tomention that the Verdam cruiser fired upon the Terran cruiser overneutral New Jardeen in open violation of Galactic Rule. An atmosphericfeedback of the Verdam cruiser's own space blasters tore out its sideand caused it to fall. The Terran cruiser never fired."
"But Mr. Rockford--" Sonig spoke very courteously. "Isn't it true thatcertain safety devices prevent atmospheric feedback?"
"They do--unless accidentally or purposely disconnected."
Sonig raised his eyebrows. "You imply a created incident, sir?"
"It doesn't matter," Val Boran said. His tone was as grim as his faceand it was obvious he did not believe Rockford's explanation. "ColonyCity is a field of fused glass, now, its people are gone, and no amountof debating can ever bring them back."
* * * * * * * * *
The dismal dinner was finally over. Rockford stopped outside the door oftheir cabin to fill and light his pipe.
"It was a profitable evening," he said to Hunter. "I can start planningin detail now--after a little beer, that is."
_He'll go to sleep after he drinks his beer_, Hunter thought, _and therewill never be any plan unless I--_
Soft footsteps came up the path behind them. It was Princess Lyla.
"I want to apologize," she said, "I just told Val ... Mr. Boran the samething."
Her face was a pale oval in the starlight, her eyes dark shadows. "I'msorry my husband mentioned the New Jardeen incident."
"That's all right, Lyla," Rockford said. "No harm was done."
"He's an ex-military man, and I guess it's his nature to be moreforthright than tactful."
"You certainly can't condemn him for that," Rockford said. "In fact,he's an extraordinary teller of entertaining stories. It was a mostenjoyable evening."
* * * * *
"And, in a way, it was," Rockford said when she was gone and they werein the cabin. He was seated in the softest chair, a can of beer in hishand, as usual.
Hunter thought of the way she had looked in the starlight and said, "Whydid she let that windbag sit at the head of the table and ruin themeeting that she had arranged?"
"He'll soon be her husband--I suppose she feels she should be loyal tohim."
"But--"
"But what?"
"Nothing. It's none of my business."
"Oh?" Rockford smiled in a way Hunter did not like. "You think so, eh?"
Hunter changed the subject. "Are you going to start talking to Boran toundo the damage Narf and Sonig have done?"
"It would be a waste of time, my boy. Val Boran's mind is already madeup."
"Then what are you going to do?"
"Drink six cans of beer and go to sleep."
"I thought you had a plan."
"I have, a most excellent plan."
"What is it?"
"You'd scream like a banshee if you knew. You'll learn--if you manage tolive that long."
Rockford was sound asleep an hour later, snoring gently. Hunter satthinking, hearing the steady murmur of a voice coming from Val Boran'scabin. Sonig's voice--using every means of persuasion he could think of,at the moment capitalizing on the New Jardeen incident and Boran'swithheld grief over the sister he had lost.
And the Terran Republic's representative was sprawled fat and mindlessin a fog of beer fumes.
Hunter hesitated no longer. The fate of Earth and the Terran Republichung in the balance and time was desperately limited--if there was nowany time at all.
He took paper and pen and began the urgent message to Supreme Command,headed, TOP EMERGENCY. It would be sent via Hyperspace Communicationsfrom the city and would span the hundred light-years within seconds.
* * * * *
He was up before Rockford the next morning, and went out into the brightsunlight. He looked hopefully for Alonzo, not wanting to be seen mailingthe letter in person. Rockford, despite his drunken stupors, could beshrewdly observant and he might deduce the contents of the letter beforeSupreme Command ever received it.
He was some distance from the cabin when he heard the pound of paddedfeet behind him.
"Rootenant," Alonzo had the grin of a genial canine idiot. "Do you wantme to mair your retter to your dear ore mother?"
"Yes, I have the letter right here."
"O.K. I got to hurry, because the mair hericopter reaves right away. Icharge six fig cookies or three candy bars or--"
"Here--take it and run--and try not to slobber all over it."
* * * * *
They were served breakfast in the cabin. Afterward, Rockford went for abrief talk with Princess Lyla. He came back and settled down in theeasy-chair, his pipe in his hand.
"Your morning's duty won't be at all unpleasant," he said. "Theobnoxious and repulsive things will begin to happen to you later. Maybethis afternoon."
"What do you mean?"
"This morning you will go for a walk with Princess Lyla and discusschanging the Vestan Space Guard into a force along Terran Space Patrollines. Narf is still in bed, by the way."
Rockford added, "I'll give you a bit of sage advice, for your owngood--try not to fall in love with her."
* * * * * * * * *
Hunter and Princess Lyla sat together on the high hill, their backsagainst the red trunk of a cloud tree. On the mountain's slope to theirright lay the dark and junglelike Tiger Forest--he wondered if it wastrue that the savage tree tigers never left its borders--while thetoylike cabins of the camp were below them. The mountain's slope droppedon down to the deserts, beyond which were other mountains, far away andtranslucent azure.
"It was George who suggested we come up here," she said. "He knows I dothat often when the responsibilities of being queen of a world--I'm suchan ordinary and untalented person--become too much for me. I always feelbetter when I sit up here and look down on the mountains and deserts."
"Yes," he said politely.
"A ruling princess can be so alone," she said. "That's why I appreciateGeorge's friendship so much--it's never because of any ulterior motivebut because he likes me."
_I'm going to use her, and you, to get what I want._
He looked at her, at the lines of sadness on the face that was too oldfor its years, felt the way she was so grateful to Rockford for what wasonly a cold-blooded pretense of friendship, and the dislike for Rockfordincreased. He could not force himself to speak civilly of Rockford so hechanged the subject:
"I understand you wanted to talk to me about the Space Guard?"
"Yes. Even a neutral world can't feel safe these days and Georgesuggested that."
"I'll be glad to help all I can. Of course, the change will requiretime."
"I can understand that. They say you Space Patrol officers begintraining at sixteen, after passing almost impossible qualificationtests."
"The tests can seem extremely difficult to a farm boy from Kansas. I--"
"Kansas?" Her eyes lighted with interest. "My grandmother was fromKansas! She used to tell me about the green plains of grain in thespring, and how different they were from the deserts of Vesta...."
It was almost noon when he took her hand and helped her to her feet,realizing guiltily that they had talked all morning without ever gettingback to the cold, dry facts of military efficiency.
"It was nice to talk up here this morning," she said. She looked down atthe cabins and the shadow fell again across her face. "But nothing downthere has been changed by it, has it?"
He held to her hand longer than was necessary as they went down thesteep part of the hill. She did not seem to mind.
When they reached her cabin she said, "It's still a little while untillunch--time enough for you to give me a rough outline of the Space Guardchange."
Everything inside the cabin was feminine. None of Narf's possessionswere visible. There was a heavy door leading into Narf's half of thecabin, with a massive lock. Hunter
wondered if it was left unlocked atnight, thought of Narf's sour face and leering little eyes, and foundthe thought repulsive.
The answer to his conjecture came with the entrance of a servant as theyseated themselves.
"By your leave, your highness," the servant said, bowing, "I came tomake Lord Narf a key for that inner door."
"A key?" There was alarm in her tone. "But we're not married--not yet!"
A puzzled expression came to the man's face. "Lord Narf told me, yourhighness, that you had ordered the duplicate key made and