"She gets good care the rest of her life," the admiral ordered the wondering marines. "Wait outside." Hawarden looked about the room. "Who are these men ... and what in Snyder's name happened to them?" "They were stung to death by bees," Hanlon said, and there was a trace of vindictiveness in his voice. "One of 'em's the Prime Minister; the others his gunmen." "Great John!" the admiral breathed. "This'll raise a stink!" "There'll be a bigger one before I get through," Hanlon was grim. "Get me back to your office, and get a doctor. They gave me truth serum, and it hasn't all worn off yet. And I'm hungry," he added so plaintively that Hawarden, accustomed enough to sight of death so it didn't affect him too much, laughed. "What'll we do with the bodies?" "Guard the Prime Minister's closely. Merely notify the people here where to find the others." Hawarden called back two of the marines. "Bring that body with us," and they left. At the entrance the admiral recalled his men. To the palace officer he partially explained. "The Prime Minister was killed, and we're taking his body with us. There are three of his men, also dead, in Room 37-B down there. I'll notify the Emperor, and assume full responsibility." He jumped into the truck's front seat beside Hanlon and the driver. "Back to base!" Chapter 21 The doctor, notified by the truck's short-wave, was waiting in the admiral's office to give Hanlon the shots of antidote and attend to his wounds. He had barely finished when a waiter brought food. These two gone, Hawarden felt free to demand of Hanlon, "Open up, please. What's this all about?" "Full coverage?" Hanlon asked meaningly. The admiral flipped a couple of toggle switches on his desk. "There is now." "I'll tell you the story in a bit, but there are several more things to be done, fast." He described the location of the hidden spacefield. "Get some scouts out there quick, but if the freighter's not ready to leave, have 'em keep hidden and merely watch it. I don't want anything done until just before take-off--it's important we arrest _all_ of its crew and passengers." "Right!" Admiral Hawarden turned to his communicators, and orders rapped out. "You'll have to tell me procedure here, sir, for I don't know how to get what I need. I want to recommend that the entire Corps fleet rendezvous near here immediately so we can go to a planet called Algon, and take it over. But first we'll have to find out exactly where in space Algon is. May I talk with your planetographers, please?" The admiral looked at him quizzically. "You haven't been in the SS very long, have you, Hanlon?" "No," the young man looked up in surprise. "This is my first assignment. Why do you ask?" "Because in emergencies such as this you give orders, not ask for permission. Every resource of the entire Corps is yours to command when you feel it necessary."