Presently Ashton said, "I'm going to be crude, Eric. I'm going to remind you of some things." "Save it," Stark retorted. "You've got me. There's no need to talk about it." "Yes," said Ashton, "I've got you, and a damned hard time I've had doing it. That's why I'm going to talk about it." His dark eyes met Stark's cold stare and held it. "Remember who I am--Simon Ashton. Remember who came along when the miners in that valley on Mercury had a wild boy in a cage, and were going to finish him off like they had the tribe that raised him. Remember all the years after that, when I brought that boy up to be a civilized human being." Stark laughed, not without a certain humor. "You should have left me in the cage. I was caught a little old for civilizing." "Maybe. I don't think so. Anyway, I'm reminding you," Ashton said. Stark said, with no particular bitterness, "You don't have to get sentimental. I know it's your job to take me in." Ashton said deliberately, "I won't take you in, Eric, unless you make me." He went on then, rapidly, before Stark could answer. "You've got a twenty-year sentence hanging over you, for running guns to the Middle-Swamp tribes when they revolted against Terro-Venusian Metals, and a couple of similar jobs. "All right. So I know why you did it, and I won't say I don't agree with you. But you put yourself outside the law, and that's that. Now you're on your way to Valkis. You're headed into a mess that'll put you on Luna for life, the next time you're caught." "And this time you don't agree with me." "No. Why do you think I broke my neck to catch you before you got there?" Ashton bent closer, his face very intent. "Have you made any deal with Delgaun of Valkis? Did he send for you?" "He sent for me, but there's no deal yet. I'm on the beach. Broke. I got a message from this Delgaun, whoever he is, that there was going to be a private war back in the Drylands, and he'd pay me to help fight it. After all, that's my business." Ashton shook his head. "This isn't a private war, Eric. It's something a lot bigger and nastier than that. The Martian Council of City-States and the Earth Commission are both in a cold sweat, and no one can find out exactly what's going on. You know what the Low-Canal towns are--Valkis, Jekkara, Barrakesh. No law-abiding Martian, let alone an Earthman, can last five minutes in them. And the back-blocks are absolutely _verboten_. So all we get is rumors.