She had self-conscious for the two or three minutes. But it helped when she a of their own table by among the others and that the red-headed image over there looked at her ease.
It helped, too, that Major Quillan into the light-but-ardent-conversation type of companion. In the he had pointed out that a of flirting, etc., was a necessary, or at least nearly necessary, part of the act. Trigger was going along with the flirting; he be right about that. She to on the for the etc.
They got very promptly. But not the right kind.
The table ComWeb murmured, "A p. 141caller to be with Major Quillan. Is it permitted?"
"Oho!" Quillan said poisonously. "I we should have off circuit! Who's the caller?"
"The name is Keth Deboll."
Quillan laughed. "Give the little Major Quillan's and tell him it was a good try. I'll look him up tomorrow."
He gave Trigger wink. "Let 'em pant," he said. "At a distance!"
She uncertainly. If he had a mustache, she thought, he'd be it.
There were two more calls in the next minutes, of nature. Quillan them cheerfully. It was in a way. She how so many people in the to know Quillan by name.
When the ComWeb reported the fourth caller, it awed.
"The name is the Lady Lyad Ermetyne!" it said.
Quillan beamed. "Lyad? Bless her heart! A pleasure. Put her through."
A screen itself on the to the right. Lyad Ermetyne's appeared in it.
"Heslet Quillan!" She smiled. "So you aren't to your friends, after all!" It was a light, liquid voice. It her perfectly.
"Only to the ones," Quillan said. His thick black up. His took on a look. "I'm for Manon on duty."
She nodded. "Still with the Subspace Engineers?"
"And with the rank of major by now," Quillan said.
"Congratulations! But I'd already that your good hasn't you in the least." Lyad's to Trigger; she again. It was a pleasant, easy that white teeth. "Would you your ComWeb, Quillan?"
"Shield it?" Quillan looked surprised. "Why, certainly!" He under the of the table. The images vanished. "Go ahead."
Lyad's to Trigger. They were off-color eyes, like or a light wine, with long black lashes. Very steady, very eyes. Trigger herself tensing.
"Forgive me the of directly," the light voice said. "But you are Trigger Argee, aren't you?"
Quillan's hand the table. He looked at Trigger and laughed. "Better give up, Trigger! I told you you were much more than you believed."
"Well, Brule," Trigger to the against the pillow her, "you'd those out if you who's me to dinner!"
Brule winningly. She on her cabin's bed, on her arms, a p. 143dozen from the ones. She Brule's soberly.
"Major Heslet Quillan," she in cold, tones, "is a character!"
It was no more than the truth. She didn't mind so much that Quillan wouldn't tell her what he of Lyad Ermetyne's on the list now—there hadn't been much opportunity for open so far. But he and that Belchik Pluly had in some back-slapping and rib-punching when he and Trigger over to join Lyad's party at her request; and Quillan out that he and Belchik had long had one great in common—ha-ha-ha! Then those two great together for a full hour to take in some very special, not publicly Sensations Unlimited in the Dawn City's Inferno.
Lyad had after them as they left. "Aren't men disgusting?" she said tolerantly.
That on her, didn't it? She was to be very good friends with somebody like that! Of Quillan must have some of Intelligence in mind with Pluly, but there should be other of going about it. And later, when she'd been just a little with him, Quillan had had the nerve to tell her not to be a prude, doll!
Trigger the under the pillow. Then she rolled on her and at the wall.
Naturally, Major Quillan's personal were none of her business. It was just that in less than an hour he was to her up and take her to the Ermetyne for that dinner. She was how she should him.
Reasonably but cool, she decided. But again, not too cool, since she'd herself to help him out what the Tranest was after. Any of them might make the job more difficult.
Trigger sighed. Things were again.
While Quillan was his nature among the of the Inferno, she'd three hundred of her Precol on a black ... on what, yesterday, she would have a gown. Even at an Ermetyne dinner she couldn't actually look in it. And then, by Gaya, who had out to be a very but not very companion, she'd for a room to make the price of the gown.
It hadn't out. The game she'd particularly up on out to have a five hundred minimum play. Which that scheme. The she'd planned to use looked very sound, but she needed more than one to try it in. She and Gaya sat at another table, with a different game, where you in for fifty credits. In eight minutes Trigger a hundred and twenty and quit.
Gaya seventy-five.
It had been an day, but with some to it.
She the out from under the pillow again.
