"Poo! Commander, this has now become exasperating. The sheer size of this illusion you have drawn for yourself makes me fear for you."

"Your sudden solicitation for my good health is out of character, female."

"You are perfectly welcome to search our ship, if it will cure you."

"Those who have no options are generous ..." began the commander.

"You won't find anything more espionage-oriented than a few typical, if expensive, cameras. The tapes in them contain only shots of water and island scenery-not this island, nor its surrounding water. Where your suspicions arise from escape me."

"They arose from me," came a voice from the doorway. "Dear me, a pun." The drugger strode past the startled group. "I'm surprised, yes, and disappointed, to see you still tied up with these two, Hammurabi.

No profit in it, no profit at all." He shook his head slowly, mournfully.

"I think I see your point now," began Mal reasonably. "It sure looks like you've been right all along.

Maybe we ought to reconsider..."

The drugger lit one of his few remaining dopesticks, ignoring Parquit's expression of disgust. "Uh-uh.

Too much hate in your eyes. Angle of lips, position of head ... no, you'd strangle me first chance you got, on general principles alone. Besides, judging just from your plain stupid relationship with these two," he gestured at Kitten and Pors, "you'd be a poor risk."

"You find some funny holes to crawl into, drugger," said Kitten.

He smiled. "I only go where I'm wanted. Commander, here, is a spiritual relative."

"Hold your insults, yon push me too far!" said Parquit.

"Easy, Commander, easy." Rose hefted the ever-present metal ease, shook it gently. "I've still my little surprise box."

"If you coerce me to the edge," the Commander said tightly, "a momentary insanity on my part could destroy us all. Your package of. supposed drug concerns me less and less."

"Okay, okay. Forget it."

"No wonder the local police couldn't find you," broke in Porsupah.

"You contacted your supplier?" asked Parquit.

"Yep."

"You have now that which you require for departure?"

"Pretty much. Can't be as picky as I'd like at this stage. At least everything got here intact. I was worried about him having to dodge humanx patrols. Young for the job, but he managed. If they bothered to plot his course, it would provide another reason for not troubling him. Your reputation for hospitality isn't supposed to encourage visitors."

A young man appeared in the portal. He was tall and good-looking.

"Everything you wanted's been transferred off the raft, Dom, so-

"You!"The scream of recognition was only half feminine. Kitten threw herself at the figure. A guard, energy rifle at the ready, interposed himself. She stared at the weapon for a long moment as though debating whether to try passing the guard anyway, hands at her sides, breathing heavily.

"You appear to be acquainted with this slug's associate," said Parquit in lucid understatement. He'd been surprised himself by the violence of her reaction.

"We've met," said Russell Kingsley. He eyed her warily across the room.

Peot was alone. In a universe of a trillion souls, he was, would always be, had been, alone. He'd lived non-life too long and now must live an unwanted real-life a while longer. Hurry. Hurry hurry hurry.

After several eternities, it was not easy to move with concern.

Orvenalix deliberated about two minutes before flipping a switch on his desk com.

"Get me the governor's residence, operator."

"Processing, sir."

After a few seconds the haze on the screen cleared to reveal a spectacularly pneumatic human female.

She was seated behind a small mahogany and brass desk. Her tone was lazy.

"Iam sorry, Major Orvenalix, but the governor leftexplicit instructions that he was not to be disturbed untilfurther notice."

"I see. Well. Fine. You give the good governor this message for me, then. Tell him that as of," he glanced at the wrist chronometer set into the chiton of his left truarm "three minutes ago, three especially equipped patrol submersibles of the Replerian Domestic Commerce and Customs Protection Association were dispatched by me at maximum cruising speed for the Imperial AAnn Enclave, where they will attempt to carry out the release of two human and one Tolian prisoner. Should the AAnn Commander refuse to comply with this request, the commander of the three vessels has been empowered to secure their release by force ... Tell him this straight and tell him this now, or you'll find yourself tomorrow in the awkward and much less relaxing position of scraping willoweed off the hulls of shrimp trawlers over in Faertown."

To her credit, the professional smile remained frozen on the girl's face. The difference now was that the ice showed.

"I will give him the message, Major." She stood. .

"And I might suggest a more regulated intake of oxygen. Your present rate of consumption intrigues me only as a xenobiological curiosity. Save it for those it may affect."

She fled from range of the pickup.

You deserve to have your antennae knotted, you old reprobate! That was unnecessary.

The message was designed to produce results. It did. Governor Washburn was on the screen almost immediately, fumbling with the clasps of his blouse. His appearance was generally rumpled and unkempt.

Well, that was too bad. This was one siesta the planetary major-domo would have to forego.

Now, however, he was wide awake-and angry.

"Deity, Major! Primal urges. Obscenity! What is all this about? If you wished to begin an interstellar war in my jurisdiction, you might at least inform me in advance."

"I think you can discount the possibility of any extra-Replerian conflict, Governor."

"You bet your mandibles we can!" the executive roared. "I'm countermanding those orders now! I want those subs back in port and docked quietly by sundown! I want their captains and crews restricted to quarters until they can be properly instructed about keeping their mouths shut concerning this whole fiasco. There may still be time to keep this out of the faxpax."

"I'm afraid I'll be compelled to neglect those instructions, Governor. But this will be kept as quiet as possible. The three submersibles are under order to observe strict cast silence until something has been resolved-one way or the other."

"I see." Washburn did. He could recognize a fact when it crawled all over his face. This ability put him a cut above politicians on more "civilized" worlds, who'd lost the talent. "Perhaps some good will come of this, anyhow. Running a backwards, nowhere world like Repler is thankless enough. At least I'll have the pleasure-if we survive -of seeing you demoted to the point where you'll no longer be an irritation to me."

"All things are possible, Governor," Orvenalix said soothingly. "But for now, I suggest you compose yourself as well as you're able. It's not unlikely that we'll be hearing from the Commander of the AAnn base. When he does contact you, I'd suggest moving away from the speaker and lowering the volume somewhat. He will likely not be inclined to sweet reasonableness. I have the utmost confidence in your ability to handle the conversation which will ensue."

Later, neither could remember who cut the other off first.

"Move away, female!" hissed Parquit. "I'll have no blood spilled here without consent." Reluctantly, Kitten backed up to stand between Mal and Porsupah.