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every month, and yet your guests have never seen you. Amazing!”
    “I could have twice this attendance, but by limiting the invitations I make them that much more prized.”
    “And you actually obtain all that vital intelligence at these revs?”
    “Occasionally I obtain vital information here, but I always overhear a great deal of careless conversation that can lead to important information if used properly. My organization uses it properly.”
    “Remarkable! Donov is such an insignificant world.”
    “A silly world. It has no army, only the one space cruiser its membership in the Federation requires, and not even an effective police force. It doesn’t threaten anyone and it has nothing that anyone would want. I have fat dossiers on at least a dozen high Donovian officials and politicians, I could blackmail them easily, but why bother? No, our operation is valuable for precisely that reason. Donov is unimportant, everyone relaxes here, and people who relax tend to become careless—and that applies to the diplomatic staffs as well as to important government officials and the prominent people who vacation here.”
    “I’ll take every precaution to keep my staff from becoming relaxed,” the ambassador promised. “And—no one even suspects?”
    “Of course not. I have to use unpowered pickups—there are people who carry detectors as a matter of course, even on Donov, and one beep would shatter everything I’ve accomplished. That means I can’t cover the center of the room unless I contrive some kind of low-hanging decorations, but most of the confidential talk takes place along walls or in corners.”
    “But you only listen in on a small part of it.”
    “All of it is recorded and studied later. Occasionally I’m able to monitor something vital that requires immediate action. For example—did you know that someone on Mestil has been smuggling out filmstrips of the rioting?”
    “ What? ”
    “A Donovian importer named Colyff has somehow obtained copies. I’ve been listening to his conversation as much as possible. He’s inviting his friends to see them.”
    The ambassador scrambled to his feet. “I must let the First Lord know at once. Do you realize—”
    “Fully. I’ve already sent a message, and I’m taking steps to obtain the filmstrips. Please sit down, you’re attracting attention.” She leaned forward. “There’s someone I don’t know. Did you catch the name, Carlon?”
    “No, ma’am.” The servant, who had been hovering discreetly behind her chair, hurried away. A short time later he returned. “His name is Jaward Jorno, ma’am. He is escorting the Dame Lilya Vaan.”
    “Strange. I’ve never heard of him.”
    “I understood that he has not been in Donov Metro for many years.”
    “See what you can find out about him.” She turned to the ambassador. “Watch the little Korak girl. She’s still trying to summon courage to speak with Count Wargen. Sometimes I regret that I have to collect information. It would be so amusing just to be able to watch.”
    The Countess Wargen had the rare gift of being at her regally impressive best in a crowd. She swept forward on her son’s arm, and the milling revelers magically parted before them. They moved so easily that Lilya Vaan, attempting to intercept them, was left far behind. Wargen whispered to his mother, and they turned and waited.
    Lilya pushed through to them and breathlessly introduced her escort. “Jaward Jorno, the Countess Wargen and her son, the count.”
    Jorno cocked his head alertly as his wrist touched Wargen’s. “Wargen? Wargen? Say, aren’t you—”
    “The World Manager’s First Secretary,” Lilya purred. She knew better than to keep the countess standing in the center of a room, so she drew Jorno back they exchanged pleasantries, and the Wargens swept away. As Wargen continued to make polite responses to those he met, he searched his memory. To his certain knowledge Jaward Jorno had not been in Donov Metro for