"Two or three nights away from completion, except for one thing. They'll need a fuel supply. Two U-235 capsules rigged for slow implosion, sir. The hopper of their ship is empty." "Is there such a fuel supply in the Graveyard?" "No, sir." "But could there be?" "Usually, no. Naturally, the junkers drain out spaceship hoppers before scrapping them. U-235 in any form brings--" "I know the value of U-235. Proceed." "Well, there could be. If they were lucky enough to find such a fuel supply in one of the wrecks in the Graveyard, they wouldn't be suspicious. Naturally, we won't put one there." "But you're wrong, my dear Ramar Chind. You'll load the hopper of one of those wrecks with enough U-235 for their purposes, and you'll do it today." "But sir--" "We're going to follow them, Chind. You and I. We want them to escape. If they don't escape, how can we follow them?" Ramar Chind shrugged resignedly and lisped: "How much fuel will they need for their purposes, sir, whatever their purposes are?" Naturally, his lisping sounded perfectly normal to Garr Symm, who also spoke in the sibilantless Irwadi manner. "You'd really like to know, wouldn't you?" Garr Symm said. "Yes, sir. To put me in a position in which I could better do my--" "To satisfy your curiosity, you mean!" "But sir--" "I am a scientist, Chind." "Yes, sir." * * * * * "Didn't it strike you as odd that a scientist should be elevated to the top post in your department?" "Of course, sir. I didn't question it, though." "As you know, Chind, when it was decided to planetarize Irwadi as a first step toward driving away the outworlders, the quarters of every outworlder on Irwadi were thoroughly searched." "I participated in the--uh, program, sir." "Good. Then I needn't tell you. Something was found in Margot Dennison's apartment. Something of immense importance. Something so important that, if used properly, it can assure Irwadi the dominant place in the galaxy for all time to come." "But I thought Irwadi craved isolation--" "Isolation, Chind? To be sure, if intercourse with the other galactic powers saw us at the bottom of the heap. But at the top--who would crave isolation at the top?" "I see, sir. And the something that was found needed a scientist?" "Very perceptive of you, Chind. Precisely. It was a letter. We copied it. Of course, Margot Dennison knows more than what is in the letter; the letter alludes to previous information. We need Dennison and Ramsey. We have to let them go ahead with their plans. Then we follow them, Chind. You understand?" "Yes, sir." "You're a good policeman, Chind. The best we have, I understand. You'll be going with me--on the most important assignment you or any Irwadian ever had." "I am grateful, sir, that you consider me--" "Now, see about that U-235 slow-implosion capsule." "At once, sir."