here."
She walked beside Narf to the door and out it, the top of her dark haircoming just even with his shoulder.
"And that," Rockford said as he settled down in the largest, softestchair, "was king-to-be Narf, whose business ability is such that all hisinherited Sea Island estates are gone but the one Lyla saved for him andwho owes a total of ten million monetary units, to everyone from callgirls to yacht builders."
"And she is going to marry him?" Hunter asked. "Marry that jackass andlet him bankrupt her kingdom?"
Rockford shrugged. "You may have noticed that she doesn't look the leastbit happy about it--but she is a very conscientious young lady whoregards it as her most solemn duty to keep the promise she made to herfather. For her, there is no escape."
"But--"
"Your first duty will be to cultivate a friendship with her. I'm goingto use her, and you, to get what I want."
"_Use_ us?"
"Yes. One of the most rigid requirements of a Strategic Service man'scharacter is that he be completely without one."
* * * * * * * * *
Rockford was asleep in his chair an hour later, three empty beer cansbeside him. Hunter watched him, his doubt of Rockford's competencegrowing into a conviction. Rockford had spoken knowingly of hisplan--and had done nothing but drink more beer. Now he was asleep whiletime--so limited and precious--went by. He hadn't even bothered to replyto Hunter's suggestion that perhaps he should call on Val Boran andcounteract some of Envoy Sonig's anti-Terran propaganda.
Hunter came to a decision. If Rockford was still doing nothing whenmorning came, he would send an urgent message to Supreme Command.
He went outside, to find a servant and learn how mail was handled.
* * * * *
"_Rook out!_"
Gravel flew as overgrown feet tried to stop, and something like a hugeblack dog lunged headlong around the corner and into his legs. He wentto the ground head first over the animal, acutely aware as he went downof the fascinated interest on the face of a not-so-distant servant.
"I sorry, Rootenant."
He got up, to look down at the doglike animal. There was a concernedexpression in its brown eyes and an apologetic grin on its face. Herecognized it as one of the natives of the grim starvation world ofAltair Four. The Altairians had emigrated to all sections of the galaxy,to earn a living in whatever humble capacity they could fill. Many wereempathic.
"I run too fast to meet, Mr. Rockford, I guess. Are you hurt,Rootenant?"
He pulled a cloud tree needle out of his hand and looked grimly downinto the furry face. "In the future, try to look where you're going."
"Oh, I rook, awr right. I just not see. My name is Aronzo, Rootenant,and I stay here awr the time and guard everything for Princess Ryra. Iprease to meet you and I wirr run errands for you, and do things rikemair your retters, for candy or cookies, which I are not supposed to eatmuch of, but Princess Ryra say not too many wirr hurt me--"
"Mail letters?" Hunter's animosity vanished. "I'm sorry I was rude,Alonzo--all my fault. I may write a letter to my dear old mothertonight, and if you would mail it for me in the morning--"
* * * * *
Rockford left ahead of Hunter and it was a minute past the appointedtime when Hunter reached the meeting hall. He heard Narf's loud voiceinside:
"... Boran must have stopped to watch the sunset. Told him I wantedeveryone here on time--"
The low voice of Lyla said something and Narf said, "Not necessary foryou to defend him, my dear. I made it plain to him."
A new voice spoke from behind Hunter:
"It seems I have annoyed Lord Narf."
He was a tall, black-eyed man, with the dark, saturnine face of anIndian. There was a strange, indefinable air of sadness about him whichreminded Hunter of the sombre little Princess Lyla.
"You're Val Boran, sir?" he said. "I'm Lieutenant Hunter--"
Inside, Narf sat at the head of the table. On his left was Lyla, thenRockford. On his right was a spidery little man of about fifty, hisslick-back hair so tight against his skull that it gave his head theappearance of a weasel's. His lips were paper-thin under a long nose,like those of a dry and selfish old maid, but the round little eyesdarting behind thick glasses were cold and shrewd and missed nothing. Hewould be Verdam's Special Envoy Sonig. Hunter appraised him as a manvery dangerous in his own deceptive way.
