Trigger came out of the hours Lyad from the blast she'd absorbed. The Commissioner was in a chair her bunk, napping.
She looked around a moment, very and secure. This was her personal on Commissioner Tate's ship, the one he to as the Big Job, modeled after the long-range ships of the Space Scouts. It wasn't actually very big, but six or seven people go traveling around in it very comfortably. At the moment it appeared to be through at its again, going somewhere.
Well, that keep.
Trigger out and the Commissioner's knee. "Hey, Holati!" she whispered. "Wake up."
His opened. He looked at her and smiled. "Back again, eh?" he said.
Trigger at the door. "Close it," she whispered. "Got something to tell you."
"Talk away," he said. "Quillan's piloting, the First Lady's out cold, and Mantelish got dive-sick and I him. Nobody else on board."
Trigger and looked at him. "This is going to odd!" she him. Then she told him what Repulsive had done and what he was trying to do.
The Commissioner looked shaken.
"You sure of that, Trigger?"
"Sure, I'm sure."
"Trying to talk to you?"
"That's it."
He at her. "I looked in the bag, and the thing was gone."
"Lyad it was gone," Trigger said. "So in case she a to to someone, we'll say you had it."
He and up. "You here," he said. "Prescription for the of you've had is a day of rest."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to go talk to that Psychology ship," he said. "And just let 'em try to me this time!"
He off up the passage toward the cabinet in the part of the ship. Some minutes passed. Then Trigger Commissioner Tate's voice in great wrath. She listened. It appeared the Psychology Service p. 267had got off on the by him once more to calm.
He came presently and sat the bunk, still a little red in the face. "They're going to us," he said. "If they hadn't, I would have and our way on that of theirs."
"Follow us? Where?"
He grunted. "A place called Luscious. We'll be there in under a week. It'll take them about three. But they're starting immediately."
Trigger blinked. "Looks like the have it to the of the problem list!"
"I wouldn't be surprised," said the Commissioner. "I was put through to that Pilch after a while. She said to you to to your you can around to it. Know what she meant?"
"I'm not sure I do," Trigger said hesitantly. "But she's mentioned it. I'll give it a whirl. Why are we going to Luscious?"
"Selan's Fleet on it. It's in the Vishni area."
"What of plasmoids?"
He shrugged. "They don't amount to much, from what I heard. Small stuff. But definitely plasmoid. It looks like somebody might have done some there for a while. And not long ago."
"Did they the big one?"
"Not yet. No of any people on Luscious either." He his lip for a moment. p. 268"About an hour after we you and Lyad up," he said, "we had a Council Order to the ship. Told us to off a and with a fast of theirs."
"What for?"
"The order said the was to take Lyad on and for the Hub with her. Some business." He his chin. "It also us to the First Lady of Tranest with the to her station meanwhile."
"Brother!" Trigger said, outraged.
"Just too I couldn't read that message," said Holati Tate. "Some disturbance! Rendezvous point's hours us. They'll catch up."
"Ho-ho!" said Trigger. "But that's being insubordinate, Holati!"
"It was till just now," he said. "I mentioned that we had Lyad on to that Pilch person. She said she'd speak to the Council. We're to on to Lyad and when Pilch to Luscious she'll her."
Trigger grinned. "Now that," she remarked, "gives me a of great satisfaction, somehow. When Pilch her little on someone, there isn't much left out."
"I had that impression. Meanwhile, we'll put the Ermetyne through a ourselves when she over being groggy. Courtesy will be on the side. She'll part of what she knows, if you there and hand her the from time to time."
"That," Trigger him, "will be an at all!"
"I can imagine. You're sure that thing will up again?"
Trigger nodded. "Just the handbag with me."
"All right." He up. "I've got a prepared for you. I'll the along. Then you can tell me what after they you."
"How did you out I was gone?" Trigger asked.
