Khorat settled himself more comfortably onto the cushions his race evidently preferred to more rigid forms of furniture. "The matter is complex," he began, making me feel somewhat better about my own level of brilliance. "As a starting point, the Tonkuztra have stolen something very important from the Ekhemasu."

"Excuse me," I interrupted diffidently, for my earpiece wasn't up to the level of nuance I needed here.

"Do you mean from the Ekhemasu Empire?"

"No. I am referring to the Ekhemasu people-the original race, of which I am a member."My brain kicked into high gear. "So, am I correct in supposing that you-whatever your position in the diplomatic mission your empire has sent here to Antyova-are not acting on behalf of that empire?"

"You are. In this matter, at least, I am acting for an organization of my own race. The imperial authorities know nothing of the theft, nor even of that which was stolen."

"May I further a.s.sume that it was this 'organization' that 'arranged' for your presence here?"

"Ah, I see you haven't forgotten that slip of the tongue on my part, Mr. Devaney! Yes, you may so a.s.sume. We have ways of . . . influencing the imperial bureaucracy when necessary." The alien face

suddenly wore the expression I had learned to recognize as one of amus.e.m.e.nt. "Dismiss any thoughts of some revolutionary cabal among us, plotting the subversion of the empire and the expulsion of the Delkasu."

"No such thoughts had occurred to me," I declared huffily. My reaction probably had something to do

with the fact that that was exactly what I'd been thinking."I am rea.s.sured." The alien's amus.e.m.e.nt was unabated. "The fact of the matter is, we do not really disapprove of the empire. Nor of the Delkasu, really, even though we have a deep-seated tendency to feel uncomfortable around meat-eating animals. No offense intended," he added smoothly. "We have adjusted to the concept of civilized meat-eaters. And the Delkasu undeniably brought much that was of value."

"You mean their advanced technology?""Not so much that as their genius for organization. All the more so inasmuch as we ourselves have been able to make ourselves indispensable to their organization, and-as I have intimated-use it for our own ends from time to time. At any rate, our historical sense predisposes us to take the long view of things, inasmuch as it is rooted in a very long history. We therefore tend to regard the Delkasu and their 'Ekhemasu Empire' as merely an episode. So while we may occasionally daydream of a world without the Delkasu, I really doubt if many of us would take the opportunity if by some miracle it was offered.

At worst, we think of them as somewhat-" Khorat or the translator software or both hesitated over just the right word "-b.u.mptious."

"This is all very interesting, I'm sure," said Chloe in a tone of firm female practicality. "But to get back

to what you were saying earlier, may we know what is it that the Tonkuztra have stolen from your

people?"

"No." This was stated with a flat finality that came across in the hard monosyllable I heard Khorat utter, as well as in the intonation my earpiece gave the English negative. "The fact that we are dealing with the matter in our own way should tell you that this is something our own government cannot be allowed to know. Still less may you."

"Why?" I demanded. "If the Tonkuztra have already stolen whatever-it-is, then the big secret is blown

anyway.""Say what you will of the Tonkuztra, they are not stupid. They are quite capable of appreciating the unique, no, transcendent importance of what they have acquired. Not that they can really understand the full depths of its implications, and not that I am fatuous enough to expect it to awaken in them some heretofore well-concealed sense of social responsibility. But the 'family' in question has proven intelligent enough to proceed in this matter with great discretion, going beyond even the pains they usually take to keep secrets from each other as well as from the authorities. They have made no attempt to use the stolen knowledge themselves, but instead have placed it on the market very circ.u.mspectly. They have put out feelers only to those potential buyers they consider likely to be interested in this particular merchandise but too backward to make practical use of it. Thus they exercise their cupidity while appeasing their . . . not 'conscience,' never that. Say, rather, 'caution.'" Khorat's tone took on a kind of bitter sadness. "I'm sure they believe they are being just too terribly clever for words. It is a pity that they are wrong."

"Are you implying that they've found a buyer?"

"I am. That is why the organization to which I have alluded went to a great deal of trouble to make sure

my colleagues and I would be here on Antyova II at this particular time. We are here to prevent the sale

from taking place."I found myself nodding. This was starting to make a kind of sense. "So they're selling it to the Selangava Empire? But no; you said they were looking for 'backward' buyers they think can't do any real harm with it. So who are they selling it to? And what's all this got to do with us?"

"I see you have still not grasped the implications of what I said before: we had to be in position here at this particular time.""You're right; I don't get it." I was growing irritated. "What's so special about this particular time, here in the Antyova system? Who's here now, who isn't normally . . . ?" My voice trailed off.

