And Pandit left the small office. A moment later a buzzer sounded on the Denebian's desk. He spoke into a grid: "Orkap here. Go ahead." "The guru near the League building reports that a native Ophiuchan left the building heading for the city." "When was this?" "Yesterday morning." "And?" "Draw your own conclusions. Natives don't go near the League headquarters as a rule, do they?" "No." "And the League, of course, will want to know about the suicides?" "Yes, but--" "But nothing," said the radio voice, which belonged to the only other Denebian currently on Ophiuchus IX. "We can assume this native is a spy. For the League, Orkap." "All right. I don't see any need to worry, though." "Don't you? The gurus, like the other natives, can sham, but they can't lie. Sooner or later a guru will be brought out of trance by the League, questioned, and--" "Tell them about us?" Orkap asked in a shocked voice. "It could happen. Maybe it's happened already. There won't be any proof, of course, but the League would send a spy. Suppose I describe this native to you." Orkap said, "Go ahead," and the radio voice did so. In a shocked voice Orkap admitted: "I've given that Ophiuchan a pilot's job this morning. There can't be any doubt about it." "Ah, then you see? You see?" "I can fix that. I can--" "Orkap, Orkap. You'll do nothing now. Let the spy alone for now. Then, in the Empty Places, you will merely announce to the pilots that there is a spy among them. Don't reveal who it is." He could not believe his ears. "But--" "They want work. They need work. They'll all be afraid the finger of guilt may point at them. They'll work like dogs for you, and I wouldn't be surprised if they uncovered the spy themselves." "Yes," Orkap said. "Yes, I understand." "All but one thing, Orkap. There is one thing you don't understand. The spy's identity--" "You already told me who the spy was." "Yes. But there is another spy. Working for us, in the League building." "I never knew," said Orkap. "The spy among your pilots is more than appearance indicates. Did you ever hear of Johnny Mayhem?" Orkap's heart jumped into his throat. Who in the galaxy hadn't heard of Mayhem? "But," he gasped, "a--" "Nevertheless. It is Mayhem." Orkap was suddenly afraid, more afraid than he had ever been in his life. The ubiquitous Mayhem. * * * * * The fierce white sun of Ophiuchus IX broiled down on the Empty Places, a featureless desert two-thousand miles across and as lividly white as bleached bone. In all that burning emptiness, the jet cargo craft looked very small and very insignificant, like black midges on the dead white sand. Midges among midges, the new pilots walked. One said: "But I see no cargo." Another: "These outworlders and their mystery...." All were sweating, all uncomfortable, but all grateful for the twenty credits a flight they would earn, whatever the cargo turned out to be. "What do you think?" Pandit asked Sria.