"Well," Trigger said, Brule critically, "I just meant to say that you're the least little here and there, under all that tan. I'll admit it doesn't yet when you're dressed."

Brule tolerantly. In and sandals, he was a very of man, and he it. So did Trigger. So did a of them from a table only twenty away.

"I've come here a since they opened the Center," he said. He his right arm and his complacently. "That's just you're looking at, sweetheart!"

Trigger over and the with a tip. "Muscle?" she said, at him. "It dents. See?"

He his other hand over hers and it lightly.

"Oh, golly, Brule!" she said happily. "I'm so I'm back!"

He gave her the smile. "You're not the only one!"

She looked around, softly. They were having dinner in one of the Grand Commerce Center's restaurants. This one to be the surface of the in the Center—a by green-gold of water on every side. Underwater and moved past the wide windows. A of against a dark red her was trying to keep away from a of fishermen. Even the fish were Hub imports, as such by the Center.

Her suddenly. "Hey!" she said.

"What?"

"That group of people up there!"

Brule looked. "What about them?"

"No suits, you idiot!"

He grinned. "Oh, a of them do that. Okay by Federation law, you know. And Manon's so close to open Federation territory, we haven't to minor Precol much lately."

"Well—" Trigger began. He was still smiling. "Have you been doing it?" she suspiciously.

"Swimming in the raw? Certainly. Depends on p. 203the company. If you weren't such a little prude, I'd have it tonight. Want to try it later?"

Trigger colored. Prude again, she thought. "Nope," she said. "There are limits."

He her cheek. "On you it would look cute."

She her head, aware of a small of guilt. There had been less in the Beldon than there was in the minute two-piece to Brule's she at the moment. She'd have to tell Brule about the Beldon stunt, since it was more than likely he'd about it from others—Nelauk Pluly, for one.

But not now. Things were just a little along that line at the moment.

"Leave us the subject, pig," she said cheerfully. "Tell me what else you've been doing a tan."

A of hours later, to again. Same subject. Trigger had been at the when Brule told her he had his to a Center apartment, and that a large number of Precol's were taking liberties. Holati's stand-in, Acting Commissioner Chelly, hadn't been too successful at up discipline.

She hadn't said anything. It was true that Manon was still a only as a technicality. They didn't know as much about it as they had to know it be p. 204officially for settling, but by now there was for up on many of the early measures. For one thing, there were just so many Hub people around that it would have been a practical to all Precol rules.

What her mainly about the of Brule's Center was that it might make the end of the less than she wanted it to be. Brule had the least swacked. Not at all offensively, but he to then. And the past hours she'd noticed that something had in his toward her. He'd always been of himself when it came to women, so it wasn't that. It was perhaps, Trigger thought, like an along those lines. And she'd herself up a little in response to the thought.

The was very beautiful. Nelauk, she guessed. Or somebody else like that. Brule's taste was good, but he wouldn't have of a of the here. Neither, Trigger conceded, would she. Some of the looked expensive.

He came into the room in a gown, a of drinks. It was going to awkward, all right.

"Like it?" he asked, a hand around.

"It's beautiful," Trigger said honestly. She smiled. She at the drink and it on the arm of her chair. "Somebody like an help you with it?"

Brule laughed and sat opposite her with his drink. The laugh had the least annoyed. "You're right," he said. "How did you guess?"

"You in for art exactly," she said. "This room is a work of art."

He nodded. He didn't look any more. He looked smug. "It is, isn't it?" he said. "It didn't cost so very much. You just have to know how, that's all."

"Know how about what?" Trigger asked.

"Know how to live," Brule said. "Know what it's all about. Then it's easy."

He was looking at her. The was there. The warm, rich voice was there. All the old was there. It was Brule. And it wasn't. Trigger she was her hands together. She looked at them. The little in the ring Holati Tate had her to wear with gleamings.

Crimson!

She a long, slow breath.

"Brule," she said.

"Yes?" said Brule. At the of her she saw the turn eager.

Trigger said, "Give me the plasmoid." She her and looked at him. He'd stopped smiling.

Brule looked at her a long time. At least it a long time to Trigger. The returned.

"What's that to mean?" he asked, almost plaintively. "If it's a joke, I don't it."

"I just said," Trigger carefully, "give me the plasmoid. The one you stole."

Brule took a of his drink and put the on the floor. "Aren't you well?" he asked solicitously.

"Give me the plasmoid."

"Honestly, Trigger." He his head. He laughed. "What are you talking about?"

"A plasmoid. The one you took. The one you've got here."

