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pocket and thumbed it on. The unconscious watcher was unmistakably
Liaden; a red welt marred the smooth, golden brow. His hat had
fallen off, freeing static-filled golden hair badly cut in
imitation of the local style.
    "How hard," Val Con asked Nelirikk, thumbing
the dim off and slipping it away, "did you hit him?"
    "Scout, I only spoke to him."
    "Oh?" He sent a glance in Nelirikk's
direction, but the big man's face was shadowed. "What did you say
to him, I wonder?"
    "Dog of a Liaden, prepare to die," Nelirikk
said calmly.
    Val Con bit his lip. Inside his head, he
heard the music of Miri's laughter.
    "I see. And then?"
    "And then he most foolishly tried to escape
me, tangled his feet in a root and fell, striking his head. The
guard was at the far end of his patrol, or he could not have missed
hearing it."
    "Ah." Val Con sat back on his heels. "And
his pockets?"
    "Empty now. According to those protocols the
Old Scout taught me, this person is a criminal many times
over."
    "As we are. However, our hearts are
pure."
    The Captain's aide felt no need to reply to
this truth, instead stuffing the downed man's contraband into a
capacious rucksack.
    Val Con reached again into his inner pocket,
fingered out an ampule and snapped it under the unconscious man's
nose.
    A gasp, a frenzied fit of coughing. The
blond man jackknifed into a sitting position, eyes snapping open.
He blinked at Val Con, flicked a look beyond–and froze, his face a
study in horrified disbelief.
    "Galandaria," he whispered hoarsely, his
eyes still riveted on Nelirikk. ". . . an Yxtrang . . ."
    "Yes, I know," Val Con said calmly. "He is
sworn to my service, which may be fortunate for you, for he will
not undertake to pull your arms off without an order from me."
    The Liaden swallowed, painfully.
    "What is your name and mission?" Val Con
asked.
    The man closed his eyes. Val Con waited.
    "Technician Ilbar ten'Ornold," the Liaden
said at last. "We are attached to the Uplift Team, dispatched to
the area in order to ascertain if Rogue Agent Val Con yos'Phelium .
. ." He opened his eyes with a knowing start.
    Gravely, Val Con inclined his head.
    "Val Con yos'Phelium, Clan Korval," he
murmured. "Pray forgive my omission of the courtesies."
    Ilban ten'Ornold sighed.
    "Field Agent san'Doval and yourself were
sent to ascertain whether or not I had left anything of interest to
the Department in Gylles," Val Con said, softly, in deference to
the guard still walking his line.
    "Yes."
    Val Con paused, head to one side, studying
the man's face.
    "You will perhaps not have received recent
news of the home world," he said. "The Department–"
    "We had heard that headquarters had been
destroyed. That does not mean the Department has been
eliminated."
    "Of course not," Val Con said politely, and
stood, taking care to brush the leaves off the knees of his pants.
"Nelirikk."
    The Yxtrang stepped forward, flexing his
fingers and shrugging the chill out of his shoulders.
    Tech ten'Ornold jerked backward, feet
scrambling for purchase in the dead leaves.
    Val Con turned, as if to leave.
    "No! For the– You cannot leave me to this!
I–"
    Val Con turned back.
    "Lead us, quietly, to your base in Gylles,"
he said. "Or I will indeed leave you alone with this man."
    Nelirikk paused, and gave the poor fellow a
toothy predator's grin, perfectly discernable in the dark.
    Ilbar ten'Ornold stared, as if he would keep
him at bay with the force of his terror alone.
    "I agree," he said hoarsely. "Now, for the
love of the gods put me under your protection!"
    Val Con looked to Nelirikk, who dropped back
a step, with a wholly convincing show of reluctance.
    "I accept your parole," Val Con told the
tech. "Now, fulfill your part."
    *
    "The Explorers Club," Kem repeated, her
voice calm and cold. Inwardly, Hakan cringed. He'd thought that
telling the truth was the best thing to do, though the truth came
perilously close to . . . the thing they didn't talk about. The
very thing that Kem didn't want to