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Simok Aratap was a little uncomfortable in his uniform Tyrannian uniforms were made of moderately coarse materials and fit only indifferently well It was not soldier-like to complain of such inconveniences In fact, it was part of the Tyrannian military tradition that a little discoood for discipline

But still Aratap could bring hi, ruefully, "The tight collar irritates ht, and who had been seen in no other than military dress in the ulations to open it Before any of the officers orinfluence"

Aratap sniffed It was the second change induced by the quasi- forced into uniforly self-assertive un even before they left Rhodia

Andros had put it to him baldly

He had said, "Commissioner, ill need ten ships"

Aratap had looked up, definitely annoyed At theWidele vessel He laid aside the capsules in which he was preparing his report for the Khan&039;s Colonial Bureau, to be forwarded in the unhappy case that he did not return from the expedition

"Ten ships, Major?"

"Yes, sir Less will not do"

"Why not?"

"I intend tosomewhere You say there is a well-developed conspiracy in existence Presuether"

"And therefore?"

"And therefore we must be prepared for a possibly well-developed conspiracy One that le ship"

"Or ten Or a hundred Where does security cease?"

"One must make a decision In cases of est ten"

Aratap&039;s contact lenses gleaht as he raised his eyebrows The ht Theoretically, in tiain,to set aside

He said cautiously, "I will consider the matter"

"Thank you If you do not choose to accept estions have only been advanced as such, I assure you"-the major&039;s heels clicked sharply, but the ceremonial deference was rather ee You would leave n my commission"

It was up to Aratap to retrieve what he could from that position He said, "It is not my intention to hamper you in any decision you may ht be as amenable to my decisions in matters of purely political importance"

"What matters are these?"

"There is the probleestion that he accompany us"

The major said dryly, "I consider it unnecessary With our forces in action, the presence of outlanders would be bad for hed softly, just below the li Yet Andros was a co iree with you I merely ask you to consider the political aspects of the situation As you know, the execution of the old Rancher of Widedoms unnecessarily However necessary the execution was, itthe death of the son attributed to us As far as the people of Rhodia know, the young Wideirl, by the way, being a popular and much publicized , quite understandable, to have the Director head the punitive expedition

"It would be a dra to Rhodian patriotism Naturally, he would ask for Tyrannian assistance, and receive it, but that can be played down It would be easy, and necessary, to fix this expedition in the popular s of the conspiracy are uncovered, it will have been a Rhodian discovery If the young Widemos is executed, it would be a Rhodian execution, as far as the other Kingdoms are concerned"

The major said, "It would still be a bad precedent to allow Rhodian vessels to accompany a Tyrannian ht In that way, the question becomes a military one"

"I did not say, my dear Major, that Hinrik would command a ship Surely you know hi or even anxious to try He will stay with us There will be no other Rhodian aboard ship"

"In that case, I waive my objection, Commissioner," said the major

The Tyrannian fleet had ane for the better part of a week and the situation was becoly unstable

Major Andros advocated an iane," he said, "has gone to considerable lengths to have us think him a friend of the Khan, but I do not trust thesenotions It is strange that just as he returns, the young Widemos travels to meet him"

"He has not tried to hide either his travels or his return, Major And we do not know that Wideane Why does he not land?"

"Why does he maintain an orbit? Let us question what he does and not what he does not do"

"I can propose so which will fit the pattern"

"I would be glad to hear it"

Aratap placed a finger inside his collar and tried futilely to stretch it He said, "Since the youngor soone to Lingane by so direct and rapid a route-a single Ju out of indecision I say, then, that he is waiting for a friend or friends to reach him Thus reinforced, he will proceed elsewhere The fact that he is not landing on Lingane directly would indicate that he does not consider such an action safe That would indicate that Lingane in general-the Autarch in particular-is not concerned in the conspiracy, although individual Linganians may be"

"I don&039;t knoe can always trust the obvious solution to be the correct one"

"My dear Major, this is not ical one It fits a pattern,"

"Maybe it does But just the same, if there are no further developments in twenty-four hours, I will have no choice but to order an advance Linganeward"

Aratap frowned at the door through which theto have to control at once the restless conquered and the short-sighted conquerors Twenty-four hours Soht have to find sonal sounded and Aratap looked up with irritation Surely it could not be Andros returning It wasn&039;t The tall, stooped forliuard who accompanied him everywhere on the ship Theoretically, Hinrik had coht he had At least, he never paid any attention to the guard at his elbow

Hinrik s you, Commissioner?"

"Not at all Take a seat, Director" Aratap re Hinrik seemed not to notice that

Hinrik said, "I have so of importance to discuss with you" He paused, and some of the intentness passed out of his eyes He added in quite a different tone, "What a large, fine ship this is!"

"Thank you, Director" Aratap s ships were typically ship on which they stood was an outsized ns of the defunct Rhodian navy It was perhaps the first sign of the gradual softening of the Tyrannianadded to the navy The fighting unit was still the tiny two-to-three- the top brass found reasons for requiring large ships for their own headquarters

It did not bother Aratap To soeneration; to hi civilization In the end-in centuries, perhaps-it le people, fusing with the present conquered societies of the Nebular Kingdo

Naturally, he never expressed such an opinion aloud

"I ca," said Hinrik He puzzled over it awhile, then added, "I have sent a e home today to my people I have told them I am well and that the crihter returned to safety"

"Good," said Aratap It was not news to hih it was not impossible that Hinrik by now had persuaded himself that he was the writer, or even that he actually headed the expedition Aratap felt a twinge of pity Thevisibly

Hinrik said, "My people, I believe, are quite disturbed over this daring raid upon the Palace by these well-organized bandits I think they will be proud of their Director now that I have taken such rapid action in response, eh, Co the Hinriads" He seemed filled with a feeble triumph

"I think they will," said Aratap

"Are ithin range of the enemy yet?"

"No, Director, the eneane"

"Still? I rerew excited, so that the words tumbled out "It is very i to tell you There is treachery on board I have discovered it We

Aratap felt impatient It was necessary to hu a waste of time At this rate he would become so obviously mad that he would be useless even as a puppet, which would be a pity

He said, "No treachery, Director Ouryou You are tired"

"No, no" Hinrik put aside Aratap&039;s arm which, for a moment, had rested upon his shoulder "Where are we?"

"Why, here!"

"The ship, I mean I have watched the visiplate We are near no star We are in deep space Did you know that?"

"Why, certainly"