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‘Stop!’ Onyx shrieked In a slightly less shrill tone she said, ‘Bubyrd, get our Chief Investigator in here Errant knows, if anyone needs investigating, it’s this Tehol Beddict’

Tehol’s brows rose ‘Will that be painful?’

Onyx leered and whispered, ‘Restrain your iet an answer to that soon enough’

‘Is it wise to threaten a potential employer?’

‘I don’t see why not,’ Onyx replied

‘Your knowledge of our operations is alar,’ Ormly said ‘We don’t like it’

‘I assure you, I have only admiration for your endeavours In fact, uild’s activities I could not e, could I?’

‘Hoe know?’ Or there’

The door behind them opened and the woator strode in past Tehol and Bugg Stepping carefully, she took position on the far right of the table, arainst the wall

Onyx spoke ‘Chief Investigator Rucket, we have in our presence a dangerous liability’

The woman, tall, lithe, her reddish hair cut short, was dressed in pale leathers, the clothing South Nerek in style, as if she had just coh, of course, the nearest steppes were a hundred or ues to the east She appeared to be unar tawny shade that looked more feline than human, slowly fixed on Tehol ‘Him?’

‘Who else?’ Onyx snapped ‘Not his manservant, surely!’

‘Why not?’ Rucket drawled ‘He looks to be the ree,’ Bubyrd said in a hiss ‘He poked my secretary in the eyes’

Scint started ‘Really? Just like that?’ He held up a hand and stretched out the first two fingers, then jabbed the air ‘Like that? Poke! Like that?’

‘Yes,’ Bubyrd replied, glaring at Bugg ‘He revealed the illusion! What’s the point of creating illusions when he just ups and pokes holes in the, are we going to get out of here alive?’