d bitterly disappointed.

"That's the truth?" he asked unhappily. "Honestly? That's your last word
on it?"

"Much," said Hoddan, "much as I hate to spoil the prospects of
profitable skulduggery, that's my last word and it's true."

"But those men from Walden are very anxious!" protested Don Loris.
"There was no ship available, so their government got a liner that
normally wouldn't stop here to take an extra lifeboat aboard. It came
out of overdrive in this solar system, let out the lifeboat, and went on
its way again. Those two men are extremely anxious--"

"Ambitious, maybe," said Hoddan. "They're prepared to pay to overcome
your sense of gratitude to me. Naturally, you want all the traffic will
bear. I think you can get half a million."

Don Loris looked suspicious again.

"You don't seem worried," he said fretfully. "I don't understand you!"

"I have a secret," said Hoddan.

"What is it?"

"It will develop," said Hoddan.

* * * * *

Don Loris hesitated, essayed to speak, and thought better of it. He
shrugged his shoulders and went slowly back to the flight of stone
steps. He descended. The Lady Fani started to wring her hands. Then she
said hopefully:

"What's your secret?"

"That your father thinks I have one," said Hoddan. "Thanks for the
breakfast. Should I walk out the gate, or--"

"It's closed," said the Lady Fani forlornly. "But I have a rope for you.
You can go down over the wall."

"Thanks," said Hoddan. "It's been a pleasure to rescue you."

[Illustration]

"Will you--" Fani hesitated. "I've never known anybody like you before.
Will you ever come back?"

Hoddan shook his head at her.

"Once you asked me if I'd fight for you, and look what it got me into!
No commitments."

He glanced along the battlements. There was a fairly large coil of rope
in view. He picked up his bag and went over to it. He checked the
fastening of one end and tumbled the other over the wall.

Ten minutes later he trudged up to Thal, waiting in the nearby woodland
with two horses.

"The Lady Fani," he said, "has the kind of brains I like. She pulled up
the rope again."

Thal did not comment. He watched morosely as Hoddan made the perpetually
present ship bag fast to his saddle and then distastefully climbed
aboard the horse.

"What are you going to do?" asked Thal unhappily. "I didn't make a
parting-present to Don Loris, so I'll be disgraced if he finds out I
helped you. A