Brule up. He her face, blinking, puzzled. Then he laughed, richly. "Trigger, I've you one drink too many! I you'd let me do it. Be now—if I had a here, how you tell?"

"I can tell. Brule, I don't know how you took it or why you took it. I don't care." And that was a lie, Trigger dismally. She cared. "Just give it to me, and I'll put it back. We can talk about it afterwards."

"Afterwards," Brule said. The laugh came again, but it a little hollow. He moved a step toward her, stopped again, hands on his hips. "Trigger," he said soberly, "if I've done anything you mightn't approve of, it was done for of us. You that, don't you?"

"I think I do," Trigger said warily. "Yes. Give it to me, Brule."

Brule forward. She out of the chair to the as he leaped. She was inside, she vaguely. Brule was going to kill her now, if he could.

She his left with hands as he came down, and viciously.

Brule something. His red, by above. He to the her, one leg across her thighs, gripping.

In Brule had the same in that Trigger had. He was close to eighty than Trigger, and it was still mostly muscle. But it was nearly four years now since he had himself with drills.

And he hadn't been put through Mihul's students' lately.

He a little less than nine seconds.

The were in a small safe into a music cabinet. The to the safe was in Brule's billfold.

There were three of them, about the size of mice, starfish-shaped of translucent, hard, jelly. They didn't move.

Trigger them in a on the surface of a small table, and at them for a moment from a left eye. The right was shut. Brule had got in one wild along the line. She up a small jar, some spicy-smelling, out on the table, the inside, closed the and left the with it. Brule was just to and groan.

Commissioner Tate hadn't retired yet. He let p. 208her in without a word. Trigger put the on a table.

"Three of your nuts and in there," she said.

He nodded. "I know."

"I you did," said Trigger. "Thanks for the quick cure. But right at the moment I don't like you very much, Holati. We can talk about that in the morning."

"All right," said the Commissioner. He hesitated. "Anything that should be taken of then?"

"It's been taken of," Trigger said. "One of our employees has been injured. I the to go him up. They have. Good night."

"You might let me do something for that eye," he said.

Trigger her head. "I've got in my quarters."

She locked herself into her quarters, got out a of quick-heal and the and a other minor bruises. She put the away, a check of the newly anti-intrusion devices, the lights and into her bunk. For the next twenty minutes she violently. Then she asleep.

An hour or so later, she over on her and said without opening her eyes, "Come, Fido!"

The appeared just above the surface of the Trigger's pillow and p. 209the wall. It with a small and uncertainly. Trigger slept on.

Five minutes after that, the opened itself. A little later again, Trigger her uneasily, and a little half-angry, half-whimpering cry. Then her out. Her and slow.

Major Heslet Quillan of the Subspace Engineers came into Manon Planet's very early in the morning. A Precol him up and let him out on a of the Headquarters near Commissioner Tate's offices. Quillan was on toward the offices through a of and the door just as it opened and Trigger Argee through.

He her by the and out a hello. Trigger a soft in her throat. Her left hand right, her right hand left. Quillan and let go.

"What's the matter?" he inquired, back. He one arm, then the other.

Trigger looked at him, again, walked past him, and through another door, her very straight.

"Come in, Quillan," Commissioner Tate said from the office.

Quillan in and closed the door him. "What did I do?" he asked bewilderedly.

"Nothing much," said Holati. "You just the of being a male being. At p. 210the moment, Trigger's against 'em. She up the Brule Inger last night."

"Oh!" Quillan sat down. "I did like that idea much," he said.

The Commissioner shrugged. "You don't know the girl yet. If I'd Inger in, she would have me for it. I had to let her it herself. Actually she that."

"How did it go?"

"Her reported it was one of a good for some seconds. If you'd looked closer, you might have just the of the Inger gave her. It was a last night."

Quillan white.

"But if you're of having a with Inger re that part of it," the Commissioner on, "forget it." He at a report from the medical on his desk. "Dislocated ... thumb ... concussion. And so on. It was the that the matter. He can't talk yet. We'll call it square."

Quillan grunted. "What are you going to do with him now?"

"Nothing," Holati said. "We know his contacts. Why bother? He'll end of the month."

Quillan his and at the door. "I she'll want him put up for rehabilitation—seemed of him."

"Relax, son," said the Commissioner. "Trigger's an individualist. If Inger goes up for rehabilitation, it will be he wants it. And he doesn't, of course. Being a him fine. p. 211He's just likely to be more about it in future. So we'll let him go his happy way. Now—let's to business. How Pluly's up?"