"Your fac," he said. "The girl was good actually. I talked to you—her—on office once and didn't spot a note. Mostly she just out of everybody's way. Very at it! We would have got her fast we were preparing for take-off to Luscious by then. But she it herself."
"How?"
"I her again, on screen. There was no one on her to impress. She took a of porgee."
Trigger laughed delightedly. "Good old pouch! It them twice. But how did you know where I was?"
"No problem there. We Lyad had on Pluly. Quillan about that sealed level on Pluly's and got Pluly to him over to the right after the Dawn City arrived. While he was admiring, he was also patterns for a jump. That gimmick's much of a now, but on p. 270a for you and Lyad it was it. We came five minutes after we'd your fac."
"The Ermetyne you'd go after the Aurora," Trigger said.
"Well," the Commissioner said tolerantly, "the Ermetyne's young. The Aurora was a obvious."
"How come Quillan didn't start when I didn't up in Mantelish's with Repulsive?"
"So that's what he was for!" Holati said. He the of his jaw. "I was about that angle! That wasn't Quillan. That was Quillan's fac."
"In Mantelish's lab?" Trigger said, startled.
"Sure. That's how they all got in. In those Mantelish has been into the the past of days. It looks like the prof's been up to his ears for months."
The last five hours of her day of Trigger asleep, her door locked and the open on the her. Holati had come by just to report that the Ermetyne was now but very groggy, more than a little shocked, and not yet able to she was still alive. He'd her with this and that, and would be until was on their feet.
When Trigger up from her five hour nap, the was shut. She opened it and looked inside. Repulsive was there, up.
"Smart little bugger, aren't you?" she said, not p. 271entirely with approval. Then she in and gave him a pat. She locked the purse, got and up to the of the ship, Repulsive along.
All four of the others were up in the area which the section. The partition had been into the and the Commissioner, who was at the at the moment, had his seat around toward the lounge.
He at the as Trigger came in, and gave her a small wink.
"Come in and down," he said. "We've been waiting for you."
Trigger sat and looked at them. Something had been going on. Quillan's was thoughtful, a amused. Mantelish looked very red and angry. His of white was rumpled. The Ermetyne appeared a wilted.
"What's been going on?" Trigger asked.
It was the question. Mantelish took a and like a thunder-ork. Trigger listened, with some admiration. It was one of the best jobs of well-verbalized she'd heard, from the professor. He ran in less than five minutes, though—apparently he'd already let off steam.
Lyad had him, at the Commissioner's suggestion. It had been a job, a of hours, but it was a complete one. Which was understandable, since it was the p. 272First Lady herself, Trigger from the noise, who had put Mantelish under the influence, in his own garden on Maccadon, and two after his return from Harvest Moon.
It was again Lyad who had Mantelish his call to a on her in Manon, and him to from his League for a hours in Manon's swamps. There she had met and with him and him of all he tell her. As the final outrage, she had him to her cohorts, like Pluly's ladies, into the Precol dome—to for them there and at the proper moment to them for action—all under the that they were specimens!
Mantelish wasn't in the least by the that—again at the Commissioner's suggestion—Lyad had one minor new hypno-command which, she said, would clear up his toward of sickness. But he just ran and sat there, at the Ermetyne now and then.
"Well," the Commissioner remarked, "this might be as good a time as any to ask a questions. Got your little with you, Quillan?"
Quillan nodded. Lyad looked at of them in turn and then, and for the time, in Trigger's direction.
It wasn't an glance. It might have been a one. And Trigger that she just a little p. 273for Lyad. Lyad had out on a very big gamble. And, each in his own way, there were three very males among she was sitting. None of them was friendly; two were oversized, and the one had a record for anyone on the of law and order. Trigger to about for the moment.
"Cheer up, Lyad!" she said. "Nobody's going to you. Just give 'em the answers!"
She got another glance. Not a one, exactly. Not an one either. Temporary support had been acknowledged.
