"So," he said. "Another nifty." He didn't seem to move, but the stunner was in his hand. He wasn't smiling now, and the stunner caught me easily. V The lights came on, and I blinked, looking around the room. My mementos didn't look like much, resting in the center of Arena's polished half-acre of desk top. The information was stored in the five tiny rods, less than an inch long, and the projector was a flat polyhedron the size of a pill-box. But the information they contained was worth more than all the treasure sunk in all the seas. "This is merely a small sample," Stenn said. "The star surveys are said to be unbelievably complete. They represent a mapping task which would require a thousand years." "The angles," Arena said. "Just figuring the angles will take plenty time." "And this is what you almost let him walk out with," Stenn said. Arena gave me a slashing look. "Don't let your indignation run away with you, Arena," Stenn said. "I don't think you remembered to mention the fuel situation to Mr. Maclamore, did you?" Arena turned to Stenn, looming over the smaller man. "Maybe you better button your lip," he said quietly. "I don't like the way you use it." "Afraid I'll lower you in the gentleman's esteem?" Stenn said. He looked Arena in the eye. "Nuts to the gentleman's esteem," Arena said. "You thought you'd squeeze me out, Arena," Stenn said. "You didn't need me any more. You intended to let Maclamore and Williams go and have them followed. There was no danger of an escape, since you knew they'd find no fuel." He turned to me. "During your years in space, Mr. Maclamore, technology moved on. And politics as well. Power fuels could be used to construct bombs. Ergo, all stations were converted for short half-life secondaries, and the primary materials stored at Fort Knox. You would have found yourself fuelless and therefore helpless. Mr. Arena would have arrived soon thereafter to seize the scout-boat." "What would he want with the boat without fuel?" I asked. "Mr. Arena was foresighted enough to stock up some years ago," Stenn said. "I understand he has enough metal hoarded to power your entire squadron for an indefinite time." "Why tell this guy that?" Arena asked. "Kick him to hell out of here and let's get busy. You gab too much." "I see that I'm tacitly reinstated as a partner," Stenn said. "Most gratifying." "Max Arena is no welcher," Arena said. "You tipped me to the tapes, so you're in." "Besides which you perhaps sense that I have other valuable contributions to make." "I figure you to pull your weight." "What are your plans for Mr. Maclamore?" "I told you. Kick him out. He'll never wise up and cooperate with us." "First, you'd better ask him a few more questions." "Why? So he'll blow his head off and mess up my rug, like...." Arena stopped. "You won't get anything out of him."