'The fault is mine but these Landorans are so insufferable at times!' He smiled wolfishly. 'They have also become soft from flying s.p.a.cecraft for too long unlike yourself. A doctor who can use his fists...interesting. Actually I am glad to learn you're not one of them.'

'I suppose we'd better start working on our apologies '

'No, wait.' There was an odd glint in Ch.e.l.l'lak's eye. 'Do you think my proposal to track down the enemy supply ships to their source was a good one?'

'Seemed pretty sound to me. A brigadier I know would certainly have taken the chance. Actually I was rather surprised these chaps didn't go for it in a bigger way.'

'They think only of confronting the fleets of Averon in grand battles, but I must think of Jand.' He looked at Harry, then at the rec.u.mbent Gillsen. 'To me, of course, all you humans look much alike, but you seem to be of similar size and appearance. Could you wear his clothes?'

'Well, I should think oh, I say. You mean?'

'Impersonate the commodore? Yes. Will you do it?' Harry took a deep breath and nodded. 'Good. Nacroth find some rope and somewhere to put our guests where they won't be disturbed for a while.' He unclipped his belt communicator and began speaking urgently into it.

'I suppose it's one way to get promotion,' Harry said, eyeing the commodore's uniform as he started unb.u.t.toning his own jacket.

Fifteen minutes later the Landoran guards on the ferry pad saluted smartly as Harry, dressed in Gillsen's uniform with his head bent forward and hat pulled down low, strode briskly out of the roof lift past them. To provide a further distraction from his features he carried a briefcase, with his own clothes folded up inside, which he clutched importantly to his chest. Ch.e.l.l and Nacroth accompanied him, talking in low urgent tones to save him from speaking.

They crossed to the ramp of one of the Landoran ferries and climbed up it. The crewman at the head of the ramp was still saluting Harry as Nacroth pressed a gun into his stomach and suggested he remain quiet. Harry and Ch.e.l.l went forward to the flight deck and convinced the pilot and co-pilot that they should cooperate by applying a similar line of argument.

A minute later the Landoran communications room received a message from the ferry pilot to say that he was taking Commodore Gillsen to the Jand military s.p.a.cefield east of the city. The ferry was cleared and it took off immediately, the monitoring of its flight being pa.s.sed over to local air traffic control.

The journey took less than five minutes and the ferry was directed to land at a pad on the edge of the field. As it touched down Harry saw a ground bus coming from the direction of a barracks-style building at high speed. The bus screeched to a halt beside the pad before the dust kicked up by the landing had settled. Some twenty-five Jand s.p.a.cecrew in full kit and carrying cases of equipment and supplies disembarked, jogged across the pad and immediately boarded the ferry. The moment the last man was in, the ramp swung shut and the underjets whined into life once again. With a rush of displaced air it rose up into the sky and in a minute it had vanished from sight. The ferry pilot was induced not to communicate his new destination or flight plan and, thanks to Ch.e.l.l, the Jand tower controller did not attempt to contact him to correct this oversight.

The crewman on communicator watch on the destroyer Oranos Oranos didn't notice the slight strain in the ferry pilot's voice when he informed him he was bringing up Commodore Gillsen with a few Jand guests, and that his ETA was less than six minutes. didn't notice the slight strain in the ferry pilot's voice when he informed him he was bringing up Commodore Gillsen with a few Jand guests, and that his ETA was less than six minutes.

'But nothing was scheduled,' he protested. 'Commander Thurval's still groundside. Shall I try to contact him?'

'No,' said the ferry pilot quickly, 'this is an informal visit.

They won't expect the full VIP treatment.'

'And they won't get it,' the crewman said with feeling, and alerted Lieutenant Vane, who had the watch. Vane cursed the unscheduled visit, then mustered what crew there was to receive their guests.

