Quillan took over the ship controls, and the Commissioner and Trigger with the into the little office of the cabinet, to out some fast reports to the Hub and other points. Lyad was to Mantelish as they left the lounge. The was at her, mildly.
A little while later, Lyad, of surprise, was helping Trigger prepare dinner. They took it into the lounge. Quillan at the while the others started eating. Trigger up a and it to him.
"Thanks for the rescue, Major!" she said.
He up at her. "It was a pleasure."
Trigger at the little group in the lounge. "Think she was a bit?"
"Sure. Mainly she'd in how p. 279much to tell and how much not. She thinks fast in action though! No slips. What she told of what she makes a solid story, and with we can check on fast. So it's to have of in it. It'll do for the moment."
"She's already started up Mantelish," said Trigger.
"She'll do that," Quillan said. "By the time we Luscious, the might as well be in the trances. The Commissioner to give her a little rope, I think."
"How close is Luscious to that area she showed?"
Quillan on their screen and the map Lyad had marked. "Red dot's well inside," he pointed out. "That was solid info." He looked up at her. "Did it you much to the Devagas have the idea and are out to do you in?"
Trigger her head. "Not really," she said. "Wouldn't make much one way or the other, would it?"
"Very little." He her hand. "Well, they're not going to you, doll—one way or the other!"
Trigger smiled. "I you," she said. "Thanks." She looked into the again. Just at present she did have a of relaxed, security. It wasn't going to last, though. She at Quillan.
"Those of yours," she said. "What did they have to say about that not-catassin you squashed?"
"The now it was a plasmoid," p. 280Quillan said, "Revolting notion! But it makes some for once. Checks with some of the Lyad just told us, too. Do you that Vethi Balmordan was carrying?"
"Yes."
"It didn't come off the ship with him. He it out as having died en route."
"That is a notion!" Trigger said after a moment. "Well, at least we've got now."
But the of security had again.
Before dinner was over, the long-range came to life. For the next thirty minutes or so, in incessantly, as Headquarters here and there to the Ermetyne's report. The Commissioner sat in the little office and over the information. Trigger at the transmitters, it to him as it arrived. None of it them directly—they were already for the point in space a great many other people would now start for very soon.
Then off again almost as as it had up. A dozen low in, in as many minutes. The idly. Then the person-to-person sounded.
Trigger the screen button. A voice the ship's number.
"Acknowledging," Trigger said. "Who is it?"
"Orado ComWeb Center," said the voice. "Stand by for with Federation Councilman Roadgear."
Trigger the panic button. Roadgear was a NAME! "Standing by," she said.
Commissioner Tate came in through the door and into the chair she'd already vacated. Trigger took another seat a away. She a little nervous, but she'd always wanted to see a high-powered in action.
The screen up. She Roadgear from his pics. Tall, fine-looking man of the type. He was in an in a very office.
"Congratulations, Commissioner!" he said, smiling. "I you're aware by now that your latest report has set many rapidly!"
"I it would," the Commissioner admitted. He also smiled.
They it and a times, very chummy. Roadgear didn't appear to be in any way with the operations which soon would center about Luscious. Trigger to wonder what he was after.
"A of us are to know," Roadgear said, "why you didn't the last Council Order sent you."
Trigger didn't start nervously.
"When was this?" asked the Commissioner.
Roadgear and told him.
"Got a record here of some item that about then," the Commissioner said. "Very good of you to call me about it, Councilman. What was the order content?"
"It's now, as it happens," Roadgear said. p. 282"Actually I'm calling about another matter. The First Lady of Tranest to have been very about you of some of her activities."
The Commissioner nodded. "Yes, very obliging."
"And in so a time after her, ah, detainment. You must have been very persuasive?"
"Well," Holati Tate said, "no more than usually."
"Yes," said Councilman Roadgear. "Now there's been some by some members of the Council—well, let's say they'd just like to be that the one in with a of actually are being in this case. I'm sure they are, of course."
The Commissioner was a moment. "I was a while ago," he said, "that full for this Head of State has been to my group. Is that correct?"
The Councilman very slightly. "Quite," he said. "The official Council Order should you in a day or so."
"Well, then," said the Commissioner, "I'll you and you can the Councilmen who were that the are being observed. Then can again. Is that all right?"
"No, not quite," Roadgear said annoyedly. "In fact, the Councilmen would very much it, Commissioner, if I were an opportunity to p. 283speak to the First Lady directly to myself on the point."
"Well," Commissioner Tate said, "she can't come to the right now. She's the dishes."
