Yet clearly the Machine was aware of this too. Then why would it trouble to track the Vom across parsecs? Obviously it hoped somehow to activate the Guardian. The Vom sensed lack of key knowledge and this troubled it.

However, its strength was multiplying rapidly. It was a geometrical process. Each new, reactivated facet aided in unlocking or strengthening others. Since the Vom was maturing only internally, it aroused no suspicion in its former captors. Former, because for some time now the Vom had remained in place merely as a matter of convenience.

Regrettably, the Vom could not read thoughts. It never did have this ability. But it was regaining another talent, the ability to pick up and interpret the emotional discharges of other minds. It could sense no threats around it. A real threat would have had unshakable confidence behind it. The confidence here was purely superficial. The only ones the Vom was at all concerned with were those few who projected utter fear. Under unfavorable circumstances, these might conceivably panic the others. That would be inconvenient now.

Soon, however, it wouldn't matter. The Vom would act as it pleased. It had already passed the point where its peculiar composition could be threatened by sudden discharges of energy. Even the arrival of the Machine did not upset it. Not with the Guardian inert, inoperative. In fact, only one thing bothered it at all.

Was there something it had not discovered on this small planet that might conceivably activate the Guardian?

"A thousand moltings, your Excellency."

"What is it, sergeant?," said Parquit RAM irritably. They had finally managed to detach a section of the creature. Arris bad just brought him initial analyses, spectrographic readings, and such-and now interruptions. He'd prepared his mind for revelations, for some practical return on an already enormous investment in time, credit, and nye-power, and this under-officer had shattered the mood.

"Ten thousand days of precipitation on my ancestor's graves if I have disturbed you, Excellence, but..'

"Oh, get on with it, nye!" That was the trouble with military protocol. Took up too much military time.

"Excellence, a small hoveraft was just detected within the concession perimeter. It appears to be piloted by a single human."

"Is that worthy of an interruption? Human and thranx fishermen and fortune hunters occasionally stray within our boundaries. Hold the man for half a day-just long enough for him to flow from the apoplectic to the apologetic-inform him we do not regard his person as sacrosanct, issue the standard missive of protest to the governor, and then let the fellow go."

"Well," he said when the sergeant did not absent himself. "Do you then find my physiognomy so fascinating? Why do you still inflict your presence on us?"

"Commander, Excellence, your indulgence. I do not make a standard intrusion. I would never bother you with such trivia. It is that the human ... sir, he desires diplomatic sanctuary ... with us!"

Parquit pushed the folder of spectrographs aside. "That is truly different, sergeant. I applaud your evaluation of the situation. My curiosity is piqued. Does the creature appear sane?"

"He does, sir."

"What sort of man is he? No, bring him here. I want to see this for myself."

The sergeant bowed, clasped his throat in salute, and left.

"Shall I go too, Commander?" said Arris, moving to gather up his papers.

"No. Stay, xenobiologist. This should amuse and possibly interest you."

The sergeant returned, along with two other soldiers. A single human walked between them. He clearly came under his own will, walking as briskly as his evident age permitted. Parquit raised a clawed hand and the sergeant returned the salute. He left, taking the escort with him. The human was left standing alone before the Commander's desk.

He wasn't a particularly impressive specimen, as humans went. Clearly of advanced age, if Parquit's eye was any judge. Yet the body appeared fairly healthy. The man was dressed well if not luxuriously. He carried a single small metal case, half a meter square and thin. He was unarmed, of course.

After a cursory examination of the room, the mammal stared back at the Commander. If he was nervous, he concealed it with the poise of one used to such elementary psychological ploys. A bold type, certainly. He'd have to be, to come here seeking asylum. Parquit could conceive of only one reason for a human or thranx to do such. He must be desired by his authorities-strongly enough to throw himself on the mercy of those controlling the only autonomous bit of surface on the planet. As mercy was not a trait the AAnn were famed for, the human would have to be desperate indeed.

