'Sure. There are a couple of problems, tho'. If you marry my daughter it will mean changing your name to Jefferson."

Steve managed a smile. 'I think I can live with that.

And the other one?"

'Commander-General Karlstrom.

He's the real stumbling-block."

'Why is that, sir?"

'Because he's the other candidate for the big chair in the Oval Office when my brother hands in his card. He's a threat to my future and yours."

Steve was conscious that all eyes were upon him. 'And you'd like me to help remove that threat?"

Bull slapped the table happily. 'Now we're talking, Stevie! Now we're talking!" He addressed one of his aides. 'Get John in here."

The aide got up and walked past Steve into the next carriage, returning a short while later with another man wearing a silver-grey jumpsuit.

Bull invited him to sit in the chair vacated by the aide. It took a few seconds for Steve to realise the newcomer had played a key role in his past.

It was John Chisum. The mysterious medic and parttime fixer, supplier of black-jack tapes and rainbow gra.s.s, owner of fake ID cards and the Provo's friend. The same man who had proved so helpful to him on his arrival in Grand Central after his return to the Federation in chains.

The man who had boosted his morale during his trial before the Board of a.s.sessors - chaired by Fran ....

The man who had set up a secret meeting with Roz in Santanna Deep before his transfer to the A-Levels where they'd last met and almost come to blows after Chisum had blamed her for bringing about his demotion.

And all the time he had been working as an undercover agent for Fran his Controller - and probably her father too. Steve felt sick. Where did it all end?

Bull Jefferson smiled. 'I can see from your face there's no need to introduce you. John's one of us."

Chisum half-rose and reached across the table. 'Just doing my job. No hard feelings I hope."

'Of course not,' said Bull, as Steve took the offered hand without rancour. 'This boy here is another master of deception. He conned his way in and out of the Plainfolk, then in and out of Ne-Issan after blowin' half of it sky-high.

An' it was his contacts there who helped get him and Fran out of prison - and undoubtedly saved her life."

'That's very generous of you, sir."

Bull's smile vanished. 'You misjudge me, son. I reward loyalty and endeavour, but I'm not a generous or a forgiving man. If I thought you'd connived in some way with Karlstrom to destroy The Lady from Louisiana and put my kin-folk in the dock, I'd personally shove you feet-first into. the fire-box of the loco that's haulin' this train."

'Dad! Don't you dare accuse -' 'That's okay, ma'am. I'm happy to say my conscience is clear on that one. But I get the message."

Bull eyed him shrewdly. 'Only there's still something' bothering you .... ' 'Yes, sir. I took an oath of allegiance to the President-General.

I'm willing to help you in any way I can, but before this conversation goes any further I have to tell you I couldn't do anything that would go against that."

'Well said, son. Let me put your mind at rest. By helping us to nail Karlstrom, you won't be betraying the President-General. You'll be rescuing him! AMEXICO's been bamboozling my brother for years! He thinks it's one hundred per cent behind him,' but he's wrong!

Karlstrom's organisation is working against the rest of us!

He's turned it into his personal springboard to power!" 'I see, well.

then I don't have a problem, sir."

'Attaboy!" Bull turned to Chisum. 'Did you bring that gizmo with you?"

'Yes, sir." Chisum produced a flat rectangular box not much bigger than two video-ca.s.settes placed on top of one another. He placed it on the table in front of Steve.

'This is a portable tape-streamer. Battery-driven. It can record a hundred megabytes of information in fifty seconds. What we want you to do is to plug it into one of AMEXICO's computer terminals, call up certain information from their data-base and copy it onto the tape.

Once it's plugged in, it's just a matter of pressing b.u.t.tons. I'll show you how to attach the unit to a standard terminal before you leave the train."

'You've got a computer on the train?!" Chisum laughed. 'Can you think of a safer place?"

Steve turned the box this way and that and thought it over. 'Isn't there some way we can access this data from the outside?"

'No,' said Chisum. 'The data we want to get at is held on a sealed system. AMEXICO's communications with the outside world is handled by an entirely separate network."

'But aren't all these computers part of the system controlled by COLUMBUS?".

'Yes, they are- but it's not as simple as that. That name - COLUMBUSis misleading. It makes it sound like one ma.s.sive box of flashing lights and steaming microchips, when in fact there are hundreds of boxes each one dedicated to performing a particular function.

'It's known as the controlling intelligence of the Federation, but don't think of it as a brain - think of it as being the equivalent to the complete central nervous system regulating the bodily functions of the Federation as well as reasoning, calculating and remembering. And just as doctors can use drugs to prevent pain-bearing messages from reaching the brain, AMEXICO has rendered COLUMBUS partially insensitive to its presence."

'That's pretty d.a.m.n clever. What d'you want me to look for?"

'Well, in the first instance, we want you to copy off the list of files, programs and any special routines held on the data-base. Once we've had time to a.n.a.lyse that, we'll get down to specifics."

'Okay, but what about access? If this is a secure system, it's not going to hand over this data to just anybody."

'You're right,' said Fran, breaking her uncharacteristic silence.

'We're going to give you a copy of Karlstrom's personal ID card and his personal verifications codes."

'Jeezuss!" exclaimed Steve. 'When you guys get into something, you don't mess around! How d'you manage that ? I' 'With great difficulty,' said Chisum.

'So are you ready to do your bit, son?" asked Bull.

'Yes, sir. I feel a whole lot easier in my mind now I know I'm working for the A-Team."

Bull slapped the table with his powerful hands. 'Atta-boy!" Chisum picked up the tape-streamer. 'C'mon next door. I'll show you how to work this gizmo."

Bull Jefferson acknowledged Steve's salute and watched him exit with Chisum. As the door closed on them he turned to Fran. 'Y'know something? Marryin' that boy ain't really such a bad idea. Ambitious young stud, from a good stable. Could do a lot worse."

Fran greeted the suggestion with a scornful laugh.

As he emerged from the Simulation Room, after another day-long session of computerised war-games, Steve was intercepted by one of AMEXICO's female staff-officers and taken via a backstairs route to Karlstrom's office.