"But," Dane broke the silence, "how did they know? We haven't reported in--" "The Eysies!" Ali had the answer ready. "That I-S ship must be having the same sort of trouble and reported to her Company. They would include us in their report and believe that we were infected too--or it would be easy to convince the authorities that we were." "I wonder," Rip's eyes were narrowed slits as he leaned back against the wall. "Look at the facts. The Survey ship which charted Sargol--they were dirt-side there about three-four months. Yet they gave it a clean bill of health and put it up for trading rights auction. Then Cam bought those rights--he made at least two trips in and out before he was blasted on Limbo. No infection bothered him or Survey--" "But you've got to admit it hit us," Weeks protested. "Yes, and the Eysie ship was able to foresee it--report us before we snapped out of Hyper. Sounds almost as if they expected us to carry plague, doesn't it?" Shannon wanted to know. "Planted?" Ali frowned at the banks of controls. "But how--no Eysie came on board--no Salarik either, except for the cub who showed us what they thought of catnip." Rip shrugged. "How would I know how they did--" he was beginning when Dane cut in: "If they didn't know about our immunity the Queen might stay in Hyper and never come out--there wouldn't be anyone to set the snap-out." "Right enough. But on the chance that somebody did keep on his feet and bring her home, they were ready with a cover. If no one raises a howl Sargol will be written off the charts as infected, I-S sits on her tail fins a year or so and then she promotes an investigation before the Board. The Survey records are trotted out--no infection recorded. So they send in a Patrol Probe. Everything is all right--so it wasn't the planet after all--it was that dirty old Free Trader. And she's out of the way. I-S gets the Koros trade all square and legal and we're no longer around to worry about! Neat as a Salariki net-cast--and right around our collective throats, my friends!" "So what do we do now?" Weeks wanted to know. "We keep on the Old Man's course, get lost in the asteroids until we can do some heavy thinking and see a way out. But if I-S gave us this prize package, some trace of its origin is still aboard. And if we can find that--why, then we have something to start from." "Mura went down first--and then Karl. Nothing in common," the old problem faced Dane for the hundredth time. "No. But," Ali arose from his place at the com-unit. "I'd suggest a real search of first Frank's and then Karl's quarters. A regular turn out down to the bare walls of their cabins. Are you with me?" "Fly boy, we're ahead of you!" Rip contributed, already at the door panel. "Down to the bare walls it is." Chapter X E-STAT LANDING