They were still falling into line and straightening hats when the ferry docked alongside. The pressures equalized, the inner airlock hatch opened and figures stepped through. For a moment Vane saw what he had expected to see: namely Gillsen with three or four uniformed Jand behind him, and threw a snappy salute.

'Welcome aboard, sir. May I '

'Sorry, old chap but you're being hijacked in a good cause,' said the stranger wearing Commodore Gillsen's uniform.

A host of Jand poured into the ship past him. They were not only carrying guns but pointing them in an intimidating fashion.

Eight minutes later the ferry undocked from the Oranos Oranos and began the long descent from orbit. It made no communication with Landor ground control, who therefore suspected communicator failure. In a sense they were right: the ferry's communicator had been very thoroughly smashed. So the ferry's own crew, and the still dazed complement it carried from the and began the long descent from orbit. It made no communication with Landor ground control, who therefore suspected communicator failure. In a sense they were right: the ferry's communicator had been very thoroughly smashed. So the ferry's own crew, and the still dazed complement it carried from the Oranos Oranos, had to wait for groundfall before they could tell their stories. But before the ferry had even touched the atmosphere, the main engines of the Oranos Oranos lit up and drove her out of orbit at maximum acceleration, ignoring increasingly urgent signals from the squadron flagship lit up and drove her out of orbit at maximum acceleration, ignoring increasingly urgent signals from the squadron flagship Rossberg Rossberg. The Rossberg Rossberg also contacted the Landoran base on Jand for some explanation of Commodore Gillsen's actions, only to discover that they believed Gillsen was visiting a Jand s.p.a.cefield. also contacted the Landoran base on Jand for some explanation of Commodore Gillsen's actions, only to discover that they believed Gillsen was visiting a Jand s.p.a.cefield.

Then came a transmission from the Oranos Oranos.

Dekkilander Ch.e.l.l'lak's face filled a score of screens on and above Jand as interested parties tuned in. He seemed perfectly composed and spoke in a brisk, matter-of-fact manner. 'I take full personal responsibility for obtaining a craft of the Landoran fleet in such an unorthodox manner, and will do my best to return it as soon as circ.u.mstances permit. I wish to state that neither the Jand high command nor any civil authority have sanctioned this action. For an explanation of my intentions I suggest you consult Commodore Gillsen. You will find him, together with three of his fellow officers, in the private washroom on the top floor of the Ministry building on First Avenue. I'm sure they will be pleased to receive visitors.

Ch.e.l.l'lak out.'

The Oranos Oranos dropped into hypers.p.a.ce and vanished from the Jand system. dropped into hypers.p.a.ce and vanished from the Jand system.

11.

Eccentric Behaviour ay we come in, Doctor?' Director Kambril asked.

'M 'But of course,' the Doctor said graciously, and waved Kambril and Andez into his small apartment unit. He looked at Scout following on behind them. 'But not him, if you don't mind.'

Kambril shrugged equitably. 'As you wish Scout: wait outside.' They proceeded into the main room. Now that you've been with us a few days, we thought we should check on how you are doing,' Kambril explained. 'Is everything comfortable enough for you?'

'Everybody is most concerned about my well-being,' the Doctor observed. 'I'm beginning to feel like some exotic specimen of plant that's about to flower.'

'Perhaps hospitality is important to us,' Andez said simply.

He noticed the window to the apartment's small balcony was open. A cool night breeze fluttered the curtains. 'Been looking at the stars, Doctor?'

'Yes, but they're not very clear.'

'Ah, that's the shielding.' They stepped out on to the small dark balcony. The wavering line of softly glowing cliffside windows stretched away on either side of them. The Valley floor and the test zones were invisible, but in the distance a few scattered lights from the factory service units could just be made out. Above the dark jagged rim of the Valley the stars twinkled and shimmered as though seen through a thin haze of cloud.

'A continuous perfect blackout is bad psychologically and anyway would be almost impossible to maintain at all times,'

Andez explained, 'especially outside the visible wavelengths.