The Councilman very this time. He at the Commissioner a moment longer. Then he said in a very soft voice, "Oh, the with it!" He added, "Good luck, Commissioner—you're going to need it some time."
The screen blank.
The of Selan's Independent Fleet, who had looked this over and to call it Luscious, had a name, Trigger thought, which would stick. Because that was what it was, at least in the area where they were camping.
She rolled over from her to her and gave herself a push away from the she'd been for the past minutes. Feet first, she out into a of Plasmoid Creek.
None of it was very deep. There were here and there, in the of the she came to, where she on her in the warm clear water and, arms up, the surface with her tips. But along most of the the weren't submerged.
She came over the to another rock, on her and up against the rock, p. 284blinking at sun along the water. Camp was a of hundred yards the valley, its cut off by a of the ground. The Commissioner's ship was there, plus a dozen tents, plus a I-Fleet unit with which Selan's had Mantelish for the duration. There were some fifteen, twenty people in all about the at the moment. They she was around in the water up here and wouldn't her.
Strictly speaking, of course, she wasn't loafing. She was learning how to to herself think. She didn't she was the of it too quickly; but it was coming. The best way to be to let go as much as possible; to wait without impatience, to more-or-less yourself, as if you were looking around in some forest, wanted to come to view come, and again, as something else rose to view instead. The main was with the of mentally, which wasn't at all her natural method of a problem.
But when she do it, of a that was to look very was likely to come into her awareness. Whatever was at work in her mind—and she give a at what it was now—seemed as weak and slow as the Psychology Service people had indicated. The of its work were and vague. But the were into some very pictures.
Lazing around in the of Plasmoid Creek for an hour or so every had out to be a helpful part of the process. On the flashing, all-out to Luscious, all the way, with the Commissioner and Quillan each other around the clock at the controls, the for attention every hour, the ship's had to be handled, and somebody Mantelish needed to keep a on the Ermetyne, she hadn't of acting on Pilch's suggestion.
But once they'd landed, there wasn't much to keep her busy, and she shift to to herself think. It was one of those where was being prepared and nothing had got started. As a planet, Luscious was much of a bust. It was true that were here. It was also true that until were being produced here.
By the method of looking where they were thickest, Selan's people had the which had been producing the others, days Mantelish to their find. This one, by the of Luscious, was a regular monster, some twenty-five high; a gray, thing, and inside. It was the plasmoid—with the possible of had itself out on Quillan's mine—known to have died. There had been very when it was discovered, p. 286because the it very much as if they'd 112-113.
They hadn't. This one—if Trigger had Mantelish correctly—could be as a of 112. And its productions, with the plastic life of Harvest Moon, appeared to be on a level: nuts and and less than that. To Trigger, most of the ones that had been looked like and worms, though one at least was the size of a small pig.
"No form, no pattern," Mantelish rumbled. "Was the thing practicing? Did it attempt to an and set it here to test it? Well, now!" He off again to incomprehensibilities, no longer dissatisfied. "Get me 112!" he bellowed. "Then this will be solved! Meanwhile we now at least have material to waste. We can boldly! Come, Lyad, my dear."
And Lyad him into the unit, where they to work again, dissecting, burning, stimulating, and so great numbers of more or less pancake-sized subplasmoids.
This Trigger wasn't to the best level at all readily. And it might very well be that Lyad-my-dear business. "You know," she had told the Commissioner the day before, "by the time we're done, Lyad will know more about than anyone in the Hub Mantelish!"
He didn't look concerned. "Won't much. p. 287By the time we're done, she and the of the Ermetynes will have had to up of Tranest. They've with this business."
"Oh," Trigger said. "Does Lyad know that?"
"Sure. She also she's off easy. If she were a Federation citizen, she'd be up for right now."
"She'll try something if she a chance!" Trigger warned.
"She sure will!" the Commissioner said absently. He on with his work.
It didn't to be Lyad that was bothering. Trigger on her in the bar, arms her head, the sun's on her closed eyelids. She her by slowly.
It just might be Quillan.
Ole Major Quillan. The in time of need. The not-catassin smasher. Quite a guy. The water past her.
On the out here they'd by one another now and then, going from job to job. After they'd arrived, Quillan was gone three of the time, helping out in the for the Devagas fortress. It was still concealed; they hadn't yet up a trace.
But every so often he it to camp. And every so often when he was in and didn't think she was looking, he'd be there looking at her.
Trigger happily. Ole Major Quillan—being bashful! Well now!
And that did it. She herself relaxing, and away, through her mind ... ... ... toward the voice that spoke in such a language and still was daily more comprehensible.
"Uh, say, Trigger!"
