a while. The little library she was in was otherwise deserted, and she'd been going about her there just the least nervously.
Subject of the were the Hub's of chance. She'd a of those she'd been watching—and one of them did look as if someone who at it with an of the odds—
A part of Trigger tut-tutting and its at such notions. But another part pointed out that they couldn't be much off than they were right now. So what if they in Manon dead-broke of practically? Besides, there was the problem of till they got there. On the Dawn City no one was limited to p. 120one Automatic Sales dress was going to very long.
Trigger-in-toto on calculating the for possible play combinations. She her system, presently in it, and to another.
The on again. She was too to pay much attention to it at first. Then she up and listened, frowning.
The man speaking now was the liner's First Security Officer. He was being very and regretful. Under Section such and such, Number so and so, of the Federation's Legal Code, a by search of the area of the Dawn City had necessary. The of would not be searched. Passengers might, if they wished, be present while their were inspected; but this was not required. Baggage need not be opened, providing its was not activated. Any by the search which did not to a of the Code Section and Number in question would not be recorded and not be as legal under any circumstances. Complaints the search be to any Planetary Moderator's office.
This wasn't good at all! Trigger up. The of in her mightn't more than in the searchers. Her gun was a different matter. Discreet a female who a double-barreled p. 121sporting Denton might be one of the check methods used by the Scout Intelligence boys if they started of which had left Maccadon in with Trigger's disappearance. There weren't likely to be more than two or three of that type on board, and it was almost that she would be the only woman who owned one.
She'd go the Denton ... and then again into the public of the ship! Some Security officer with a good memory and a of noticing might identify her otherwise from the news pictures taken on Manon.
And he just might start then why she was traveling as Birna Drellgannoth—and start to check.
She paused long to the Legal Code article to into the viewer.
Somebody on appeared to have got himself murdered.
She the too late. A of Security men already were going over it. Trigger said hello pleasantly. It was too bad, but it wasn't their fault. They just had a job to do.
They at her, for the and on with their business. She sat and them. The Denton was there in plain sight. Dropping it into her now would be more likely to it in their memory than it where it was.
The they were using were in casings, and she couldn't what they p. 122were looking for by the way they used them. It didn't that either of them was trying to up an memory about her. They did look a little when the second was opened and to be as empty as the first; but no were about that. Two minutes after Trigger had come in, they were and themselves out of the again. They then toward the by the of the Askab of Elfkund.
Trigger left her door open. This she wanted to hear, if she could.
She heard. The Elfkund door also open, while the it by the moment. Finally a ComWeb chimed. A voice spoke sternly. The Quavering subsided. It looked as if Security had been to call on someone higher up in the Elfkund to come to its aid. Trigger closed her door grinning.
On the screen of her library, she presently a great port in from Evalee to meet the Dawn City. It would another five hundred or so on and take off the who had been making the from Maccadon to Evalee in style. Solidopic were likely to be on the shuttle, so she had to keep away from the entry area.
The transfer operation was out very expeditiously, to make up for some of the time on the surface. When the p. 123off, the that normal space would be till after the at Garth. Trigger to her cabin. She closed the door her.
Then she saw the man by the ComWeb cabinet. Her in. She a little, to wheel and bolt.
"Take it easy, Trigger!" Major Quillan said. He was in clothes, of cut.
Trigger swallowed. There was, too obviously, no place to to. "How did you me?"
He shrugged. "Longish story. You're not under arrest."
"I'm not?"
"No," said Quillan. "When we to Manon, the Commissioner will have a to make to you."
"Suggestion?" Trigger said warily.
"I you're to take your old Precol job in Manon, but as for your in our little project. If you agree to it."
"What if I don't?"
He again. "It you'll be your own ticket from here on out."
Trigger at him, wondering. "Why?"
Quillan grinned. "New have been down," he said. "If you're still curious, ask Whatzzit."
"Oh," Trigger said. "Then why are you here?"
"I," said Quillan, "am to make sure you to Manon. I a people with me."
"Mihul, too?" Trigger asked, a diffidently.
"No. She's on Maccadon."
"Is she—how's she doing?"
"Doing all right," Quillan said. "She sends her and says a little less on the next you should be good enough."
Trigger flushed. "She isn't sore, is she?"
"Not the way you mean," he considered. "Not many people have jumped Mihul successfully. In her way, she proud of her student."
Trigger the deepen. "I got her off her guard," she said.
"Obviously," said Quillan. "In any ordinary she your off and tie you up with them. Still, that wasn't bad. Have you talked to since you came on board?"
"Just the room stewardess. And a of old ladies in the next cabin."
"Yeah," he said. "Couple of old ladies. What did you talk about?"
Trigger the conversation. He reflected, and up.
"I put a of in that over there," he said. "Your personal is in them, de-tracered. Another thing—somebody over your and came to the you're broke."
"Not broke," said Trigger.
Quillan into a pocket, out an and it on the cabinet. "Here's a little money then," he said. "The of your Precol pay to date. I had it up p. 125on Evalee this morning. Seven hundred twenty-eight FC."
"Thanks," Trigger said. "I can use some of that."
They looking at each other.
"Any questions?" he asked.
"Sure," Trigger said. "But you wouldn't answer them."
"Try me, doll," said Quillan. "But let's shift operations to the on this thing you start. I like a little. For just one girl, you've us a time these last forty-eight hours!"
"I'm sorry," Trigger said.
"I'll bet," said Quillan.
Trigger at the closet. If he'd along, there was a dress in one of those that would have been a little too for Maccadon. It should, therefore, be just about right for a on the Dawn City; and she hadn't had a to wear it yet. "Give me ten minutes to change."
"Fine." Quillan started toward the door. "By the way, I'm your neighbor now."
"The at the end of the hall?" she asked startled.
"That's right." He at her. "I'll be in ten minutes."
Well, that was going to be cosy! Trigger the dress, it out and into it, puzzled but also relieved. That Whatzzit!
Freshening up her make-up, she how he had the Elfkund ladies to leave. Perhaps he'd managed to have a offered to them. It must be to have that of a pull.
