They were out on a near the top of an mountainside, in a evening. Dinner had been old-style and delicious, by its creators, two slim, brown-skinned, red-lipped girls who looked much too to have such skills. They were of Tranest, Lyad said proudly, and two of the food in the Hub. They were, at all events, the two food Trigger had into as yet.
The which the dinner to no let-down to the around Trigger. She at it cautiously, though she had a of wake-up just they walked into the Ermetyne suite. The took in the middle of the course; and what she up to was a p. 151awareness of being the center of much attention. The boys were all her-plus-Beldon the eye, intensively; Lyad's giant-sized or or she'd called him, named Virod, out of the background. Trigger gave them the back, one after the other, in turn; and that stopped it. Lyad, something which would have passed at the U-League's Annual Presidential Dinner in Ceyce, looked amused.
It wasn't till the end of the second that Trigger to at again. After that she forgot, more or less, about the Beldon. The talk light dinner. When they off the for a look at the goings-on the Garth stopover, she took the occasion to study her in more detail.
There were three men at the table; Lyad and herself. Quillan sat opposite her. Belchik Pluly's person, in a black which left his arms from the down, was on Quillan's right.
The third man her. It was as if some cold had walked up out of a sea to come on their ship.
It wasn't so much his appearance, though the green of a Vethi about his had something to do with the impression. Trigger about Vethi and their addicts, though she hadn't either before. It wasn't so an addiction, in the that it was p. 152up again. The nerves, emotions.
Balmordan didn't look like a man who needed one. He was big, not as tall as Quillan but heavier, with features, a nose. Bleak, eyes. He was about fifty and a shirt and trousers. The shirt loose, to the of his odd companion's body. Lyad had him as a Devagas scientist and in a manner which he was a man of importance. That meant he was almost a of the Devagas hierarchy, which in itself would have him very interesting.
Trigger had into some of the odd-ball the Devagas sending about the Hub; and she'd sometimes the of that angry, nation which, on its twenty-eight restricted worlds, more than six of the population of the Hub. The Devagas to like nobody; and nobody liked them.
Balmordan didn't fit her picture of a Devagas leader too badly. His manner and talk were and agreeable. But his particular of ogle, when she aware of it, had been disquieting. Rather like a the of an vivisection.
Of he was a biologist.
But Trigger why Lyad had him to dinner. She was positive, for one p. 153thing, that Belchik Pluly wasn't at all happy about Balmordan's presence.
Dinner was over the Garth take-off, and they themselves to the and took other chairs. A red-haired, green-eyed, tanned, woman called Flam appeared from time to time to and pass fruits around. She gave Trigger looks now and then.
Then Virod up again with a of what out to be a very special of tobacco. Trigger declined. The men connoisseur-type of high appreciation, and everybody, Lyad, up small pipes of a very special of and away happily. Quillan looked up at Virod.
"Hi, big boy!" he said pleasantly. "How's been with you?"
Virod, in a wide-sleeved jacket and black trousers, his very slightly. "Everything's been fine, Major Quillan," he said. "Thank you." He and out of the place. Trigger after him. Virod her a little—he was huge. Moving about among them, he had like a elephant. And there was an elephant's in the way he out the tobacco trays.
The Ermetyne at Quillan. "Quillan Virod to a once," she said to Trigger. "A fifty-seven minute round, wasn't it?"
"Thereabouts," Quillan said. He added, "Trigger p. 154doesn't know yet that I was a in my youth."
"Really?" Trigger said.
He nodded. "Come from a long line of bums, as a of fact. But I tradition—went into for myself finally. Nowadays I'm old and soft. Eh, Belchy?" The two great pals, by side, at each other and ha-ha-ha'd. Trigger winced.
"Still in the same line of business, on the side?" Lyad inquired.
Quillan looked at her and grinned. "More or less," he said.
"We might," Lyad said thoughtfully, "come to that later. As for that match with Virod," she on to Trigger, "it was a event! Virod was a Tranest professional I took him into my personal employ, and he's very, very been in any such contest." She laughed. "And such a large group of people too! I'm he's you for that, Quillan."
