She glared at him through the semi-gloom without replying. The buildings flowed past the windows, the green glow of lichens and moss illuminating the street with about the same intensity as a full moon's light on Terra. Gavin made his voice cold as he leaned toward the girl. "Do you want me to loosen your tongue for you? Who's watching the Nova?" Nadia gasped, her hand at her throat. "You know as well as I do. X's men!" "Who's X?" "Who's X? You ask that? You went to see him this afternoon. You even made an appointment with him later." Gavin recalled the words he had spoken for the benefit of X's men as he left the bar—"I'll see you later, then." Captain Cabot was not without his own spy system after all. His estimation of Cabot went up a notch. "You won't believe this," he said, "but I haven't the foggiest notion who X is. Do you know?" Nadia's dark eyes looked puzzled. She shook her head, gave a short laugh. "You're going to be a big disappointment to Josiah. I wouldn't care to be in your shoes." "Josiah ... oh, you're referring to Captain Cabot. So he expects me to be able to tell him who X represents." "You were talking to him," said the girl bluntly. Gavin regarded Nadia a moment. Then he asked, "Why has the sailing been advanced?" She clamped shut her jaws. "You don't want me to force you to talk, do you?" suggested Gavin. "You wouldn't dare." "Wouldn't I?" Nadia bit her lip. "It doesn't make any difference, I suppose." She shrugged. "You know anyway, if you're working for X. Captain found out that some powerful clique is trying to have the Nova interned. He rushed his clearance through before they had time to act." She paused before adding, "X has bought off Trev." So it was the Martian who had sold out, not Nadia. He handed back the girl's dart-gun. "Here. See if you can't behave yourself now." Nadia took the weapon. She pointed it deliberately at Gavin's chest. "Please clasp your hands behind your neck!" The robot cab drew up at the curb. The door opened. It's voice issued from the loudspeaker. "Pit Seven." "Get out," Nadia ordered. "Stand back from the door." Gavin slid out. The buildings were gone, replaced by a wall of structural concrete which disappeared overhead in the clouds. It had begun to rain again, a clammy drizzle. The girl followed him to the curb, shivering as the drops hit her bare shoulders and back. A green-lighted sign over a door in the concrete wall read: PIT SEVEN—PASSENGER ENTRANCE "In there." She motioned at the door. Gavin, a step in advance, ducked inside and went ahead down a long incline until he fetched up in a mouldy unused waiting room. "Take the door to the left." A sign above it read: MANAGEMENT—PRIVATE