Barton rose and moved toward the door. "Just a min- ute," said Tarieton. "We're not through here."

"Oh? Okay, shoot."

"You're still working for me, I think. While that's true.

I don't want you picking any bones with the Tilari. Com- ments?"

Barton thought it over. "Yeh, comments. You sif back so much, sometimes I forget who's running the show. And that's no complaint; I like having a free hand. But if you don't want me taking over too much, it's about time you spoke up."

"I'm doing it. Mostly I have no complaints, either; you run a good fleet. But policy's my bag. You stay out of it."

For a moment, surprise at the challenge kept Barton s3ent. Then, "Right; we each have our own job. All right -outside of regular operations I won't say Word One to Vertan, without your okay."

"Good enough. And when it comes to fleet opera- tions I'm not putting any wraps on you. You understand that, don't you?"

"I'm not with the fleet any more; remember? I'm on the hit force, to Sisshain." Tarleton's brows raised, but he said nothing.

Helaise was dozing; her outburst had drained her energies. "She might as well be in bed," said Max Cum- mings. Tarieton shrugged, lifted her gently and carried her to Compartment Three.

"I would be with her," said Eeshta. "If she wakes, needing something, I could bring it." The young Demu brought a few things from Six and settled in as night nurse,

230.

showing no signs of planning to sleep immediately. Cum- mings said good night and left the ship.

"All right," said Tarieton then. "Let's talk strike force.

When do you want to leave?"

No arguments? Good enough. "About three hours ago. No-a couple of days, to get the hardware together.

And I need to see Limila first. . . ."

"Sure. The hardware, I'll expedite. You think about the makeup of your strike team; we can settle it tomor- row. Right now, I want a look at that map." They took the map into the control room, where Barton spread it across the operations desk.

He pointed out Tilara, the major Demu worlds and their guard planets, and the dust cloud, with the pocket facing away from Demu space. Deep in the pocket, one star held lone sway. Tarieton put a finger to it. "That's the one the Ormthan mentioned?"

"Good memory. As I recall, it was a single mention."

"When that one talked, I listened." Then Tarieton proposed that instead of going straight for the cloud, Barton should first get that obstacle between him and the Demu guard worlds. Less risk of detection that way, he said. Of course the detour would add to Hishtoo's lead, but as Barton said, Hishtoo was limited to light-speed communications just like everybody else, and would have no chance to alert any other Demu worlds. While it would be best to catch Mishtoo in space, the real need was to prevent any ship leaving to take word from Sis- shain. "Assuming he does go there," Tarieton added.

"And if he gets there first, what's your plan?"

"Depends on what we find. Maybe sit down and look around-or hang loose upstairs and hold the line until the fleet arrives."

"Sounds reasonable." Tarieton yawned. "Barton, I've about had it for tonight. Excuse me?"

"Sure. See you." But before Barton could leave, the entrance alarm blinked and sounded.

"Must be the troops coming in," said Barton. "I'll get it."

Tarieton sighed. "I'd better stay and hear if there's any news. In the galley?"

"Right." Barton walked to the main airlock. Awaiting entrance was no crew member, but Vertan. Barton spoke his name, nothing more.

231.

-Barton. I may enter?" Barton waved him in, and ?ed tile way to the galley. "I am of regret," the Tilaran said, "for the hurt to our friendship. Of the man ap Fenn, that you and we were of ignorance to the ways of the other.

Cummings has told me that our help would not have been of use. But had I known how you feel of such matters, I would have been of willingness.

"Of the Demu's escape-I was, in speaking, of, shock and surprise, and am now of apology. Part of the fault is of ourselves, that the Demu could take our ship. Shall we both be of forgiveness, Barton?"

Hell-his promise to Tarleton surely didn't cover the acceptance of olive branches! "Be it so, Vertan. And again of friendship." Pausing at the galley's open door, they shook hands.

"Be of welcome, Vertan," said Tarleton. Then in English, "I gather we're all buddies again?" Barton nodded. "Coffee, perhaps?"

"It is of pleasure," said Vertan. "Is not 'buddies* of friendship? I am now, from study, of some skill in your language. Shall we speak in it?"

"If you like." Tarleton did so. "I'm still not too good in yours, I admit. And what is your thought here, tonight?"

"First was to repair friendship. I think-I hope-that is done. Then, to exchange facts and discuss the plans- the changes of plan-we must put before the group to- morrow. You have thought on this already, perhaps?"

"Yes," said Tarleton. "We know where Hishtoo is go- ing. Barton will take a small force and try to get there first. The fleet will follow as soon as possible. Barton?"

The latter had stood. "Go ahead with the fill-in," he said. "I'll get the map. And I have a few questions my- self."

A few minutes later the three were tracing routes and estimating time-distance factors. "It is not a certainty,"

said Vertan, "that you can overtake Hishtoo. With two or three days' lead, a very good pilot and navigator could negate your advantage in acceleration, between here and Sisshain. Do you know whether Hishtoo is so skilled?"

"He's traveled plenty," said Barton, "and in Charge of a ship, at that-it was his raider that picked me up on Earth, But whether he was the brains or just the brass. I don't know." He paused. "I just thought of something.

232.

Your ships' controls work a lot different from ours, or from the Demu's-and that could hamper Hishtoo."

"But the Demu have captured Tilari ships, in the past,"

said Tarleton. "I wonder what the chances are, that he might be familiar with your control systems ...."

"We had best," the Tilaran said, "assume the most dan- gerous possibility."

"Right," said Barton. "And there's where I have ques- tions."

He didn't like the answers. Hishtoo's ship carried a laser, installation complete except for the power leads- and a full set of instruction manuals. Barton had seen those manuals; they were good, very graphic. Hishtoo wouldn't have any language problem.

"Well, gentlemen," he said, "that puts knobs on it.

Hishtoo has to be stopped on Sisshain-if not sooner."

He asked further. Vertan could supply the stolen ship's drive-wake patterns, for detection and identification in space, but not until the next day; that particular computer file was not attended at night. All right; Barton asked about Hishtoo's fuel supply, and other weapons the Demu might have, both ship's and personal- None from Ship One, he knew; in port, handguns stayed locked up. "And I assume your ship was empty."

Briefly, before he answered, the Tilaran's face twisted;

Barton wondered at the look. of it, for the news wasn't all that bad. Hishtoo had enough .fuel to reach Sisshain or another Demu world-Demmon, say-but not to go first to one and then another. He .probably had two ion-beam handguns, but in space, what good were they?