"I'll keep out of his way," Quillan said easily.
"Did you people know," Lyad said, "that the trouble on the way Maccadon and Evalee was by a killing?" There was a touch of in the question, Trigger thought.
There were responses. The Ermetyne over some of the Quillan had told; it was the same story. "And do you know, Belchik, what the was trying to do? It was trying to into the p. 155cubicle vaults. Just think, it might have been sent after you!"
It was cruel. Pluly's jerked, and he at Lyad, saying nothing. He was a little man at that moment. Trigger a little sorry for him, but not too sorry. Belchy's had been of the straightforward, loose-lipped, variety.
"You're safe when you're in one of those things, Belchik!" Quillan said reassuringly. "Wouldn't you a little there yourself, Lyad? If you say they're not sure they've killed the creature...."
"I shall have a set up here," Lyad said. "But not as protection against a catassin. It would past Pilli, for one thing." She looked at Trigger. "Oh, I forgot. You haven't met Pilli. Virod!" she called.
Virod appeared at the end of the terrace.
"Yes, First Lady?"
"Bring in Pilli," she told him.
Virod bowed. "Pilli is in the room, First Lady." He about, over to a easy chair a way, and it aside. Something like a of it moved and sat up.
It was an animal of some sort. Its toward the group, but it had under the fur. Then an arm like the arm of a out and Trigger saw a great hand that in shape the chair's edge.
"He was resting," Lyad said. "Not sleeping. p. 156Pilli doesn't sleep. He's a perfect guardian. Come here, Pilli—meet Trigger Argee."
Pilli up on his feet. It was an motion. There was a thick wide on thick under the fur. The was gorilla-like. Pilli might around four hundred pounds.
He started and Trigger a of alarm. But he stopped six away. She looked at him. "Do I say something to Pilli?"
Lyad looked pleased. "No. He's a biostructure. A very one, but speech isn't in his pattern."
Trigger looking at the golden-furred nightmare. "How can he see to you through all that hair?"
"He doesn't see," Lyad said. "At least not as we do. Pilli's part of one of our Tranest experiments—the original stock came from the Maccadon life banks, a small golden-haired Earth monkey. The present level of the is on the side—it has four hearts, for example, and what to a second brain at the of its spine. But it doesn't come with organs. Pilli is one of twenty-three of the type. They have of a that is still mysterious. We to them past the speech so they can tell us what they do of seeing.... All right, Pilli. Run along!" She said to Balmordan, "I he doesn't like that Vethi thing of yours very much."
Balmordan nodded. "I had the same impression."
Perhaps, Trigger thought, that was why Pilli had been so close to them. She the move off the terrace, and huge. She had got its as it past her, a fresh, whiff, like the of apples. An almost of figure, Pilli was; the apple with that, to fit it. But was there too. She herself sorry for Pilli.
"In a way," Lyad said, "Pilli us to that of I mentioned this afternoon."
The group's over to her. She smiled.
"We have good scientists on Tranest," she said, "as Pilli, I think, demonstrates." She at Balmordan. "There are good scientists in the Devagas Union. And here is aware that the Treaties of Restriction on our governments have it for our citizens to in research."
Trigger as the light-amber paused on her for a moment. Quillan had her not to at anything the Ermetyne might say or do. If Trigger didn't know what to say herself, she was to look inscrutable. "I'll scrut," he explained. "The others won't. I'll take over then and you just my lead. Get it?"
"Balmordan," Lyad said, "I you are p. 158going to Manon to the and on the station?"
"That is true, First Lady," said Balmordan.
"Now I," Lyad told the company, "shall be more honest. The in those is of no value whatever. He"—she at the Devagas scientist—"and I are going to Manon with the same in mind. That is to obtain for our government laboratories."
Balmordan amiably.
Trigger asked. "How do you to obtain them?"
"By very large of money, or inducements, to people who are in a position to them for me," said Lyad.
Quillan tut-tutted disapprovingly. "The First Lady's mind," he told Trigger, "turns to illegal methods."
"When necessary," Lyad said undisturbed, "as it is here."