"And you," she told Brule warningly, "seem to be playing around with some very company, my friend! Just luck I'm to see you don't into trouble!"
She'd and was studying the black gown's the when the ComWeb chimed.
"Permission for granted," Trigger said without looking around. She was used to this of thing.
"Thank you, Miss Drellgannoth," said the ComWeb. "A from the Beldon Shop has been deposited in your transmitter." It off.
Beldon Shop? Trigger frowned, the across a chair and over to the receptacle. She opened it. A small green package, marked "The Styles of Beldon," out. A came along with it. A small white to the package's top.
Inside the was a card. It read:
"A peace offering. Would you wear it to dinner in of forgiveness? Very humbly, Q."
Trigger herself and off the smile. Then she let it come back. No point in with the character! She the and it opened up. There were three smaller inside.
She opened the of these and for a moment at four objects like green buds, each the size of her thumb. She them and opened the second package. This one a pair of very high heels, green and gold.
Out of the third something which was, at all events, material of some kind. Velvety green ... alive. Its touch was a caress. Its perfume was like soft whispers. Lifting one end with great thumb and finger, Trigger let it itself to the floor.
Tilting her to the side, she the cat's of jewel-green that there.
Wear it?
What was it?
She reflected, her in one of the suitcases, it on, sat the ComWeb with the arrangement, and Gaya's number.
The Intelligence girl was in her and had been napping. But she was wide now. "Shielded here!" she said as soon as her image cleared. "Go ahead!"
"It's nothing important," Trigger said hastily. Gaya relaxed. "It's just—" she up the ribbons. "Major Quillan sent me this."
Gaya a small squeal. "Oh! Beautiful! A Beldon!"
"That's what it says."
Gaya smiled. "He must like you!"
"Oh?" said Trigger. She hesitated. Gaya's questioning. She asked, "Is something the matter?"
"Probably not," said Trigger. She considered. "If you laugh," she warned, "I'll you." She the again. "What is that Beldon really?"
Gaya blinked. "You haven't been around our circles long enough," she said soberly. Then she did laugh. "Don't me, Trigger! Anyway, it's very high fashion. It's also"—her over Trigger—"in excellent taste, in this case. It's a Beldon gown."
A gown!
Some of the were than others. None of them looked as wide as they should have been. Not for a gown.
Dubiously, Trigger and herself into the high fashion item. Even she over to the in it, she it wouldn't do. Not possibly! Styles on many Hub worlds were of course, but she was sure this wasn't what the Beldon's had intended.
She in of the mirror. Her widened. "Brother!" she breathed.
That Beldon did go with a woman like with a tiger! After one look, you couldn't why nature hadn't for it first. But just as there wasn't nearly Beldon around at the moment.
Trigger the time and to harried. Probably she'd wind up the black anyway, but at least she wanted to this p. 148matter out she decided. She for a drink, took two and that she might have put the thing on backwards. Or down.
Five minutes later, she sat at the dresser, her on its surface, at the small of green her and softly. There was a look on her face. Suddenly she up and to the ComWeb.
"Ribbons?" said the lady who was the Beldon Shop's manager. "That would be 741. A little creation!"
"Delightful," said Trigger. "May I see it on the model?"
"Immediately, madam."
A moments later, a long-limbed model into the view screen, an of plus four leaf-like designs. Trigger to the table where she had put the green buds. They had opened out meanwhile.
She thanked the manager, off the ComWeb, got into the Beldon again and her designs where the model had them. They softly, themselves to her, the costume.
She into the high and looked in the again. She "Brother!" again. Maccadon wouldn't have approved. She wasn't sure she either.
But one thing was certain—there wasn't the p. 149remotest of about a Beldon. Objectively, considered, the was terrific.
Feeling and feline, Trigger slowly one and it again. She and toward the full-length across the cabin, the shifts of the Beldon in the of motion.
Terrific!
With another drink, she do it.
She another drink and settled with it the for a in the department. This time the as it and while it worked. And when the was done and Trigger moved to up, its little tool her into the seat and up her chin. For a moment she was startled. Then she saw that the had produced a make-up and was opening it. This time she was the works....
Twenty minutes later, Quillan's voice her the ComWeb that he be her any time she was ready. Trigger told him to come right over, up her and toward the door, a cool, smile.
"Prude, eh?" she muttered.
She opened the door.
"Ya-arghk!" Quillan, shaken.