A servant showed them to their places at the table. Rockford and ValBoran exchanged greetings. The moment everyone was seated, Narf said,"Dinner tonight will--"
"Excuse me," Lyla said, "but Mr. Sonig hasn't yet met--"
"Oh ... the young fellow there--" Narf gestured with his hand."Rockford's aide. Now, ring the chime, Lyla. Those forest stag steaksare already getting cold. I killed the beast myself, gentlemen, justthis morning; a long-range running shot that required a bit more thanluck...."
The dinner was excellent, but no one seemed to notice. Narf was absorbedin the story of his swift rise to eminence in the Vestan Space Guard.There were humorous incidents:
"... Can't understand why, but I seem to attract women like a magnet.I'm strictly the masculine type of male and I approve of this but it canbe a blasted nuisance when you're an ensign going up fast and yourcommander finds one of your blondes stowed away in your compartment...."
And there were scenes of tense drama:
"... Made a boyhood vow that I'd never settle for anything less than toalways be a man among men. Seem to have succeeded rather well. When Isaw the crew was almost to the snapping point from battle tension I knewthat as commander I'd have to set the example that would inspire."
Hunter recalled Rockford's words of a few hours before: "_Narf got to becommander, finally, but only because he was the son of the king's bestfriend. His record is very mediocre._"
Princess Lyla tried three times to start a conversation of generalinterest and was drowned out by Narf each time. Sonig's pretense ofbeing spellbound by Narf's stories was belied by the way his eyes keptdarting from Rockford to Val Boran. Val's own attention kept shiftingfrom Narf to the silent Lyla, whose downcast eyes betrayed herdiscouragement. She watched Val from under her eyelashes, to look awaywhenever their eyes met, and Hunter wondered if she was ashamed becauseNarf had given Sonig the seat of honor that should have belonged to Val.
Of course, Narf's own position at the head of the table was actuallyLyla's.
"... So there's no substitute for competent, unwavering leadership,"Narf was saying. "Received a citation for that one."
Sonig nodded appreciatively. "Your military record well illustrates thefact that the tensions of danger and battle can bring forth in acompetent leader the highest kind of courage. But it seems to me thatthese same circumstances, if the leader is frightened or incompetent,can easily produce hysterical actions with disastrous consequences. Isthis true, your lordship?"
Rockford was watching Sonig intently and Hunter saw that there was aneager anticipation in Sonig's manner.
"You are quite right," Narf answered. "I've always had the ability toremain cool in any crisis. Very important. Let a commander get rattledand he may give any kind of an order. Like the New Jardeen Incident."
A frozen silence followed the last five words. Hunter thought, _Sothat's what the little weasel was fishing for...._
Rockford quietly laid down his fork. Val's face turned grim. Lyla lookedup in quick alarm and said to Narf:
"Let's not--"
"Don't misunderstand me, gentlemen," Narf's loud voice went on. "_I_believe the commander of the Terran cruiser wouldn't have ordered it tofire upon the Verdam cruiser over a neutral world such as New Jardeenif he had been his rational self. Cold-war battle nerves. So he shotdown the Verdam cruiser and its nuclear converters exploded when it fellin the center of Colony City. Force of a hydrogen bomb--forty thousandinnocent people gone in a microsecond. Not the commander's fault,really--fault of the military s
ystem that failed to screen out itsunstable officers."
"Yes, your lordship. But is it possible"--Sonig spoke verythoughtfully--"for a political power, which is of such a nature that itmust have a huge military force to maintain its existence, to thoroughlyscreen all its officers? So many officers are required--Can there everbe any assurance that such tragedies won't occur again and again, untila majority of worlds combine in demanding an end to aggression and war?"
Rockford spoke to the grim Val:
"I know, sir, that your sister was among the lost in Colony City. I amsorry. For the benefit of Mr. Sonig and Lord Narf, I would like