The Alpha Centaurians were all squeezed against it, trying to see what was going on. Makvern said, "I'll raise it myself in a minute. God, Wyatt, don't you ever think before you jump?" "I've thought," Wyatt said. "Plenty. Where's that control? And where's Brinna?" He nodded to No-Name, who exerted pressure. Makvern began to look really angry. He snapped, "Will you stop bawling at me and listen? I'm on your side. I'm the man Loran died for. I _am_ the leader of the Second Party!" The other officer, who had finally recovered his voice a little after the Turcoman's mauling, croaked out, "You won't be the leader of anything for long if we don't get that broadcast going. The flagship has already checked us once. If Varsek' doesn't find you anywhere else in the fleet and we don't behave just the way we ought to--" * * * * * Makvern glared at Wyatt. "Well? Do you still want to go to Earth, or would you prefer to accompany Brinna and me to the pit?" Wyatt said to No-Name, "Let him go." "Thanks," said Makvern sourly. "This shows signs of becoming a habit. I would have liked to tell you earlier that plans were already laid, but I didn't think it was wise. Varsek is unpredictable. He might have sent you to the pit--" "Yes," said Wyatt. "You were a big help there. No opinion. You might at least have said no." "If I had, you'd have been there in five minutes. Anyway, I've been teetering on the brink of that pit for weeks. All I wanted to do was hold out until now." "So you let Brinna go ahead with this on her own hook, to kind of cover for you?" "Yes. It kept her busy, and kept Varsek puzzled about me. It worked out well. Most of Brinna's men are really Second Party men, though it's going to be a shock to her to find that out. We were taking no chance of exchanging Varsek for another ambition-hungry chief, even if this one is female and handsome." He had moved into the observation cell and was talking as much to the Alpha Centaurians as to Wyatt and the Earthmen. "Your idea of warning Earth and using a setback there to put us in power--the same thing Brinna had in mind--wasn't a bad one, except that we can't wait that long. Varsek is alarmed. He's willing to torture the whole fleet if he has to root us out. We would have liked to put this off until we were just a little stronger. The fleet has been away from home a long time now and discontent is growing among the men--we could have capitalized on that. But we have no choice. If we don't move now we'll be destroyed, inevitably. So we're making our break at Alpha Centauri." "How?" asked Wyatt.