He got up, kicking the empty bottle away. "I guess that was why I first gave Trehearne his chance. It seemed to make up in a way for--" He broke off abruptly. "Well, that's over and done with. We have other things to think about and not much time to do them in. Trehearne, you've upset my plans rather badly by fetching in Miss Spitfire here." "It wasn't intentional." He went to Joris. "Is it true then? You're going to get Edri free?" "I'm going to try. You see, this is a thing I could only do once. I've had to sit here for years, watching more than one good man go out to Thuvis, waiting--waiting for the time when I could make my action really count. Now it's here." He turned and glowered at Shairn. "The main question is--what are we going to do with you?" She answered him angrily and without fear. "Whatever you do you'll live to regret it!" "H'm," said Joris. "Tie her up again, Trehearne." He did so with immense pleasure. This time he used stouter bonds and took extra pains with the knots. Joris paced up and down, thinking hard. "I hate to say this but there's only one place I know of where there's no danger of her being found before we're gone. And that's aboard the ship." The guard said, "There won't be any time to get her off again." "I know it," said Joris grimly. "So it looks as though we'll have an extra passenger." Trehearne had finished with the gag. He looked at Shairn. Her eyes burned and her face was white above the cloth. Joris threw his cloak over her. "Take her down in my private lift," he told the guard. "The sector has already been cleared, so you won't have any trouble there. Get her aboard and make damned sure she's locked in." The guard nodded. He picked up the cloak-wrapped bundle and put it over his shoulder. The buzzer of the visiphone made a sudden jarring sound. Joris motioned the man to hurry, waited until he was gone before answering. Trehearne pressed himself back against the wall, out of range of the screen. Kerrel's voice said, "Joris--we're bringing Edri down in exactly fifteen minutes. Is everything ready?" Joris nodded. "The sector is cleared, the guards are posted and the ship is ready for take-off." "Good. There's a good bit of feeling about this business and we don't want any trouble." "I've seen to it," Joris told him. The screen went dark. "The swine!" said Joris. "He's only doing what he believes is right but he's so bloody smug about it. Agent of the Council! Bah!" Unexpectedly he caught Trehearne's shoulders in a bearlike grip that nearly broke them. "I'm glad you're with us. Are you armed?" "Yes." "Come on, then. This is the end of my waiting. I'm going back to space, Trehearne! I'm going to do the things I knew I'd have to do some day after I watched my son die. Come on then--move!"