"I believe I have you evaluated sufficient for my needs," Parquit began. "In any case, I most surely will not waste you by returning you to the authorities who doubtless are seeking you. That need not concern you. I will at least have the pleasure of denying them that. In this way you will perform some small service for me. If you can somehow convince me that you may be useful in ways other than by denying your person to the government, d may consider not turning you over to the officer's chef for this evening's sun-down meal. Scrawny as you are. As you no doubt well know, we regard human flesh as something of a delicacy, the more so because of its unavailability. Admittedly a sore point between our races. Your justification for continued existence on a plane other than as dinner better be substantial."

The human made a recognizable gesture of affirmation: He nodded his head. "That's about the kind of greeting I expected. Now I will tell you who I am. I am Lord Dominic Estes Rose."

"A natural or acquired title?"

"I bought it, if that's what you mean."

Parquit did not congratulate himself for this bit of insight. The creature had neither the bearing nor appearance of the nobleborn. Not that this bothered him. Even today among the AAnn there were those -who had purchased their nest in the aristocracy. It was necessary to adapt to change, needed to preserve the monarchy and the succession. Parquit himself had a near-nest relative who...

"Your business, man?"

"I am a simple merchant."

"No merchant is simple who remains one. For that you find reason to flee to us?" Parquit added sarcastically.

"I also run illegal drugs."

"Ah! That explains a good deal. Do you specialize?"

"I'm what you might call a high-class general retailer." The human chuckled. "I'm not particularly particular. If it'll bring a profit, I'll broker anything. What I want, Commander ... um. ..."

"Commander is proper."

The man shrugged. "If you want it that way. What I want is help in getting off-planet. I'll handle the reopening of my lines of supply myself. In return for this I can be of some help to you. I have contacts all over the Commonwealth."

"You'd .sell yourself away from your own race?" Arris spoke for the first time.

Rose responded. He laughed.

"Do you believe in souls, friend?"

"Naturally," said Arris.

"Well, as far as forty Terran years ago, mine had been mortgaged several times over. Many races own a piece of me. A number have been trying to collect for years. I always stay one jump ahead of my un-friends. And my credit is excellent, which helps. I'm for bartering with anything that holds a convertible credit slip. That's the only race I owe allegiance to, the race of figures in my account with the Bank of ...

but that needn't concern you."

"I believe it all, man. Suppose, though, that I still decide you are more valuable to me as this evening's entree than a man of business?"

"For a lizard, your symbospeech ain't bad. I might choose to blackmail you into a formal promise. How sounds that?"

"Illogical. To blackmail one must be able to threaten. Prospective dinners rarely possess anything to threaten the diner with."

"Well, I have what's in this case." Rose shifted the container in front of him.

Parquit sighed. This man was going to turn out to be a disappointment after all.

"Man, that case contains nothing of metal other than what is embodied in its basic construction. Nor anything of plastic, glass, wood, ceramic, nor any object of artificial construct greater than a few millimeters of your measurement. If it had, you'd never have been permitted past the landing point. Let alone into my personal presence. All you might do is throw it in my direction. You would be incinerated along with it before you could half complete the motion."

"Don't doubt it. See Commander, what this case contains is a number ofkuysters -your measurement- of the pure drug bloodhype, in powder form and under pressure. If I let go of this handle, this case will fairly explode from internal pressure. I think I'm too close to you for any destructive beam to be certain of destroying all the powder without killing you too. If the least of it, however tiny an amount, reaches you, you'll be as hooked as the worst addict in the filthiest dive on Terra or Dust Dune. Since I currently control the only supply in the known galaxy, you'll die later than I will, but a good deal more uncomfortably. As will your companion," Arris stiffened, "and anyone else who breathes it... I presume your air circulating system is efficient. You might consider your men. I might also remind you that if my intentions had been basically antagonistic, I could have safely released the dust at any time, if my object in coming here was to do you harm."

"You are bluffing. You are not the type to welcome suicide."

"Commander, I invited it by comming here! If you want other proof, you can find out real quick."