Grim-faced, Shane started forward. A basilisk-eyed Mercurian with a sly and smirking air barred his way. "Your credentials, please. You cannot enter the chamber without credentials." "I left my credentials with a mongrel outlaw named Quos Reggar," Shane clipped tightly. "He ambushed my ship on the way. The chairman, the delegates--any of them can identify me." "My deepest regrets, but identification is not enough." The Mercurian was openly grinning now. "My orders are specific: regardless of excuse, there will be no admission without credentials." "The _Chonyas_ and _Malyas_ have made the asteroid belt a space ship graveyard!" the Titanian ranted shrilly. "Get me the chairman!" Shane rapped. "My orders are specific," the Mercurian repeated, smirking. "The issue of your attendance has already been discussed, Earthman, and you are barred--" Shane raised his hand, tried to flag attention. The chairman looked quickly away. Committee members turned till their backs were to him, or else openly ignored him. "They have looted the void for a thousand years!" the Titanian screamed. "When we finally put that down, they grew clever, and now they wail of raids, even while they re-energize their proton cannon and hose the blood from their hatches--" A sudden, mirthless grin twisted Shane's face. "You lie in your teeth!" he shouted. Slamming the Mercurian to one side, he strode forward. * * * * * The Titanian cut off in mid-breath, great blue-green wattles shaking. Committee members spun about. "Order!" bellowed the chairman, hammering on his desk. "Order in the chamber!" "To hell with your order!" Shane shouted back savagely, eyes blazing. "I said he lied. I'll back it!" "The _Chonya_ delegate must wait his turn. He must clear his credentials--" "Let someone wait who has yet to count his dead! I'm here to see that the _Chonyas_ get justice and an end to slavery, not words! I'll stay till action's taken!" A rubbery, flat-faced Europan leaped up. "And why were you not here before? Where have you been? What have you been doing?" "Yes!" roared a delegate from Ganymede. "Eye-witnesses already have told us that the _Chonyas_ are raiding for slaves again--and there are those who say that you, _gar_ of the _Chonyas_, raid with them--that a raid is what kept you absent here--" "My crew will tell you--" "Your crew?" rasped a Venusian _Vansta_. "Your _Chonya_ crew? Who ever heard of a _Chonya_ with a mote of truth within him?" A wave of raucous laughter swept through the chamber. Then the delegate from Earth was on his feet, a tall, heavy man with thinning hair. "Silence!" he thundered. "Silence!" The laughter, the shouts, died away. The Earth delegate addressed Shane: "There is a woman called Kyrsis, of an unknown race, who is known to have been buying slaves. Do you know her?" "Yes, but--" "And is it true that when you landed at the Horla spaceport, less than an hour ago, this woman was with you?" "Yes--"