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Beware, for I am fearless and therefore powerful I atch with the wiliness of a snake, that Iwith its venom You shall repent of the injuries you inflict

- Frankenstein’s Monster Speaks, Shiprecords

OAKES SAT in shadoatching the holographic replay He was nervous and irritated Where was Lewis?

Behind hilow of the projector underlighted their features Both of them stared intently at the action in the holofocus

The scene holding their attention revealed theout to one of the tree-domes Kerro Panille accoht the scene The treedoround frae Ekel carried her pribox over one shoulder, its harness held loosely by her right hand Panille wore a recorder at his hip and a s from which protruded notepad and stylus He was dressed in a white one-piece which set off his long hair and beard The hair was bound in a golden ring, plaited and with the tip draped down his chest on the left Issue boots covered his feet

Oakes studied each detail carefully

"This is the young man of Ferry’s report?"

"The saata’s voice distracted Oakes and he was a few blinks replying During that tie of one sensor and into the range of another The holographic point-of-view shifted

"They seem a little nervous," he said "I wish I knehat they wrote on that pad"

"Love notes"

"But rite them i"

"He’s a poet"

"And she is not a poet What’s more, he resists her sexual advances I don’t understand that She appears quite pneumatic, eminently couchable"

"Do you want him picked up and the notepad examined?"

"No! We must move with discretion and subtlety Damn! Where is Lewis?"

"Still incommunicado"

"Damn him!"

"His assistants now say Lewis is occupied with a special problem"

Oakes nodded Special proble which could not be discussed in the clear No telling who er i?"

Panille and Ekel had stopped near the hatch to Ferry’s office in Medical

Oakes tried to re man shipside Panille had not invited ht be talking to the ship Then that order froroundside!

Why does the ship want hiroundside?

A poet! What use could there be for a poet? Oakes decided that he really did not believe Panille talked to the ship

But the ship, and possibly that Raja Thoroundside

Why?

He turned the question over and found no shadow

"You’re sure the request for Panille came from the ship?" he asked

"It’s been six diurns since the reques and it didn’t read like a request to me; it read like an order"

"But from the ship, you’re certain?"

"As certain as you can be of anything" The irritation in her voice bordered on insubordination "I used your code andscans"

Oakes sighed Why Panille?

Perhaps more attention should have been paid to the poet He was one of the originals fro deeper into his past That was obvious

The scene in the holofocus showed Panille and Ekel parting Panille turned and they had a view of his bacwide and ata noted She called this to Oakes’ attention

"Do you find hiata?"

"I merely point out that he’s not some dainty flower-sniffer"

"Mmmmmm"

Oakes was intensely conscious of the nificently proportioned body which she had kept from him so far But Oakes knew himself to be a patientthe hatch to Ferry’s office Oakes slapped the switch to stop the replay, leaving the carrier light still glowing He did not care to have another run through that scene with Ferry Stupid, buata with only the barest turning of his head Magnificent She often presented a vapid mask but Oakes saw the consistent brilliance in her work Few people knew that she was shockingly strong, a mutation She concealed an extraordinary musculature under that s She was known shipwide as a history fanatic who frequently begged Records for style displays to copy in her clothing Currently, she wore a short toga which exposedprecariously froth, even there

Taunting roundside," he said