Of course we'd impose one and restrict all surface activity if any intruder was detected in the system, but otherwise we rely on tuned emitters dotted all round the Valley rim. They create a sort of distorting and scattering blanket effect. Well, I'm only a soldier and I don't understand all the technicalities, but it scrambles all electromagnetic radiation pa.s.sing through it both ways, unfortunately, hence the blurred stars. But it's worth it for the peace of mind it gives us.'

'Yes, I can quite see how it would make you feel secure,'

agreed the Doctor.

'Were you wondering if any of them were your own?'

Kambril ventured.

The Doctor considered for a moment, then shook his head.

'Somehow I feel my home star is not visible from here.'

There was a contemplative silence, broken rather awkwardly by Andez. 'Look, Doctor, I'm sorry there's still no news of your friends. I can a.s.sure you we're staying on the alert. Best not to dwell on it, eh?'

'Our experience,' Kambril said helpfully, 'has been to occupy the mind constructively at such times. In fact I understand from Academ Tarron that you've started working on some project of your own. Is it a weapon of some sort?'

'Not as such, but you might say its application is weapons-related. I'm hoping for some interesting results.'

'Good. When will it be ready?'

'Oh, not for a few days yet.'

'Well, be sure and let us know when it's ready to test.'

'I a.s.sure you, Director, if it functions as it should you'll be the first to know.'

The next morning, Elyze Brant studied the strange device taking shape in a corner of Cara's laboratory in bemused silence. Suspended within a cubical framework of struts and clamps were emitter coils and flashing lights, crystal capacitors, sheaves of nanotronic components and circuit boards, all linked by several metres of multicoloured wiring.

'All right, Doctor,' she said at length. 'I give up what is it?'

The Doctor withdrew his head from the innards of the construction and beamed at her. 'Putting it simply, it's a random oscillatory inversion resonator of a Canard design based on traditional Machiavellistic principles, but also employing retro-spoofism and significant lunar radiance, together with triple Bunk-Um circuitry,' he explained, leaving her none the wiser and suspecting that he had included some archaic words from another language.

'Ah, right, yes. I'm sure it is. Well, here are those stabilizers you wanted.' She handed over a small transparent packet of plastic-encased silver beads. 'Lucky we still had some in the stores.'

'Thank you I'm not depriving anybody else of vital equipment, am I?'

'Oh no. We can manufacture most of what we need here, and there are still sources that can supply special items, if you know where to find them.'

'Of course you arrange the supply runs. Cara was telling me how much everybody relies on you. In fact you're a good friend of hers, aren't you?'

Elyze smiled. 'Well, we've known each other for about eighteen years.'

'Ah, you came here with Director Kambril then.'

'That's right.'

'It must have been a terrible time then after your great loss.'

Elyze stiffened slightly. 'We did what we had to do.'

The Doctor suddenly looked concerned and sympathetic.

'I'm sorry did you lose somebody close to you on Landor, like Cara did?'

Elyze found she could not face his pale searching eyes and turned away. 'Excuse me, Doctor,' she said sharply, 'but I'd rather not talk about it.'

And she walked quickly from the laboratory.

That evening Cara was returning from the administration department, after having finally delivered some work records they had been hounding her about for several days, when she unexpectedly came upon the Doctor. She turned the corner on to the length of otherwise blank corridor from which the conference and file room doors opened, only to see him behaving in the strangest manner.

Eyes to the ground, he was pacing along in a measured way, laying out his long scarf behind him as he went, then repeating the exercise until he had progressed down the entire corridor. Reaching the end he turned round, causing Tarron to shrink back around the corner until she watched with only half an eye. The Doctor frowned, and reeled his scarf in rapidly, only to immediately lay it across the corridor. Recovering it again, he then laid down flat on his stomach, screwed an old-fashioned type of jeweller's lens into one eye and appeared to examine the floor carpet minutely.