Khorat hitched himself up on the cushions and looked down at us with those huge dark eyes. "I perceive that you begin to understand."

"You mean . . . us?" Infuriatingly, my voice broke in a squeak."Someone among you," Khorat specified. "Someone the Tonkuztra have been in contact with. Hence, without doubt, the same traitor of whom you are already aware-the one who revealed to the Tonkuztra the truth about your world." Those eyes seemed to grow even huger, and we found we could not look away. "Oh, yes. We Ekhemasu know all about that."

I have no idea how long the silence lasted. Chloe finally broke it.

"I can't imagine what you're talking about," she said in a perfectly normal voice. I've never been prouder of another human being. That was, I'm certain, the precise moment I fell in love with her.

"We shall proceed far more briskly with this discussion if we do not attempt to bulls.h.i.t each other." Khorat must, I thought, have used a seriously pungent expression, for the prissy translator software to have come out with that.

"But," I managed, trying without success to match Chloe's superhuman equanimity, "what makes you

think . . . what gives you the idea . . . ?"

Khorat lowered his head and gave a long, rustling sound deep in his throat, which went untranslated. It was, I was later to learn, the equivalent of a human rolling his eyes heavenward with a sigh of mock resignation. "Never mind how we know. As you have probably gathered by now, the organization to which I belong has ways of finding things out. And you may set your minds at rest: we have no desire to expose the truly admirable ongoing deception your people have been practicing. So let us proceed to consider how certain things, heretofore mysterious to you, now stand explained."

"What 'things'?" Chloe inquired, her busted bluff tacitly shelved.

"For one, the reason for the traitor's initial betrayal. It was, you see, a 'down payment.' The information

about your planet's real state of affairs was, if you will, 'earnest money' to establish this individual's bona fides with the Tonkuztra."

"But that was five years ago," I protested, remembering my own involvement.

"These things take time, Mr. Devaney. But to continue: something else that is-or should be-clear to

you now is the reason why you attracted the attention of the Tonkuztra and their Agardir minions. You are the mission's security officer. From the standpoints of both buyer and seller, your elimination would mean one less thing to worry about. This was so obvious that I took steps to prevent it."

"These," Chloe nodded, fingering the trinket still pinned to her jacket. "I guess I was included in the deal

as a friend of his."

I stood up so I wouldn't have to look upward to meet Khorat's eyes. "I don't suppose you happen to know the ident.i.ty of this traitor among us humans?"

"Unfortunately, no. I was hoping you would be able to help me ascertain it."

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to identify this person, and you can be sure I'll make it my

top priority starting now. Only . . . I must have missed the part about why I should share my findings

with you."

Khorat took no apparent offense. "We can help each other. I am in a position to expedite your investigation-and, incidentally, enable you to verify the truth of what I have been saying."

"All right. I'm listening."

"We have learned that a face-to-face meeting is to take place. It's the way the Tonkuztra do business, you see. Many of their practices and traditions have an archaic flavor, dating back to their days as a secret society on the pres.p.a.ceflight Delkasu homeworld. I imagine there are parallels among the

criminal organizations with which you are familiar. At any rate, we know the time and place of this meeting, whose purpose is to finalize the terms of the sale and arrange for the actual transfer."

"If you know all this, what do you need us for?"

"By a stroke of ill fortune, my colleagues and I are unable to act on our knowledge. At the time in

question, our presence is required for a transaction that is crucial for our government. You two, on the other hand, might well be able to observe the meeting. You could learn both the traitor's ident.i.ty and the time and place of the actual delivery . . . and pa.s.s the latter information on to me, in payment for my having enabled you to obtain the former."

"Aw, gee, and I thought you were being our guardian angel purely out of the goodness of your heart."

"Actually, my species has two hearts. And I do not believe you ever cherished any such notion." As I had already begun to suspect, the Ekhemasu sense of humor had definite limits. "But for a fact we are

natural allies. You can catch your traitor. And we can put ourselves in a position to retrieve that which has been stolen from us-or, at least, prevent its sale. Are you agreeable?"

"You know, Khorat, we might be able to work up more motivation if we had some idea of what these

stolen goods are, and why they're so important."

"I have already explained to you-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." I made eye contact with Chloe. She made a face, but nodded. I turned back to the

alien. "All right, Khorat, let's get down to cases."

CHAPTER NINE.

Renata Novak's reaction on our tardy return was as per expectations.

"You know the ground rules," she snapped, raking us with her eyes from across the tiny desk in the

compartment she used for an office. "These excursions outside the ship are to conform to a strict, prearranged schedule, and-"

"Come on," I protested. "Haven't you been listening? We had to do whatever it took to shake the Agardir