"How about you, sir?" Quillan asked Balmordan. "Are we to that you also would be in the purchase of a or two?"
"I would be, naturally," Balmordan said. "But not at the of trouble for my government."
"Of not," Quillan said. He a moment. "You, Belchy?" he asked.
Pluly looked alarmed. "No! No! No!" he said hastily. He wildly. "I'll to the business. It's safer."
Quillan him on the shoulder. "That's one law-abiding citizen in this group!" He at Trigger. "Trigger's wondering," he told Lyad, "why she and I are being told these things."
"Well, obviously," Lyad said, "Trigger and you are in an excellent position—or will be, very soon—to act as in the matter."
"Wha...." Trigger began, astounded. Then, as all over to her, she herself. "Did you think," she asked Lyad, "that we'd agree to such a thing?"
"Certainly not," said Lyad. "I don't anyone to agree to anything tonight—though it's a safe I'm not the only one here who has sure this is not being recorded, and will not be available for reconstruction. Well, Quillan?" She smiled.
"How right you are, First Lady!" Quillan said. He a pocket. "Scrambler and present and in action."
"And you, Balmordan?"
"I must admit," Balmordan said pleasantly, "that I it wise to take precautions."
"Very wise!" said Lyad. Her shifted, with some in it, to Pluly. "Belchik?"
"You're a nerve-wracking woman, Lyad," Belchik said unhappily. "Yes. I'm scrambling, of course." He shuddered. "I can't to take chances. Not when you're around."
"Of not, and so," said Lyad, "there are still why an word might p. 160be in this company. So, no, Trigger, I'm not to agree to anything tonight. I'm that I'm in the purchase of plasmoids. Incidentally, I'd be very much more in you, and Quillan, enter my directly. Yes, Belchik?"
Pluly had wildly.
"I was—ha-ha—having the same idea!" he gasped. "About one of—ha-ha—of 'em anyway! I—"
He and came to an stop, by Trigger's stare. Then he for his glass, at top speed. "Excuse me," he muttered.
"Hardly, Belchik!" said Lyad. She gave Trigger a small wink. "But I can you, Trigger Argee, that you'd my pay and very indeed."
It a good moment to look inscrutable. Trigger did.
"Serious about that, Lyad?" asked Quillan.
The Ermetyne said, "Certainly I'm serious. Both of you be of great value to me at present." She looked at him a moment. "Did you to tell Trigger about the manner in which you re-established the family fortune?"
"Not in any great detail," Quillan said.
"A very good and to waste when you up with the Engineers," Lyad said. "But not to waste."
"Perhaps not," Quillan. He p. 161grinned. "But I'm a man. One fortune's for me."
"There was a time, you know," Lyad said, "when I was it would be necessary to have you killed."
Quillan laughed. "There was a time," he admitted, "when I you might be along those lines, First Lady! Didn't too much, did you?"
"I enough!" Lyad said. She her nose at him. "But that's all over and done with. And now—no more tonight. I promise." She her a little. "Flam!" she called.
"Yes, First Lady?" said the voice of the red-headed girl.
"Bring us Miss Argee's property, please."
Flam in a small of together. Lyad took them.
"Sometimes," she told Quillan, "the Askab a little independent. He's been spoken to. Here—you keep them for Trigger."
She the over to them. Quillan put out a hand and it.
"Thanks," he said. He put the in a pocket. "I'll call off my beagles."
"Suit as to that," said the Ermetyne. "It won't the Askab to a little longer."
She herself. The room's ComWeb was signaling. Virod over to it. A voice came through.
"... The Garth-Manon in p. 162one hour. Rest have been prepared...."
"That means me," Belchik Pluly said. He to his feet. "Can't dives! Get hallucinations. Nasty ones." He a little then, and Trigger for the time that Belchy had got drunk.
"Better give our guest a hand, Virod," Lyad called over her shoulder. "Happy dreams, Belchik! Are you going by Rest, Trigger? No? You're not, of course, Quillan. Balmordan?"
The Devagas scientist also his head.
"Then by all means," Lyad said, "let's together a little while longer."
