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it."
    Laughter seemed incongruous, but Rissa could not suppress it. "Liesel! I am glad I do not have to explain, for I am not sure I could have done so. And now wil you release me from your game?"
    "Oh, sit the hel down and finish your dinner before it gets cold, wil you?"
    "It has already cooled-but still I have appetite." She sat again, ate, and drank. Slowly and hesitantly the talk resumed, but now more straightforward, devoid of hints and traps.
    When Rissa had enough of food and drink, she said, "Do we wish to play at cards? If not, I will go and pack for tomorrow after all, as Bran Tregare suggested."
    Sparline said, "Cards? Too artifical a game for me tonight."
    "Then a goodnight to all of you," and Rissa left the group. Upstairs she packed all but what she would need to use in the morning, before departure.
    She supposed there would be no luxurious hot tub on the scoutship; certainly there had been none on Inconnu. So she ran her bath full and for a long time lay in it, relaxed. After-ward she brushed her wet hair back and down, inspected it in a mirror, and decided it did not need trimming so soon again. Then she dried it and went to bed. She was nearly asleep when Tregare entered; the lights came on and she sat up, blinking. He moved slowly and carefully as he came and bent to kiss her; on his breath she smelled raw .spirits.
    "I'm all waste and half-jettisoned, Rissa." He put a brown envelope on a dresser near the bed. "Been drinking with an old acquaintance, off a ship just in today." He began to un-dress. "News-not sure what it means, yet-lots to think about." He visited the bathroom, returned and got into bed. "Lots to talk about, too-but tomorrow, if I don't sleep clear through the day." He kissed her again and lay back, breathing deeply.
    "I will wake you-you can get up or go back to sleep." She smoothed his hair. "At any rate, I am glad you are here." With the bedside switch she darkened the room, and lay wondering what had happened. When Tregare's breathing took on the pattern of sleep, she shook her head and cleared her thoughts. After a time, she slept also. waking, Rissa washed, dressed, and ordered up a pot of coffee and a pitcher of juice. When the tray arrived, she woke Bran.
    "Do you wish to get up or to sleep longer?"
    "Neither." He stretched, and gathered the pillows behind him to prop up against. Rissa placed the tray handy to him and brought a chair for herself. He poured for them. "I'm not hungry yet, "he said, "so this is just right."
    "Do you suffer from last night's drink?"
    "Me? No, we stuck to good booze al the way. I wasn't al that far off course, anyway-mostly just tired. Or I wouldn't have tried to bring the aircar home at night." He scratched at the bandage on his cheek. "You got my cal, did you?"
    "Yes. I tried to return it, but you left no relay code."
    "Couldn't-wasn't sure where I was going to be."
    "My luggage is packed, as you said. When do we depart?"
    "I want to make a family report first, and see what every-body thinks. Maybe right here, if nobody objects." He got out of bed. "You want to cal Liesel while I see to the plumbing?" He went into the bathroom.
    Rissa reached Liesel in her office and relayed Tregare's sug-gestion. "It's al right with me," Liesel said. "Now?"
    "If that is convenient for you."
    "It's fine. I'll be right up."
    Tregare returned and got into bed again, shifting the pilows to sit more upright. LiesePs knock came soon; Rissa admitted her and arranged another chair.
    "Hawkman's in the city and Sparline's meeting with the section chiefs this morning, so let me pipe the intercom to my office recorder." That done and coffee at hand, she said, "Al right, Bran-let's have it."
    "The brown envelope on the dresser." Rissa reached to hand it to him. "No-you two look. They're a little fuzzycopies of copies, at best, but-" The women looked at the first color print. Rissa said, "This ship, Bran-what kind of insigne is that? And the mark-ings-" He shook his head. "Keep