At this Cara could restrain herself no longer. She marched boldy round the corner and up to the Doctor. 'What are you doing?' she demanded.

The Doctor had rolled over on to his side at her approach, resting one elbow negligently on the floor and beaming innocently up at her. 'Fascinating thing: corridor-and-tunnel architecture,' he said brightly. 'I'm thinking of writing a monograph on it.'

'What?'

'The urge so many intelligent beings have to burrow, no doubt deriving from some latent streak of troglodytic ancestry.

It is amazing the number of races throughout the galaxy who indulge this pa.s.sion for endless pa.s.sageways, full of twists and turns and blind corners. The trouble is I seem to recall having to run up and down them all the time, and though seven hundred and forty-eight is no age, I'm not getting any younger. I mean the Daleks, Aztecs, Atlanteans, the good old London Underground, Peladon, the Minoan labyrinth of Crete ' he suddenly sprang to his feet ' and by the way, do you know where the original construction plans for this complex are filed?'

The last question tacked on to the end of the rambling list caught her by surprise, and she replied automatically, 'Central records, I should think what do you want to see them for?'

'Oh, purely academic reasons,' he a.s.sured her. Then added mischievously: 'for the moment.'

12.

Encounters nternally the Oranos Oranos was in a sorry state. was in a sorry state.

I It had suffered no actual battle damage, but close inspection revealed half its weapons systems were underpowered or in urgent need of adjustment and tuning, its magazines were only one-fifth full and several secondary and emergency power bypa.s.s circuits were non-functional. Even its standard detector array was badly misaligned, and had to be laboriously reset before the Jand-built amplifier could be connected. Every one of the Jand replacement crew had been fully occupied with repairs and maintenance since their hasty departure, leaving many of the menial but essential domestic tasks to Harry and Ch.e.l.l'lak. But the old soldier did not complain, and fortunately the cooking involved prepacked meals and the automatic microwave range was, almost, foolproof.

'No wonder Gillsen didn't want you to borrow a ship if they're all in this sort of condition,' Harry said on the third day of their journey to the Nethra.s.s system, as he and Ch.e.l.l cleared the general mess room after the latest exhausted group of crewmen had gone to their bunks.

'This is obviously a second-line craft,' Ch.e.l.l replied. 'Most likely a converted and modified merchant ship. The Landorans must be spreading their forces dangerously thin to keep the Averon Navy neutralized. Gillsen was right about their situation.' He looked at Harry uncertainly. 'Was this a foolish action? Was it motivated by bravado and injured pride rather than logic? I know the Landorans are insufferable at times, but they are our allies. I may have deprived them of a craft they could not afford to lose.'

'Don't think like that, sir,' Harry said firmly. 'If this pays off it'll save the Landorans a lot more ships in the future. And you've even given the Oranos Oranos a top service into the bargain. a top service into the bargain.

They'll thank you for it in the end.'

'I only hope so,' Ch.e.l.l said heavily. 'But I wouldn't be surprised if the Landorans sent a force after us. They'd be fully ent.i.tled in the circ.u.mstances, and we could hardly resist them if they did, could we, Tramour?'

This last was spoken to his Jand ship's captain, Tramour'des, who had just entered with his latest report on the repairs.

'No, sir, but I admit my feelings towards Landorans are also mixed,' Tramour replied after a moment's consideration.

'It's true they're often thoughtless in their dealings with other races and a.s.sume a certain superior stance at times, but what would we do without them? Perhaps they should be allowed some lat.i.tude after the price they paid for their stand against Averon.'

'The Averons really destroyed Landor completely?' Harry asked.

'And all the settlements and bases in its system,' Ch.e.l.l said simply.

'You mean there's nothing left at all?'

'There might as well be. The worlds remain but they are dead. If their sun had gone nova it could not have caused more destruction or greater loss of life.'

'I attended one of the Landorans' memorial ceremonies,'