"Commissioner Tate has me," the Ermetyne said, "that this group not the of in my case. Under the I must accept that. And so I shall answer any questions I can." She looked at the pocket Quillan was over unhurriedly. "But such are of no use in me."
"Why not?" Quillan asked idly.
"I've been against them, of course," Lyad said. "I'm an Ermetyne of Tranest. By the time I was twelve years old, that toy of yours couldn't have registered a from me that I didn't want it to show."
Quillan the toy in his pocket.
"True enough, First Lady," he said. "And that's one small in your favor. We you might try to the gadget. Now we'll just you some questions. A recorder's on. Don't on the answers."
And he and the Commissioner started p. 274out questions. The Ermetyne the answers. So as Trigger tell, there wasn't any stalling. Or any time for it.
Azol: Doctor Azol had been her boy from the start. He was now on Tranest. The main item in his report to her had been the of the 112-113 unit. He'd also reported that Trigger Argee had on Harvest Moon. They'd the possibility that somebody was Trigger Argee, or attempting to her, of her with the operations.
Gess Fayle: Lyad had been looking for Doctor Fayle as as else after his disappearance. She had not been able to him. So as she knew, nobody had been able to him. Doctor Fayle had appeared to to work for himself. He was at present well the Hub's area of space. He still had 112-113 with him. Yes, she more about the location—with the help of star maps.
"Let's them out," said Commissioner Tate.
They got them out. The Ermetyne presently a of the Vishni Fleet's area. The questions again.
-A: Professor Mantelish had told her of his with this plasmoid—
There was an here while Mantelish reflexively. But it was very brief. The wanted to learn more about the First Lady's himself.
—and its possible with the main unit. But by the time this p. 275available to her, 113-A had been under guard. Professor Mantelish had one attempt to it out to her.
Huff-huff!
—but had been unable to walk past the with it. Tranest had to up the plasmoid. She that another group had attempts. The Devagas. She did not yet know the nature of 113-A's importance. But it was important.
Trigger: Trigger Argee might be able to tell them why Trigger was important. Doctor Fayle could. So the top ranks of the Devagas hierarchy. Lyad, at the moment, not. She did know that Trigger Argee's was directly with that of 113-A. This had been from a Devagas operator, now dead. Not Balmordan. The had been in of the on Evalee. The much more at the Colonial School had been a Tranest job. A Devagas group had to with it, but had been of.
Pluly: Lyad had on Belchik. He was of the Devagas but more of her. His of the Devagas was to the that he and an had provided the with a very large quantity of materials. The nature of the materials the Devagas were a major on a world either or with atmosphere. Pluly's had since been p. 276murdered. Pluly he was next in line to be silenced.
Balmordan: Balmordan had been a high-ranking Devagas Intelligence agent. Lyad had of him only recently. He had been in of the to obtain 113-A. Lyad had him that she would make a very in the Manon area. She also had her there available to him. So Balmordan and a select group of his had Pluly's party on Pluly's yacht. They had been allowed to their way into the sealed level and were there in a black-light trap. The had been killed. Balmordan had been questioned.
The that the Devagas had Doctor Fayle and the 112-113 unit, almost after Fayle's disappearance. They had succeeded in some plasmoids. To go into satisfactory operation, they still needed 113-A. Balmordan had not why. But they no longer needed Trigger Argee. Trigger Argee was now to be at the opportunity. Again Balmordan had not why. Fayle and his unit were in the the Devagas had been building. It was in the area Lyad had indicated. It was to be very concealed. Balmordan might or might not have its exact coordinates. His the and a mind-block reaction. Balmordan had died. Dead-braining him had produced no information.
The little of questions ended abruptly. Trigger at her watch. It had been going on for only fifteen minutes, but she by now. The Ermetyne just looked a little more wilted.
After a minute, Commissioner Tate there was any the First Lady think of to give them at this time.
She her head. No.
Only Professor Mantelish her.
But the was over, apparently.
