hook his head. "I just don't understand any of this. I might as
well admit it. I'm no closer to an answer now than I was when I
arrived here. Perhaps I should have retired years ago, before the
dueling machine was invented."

"Nonsense."

"No, I mean it." Leoh said. "This is the first real intellectual
puzzle I've had to contend with in years. Tinkering with machinery ...
that's easy. You know what you want, all you need is to make the
machinery perform properly. But this ... I'm afraid I'm too old to
handle a real problem like this."

Hector scratched his nose thoughtfully, then answered, "If you can't
handle the problem, sir, then we're going to have a war on our hands
in a matter of weeks. I mean, Kanus won't be satisfied with swallowing
the Szarno group ... the Acquataine Cluster is next ... and he'll have
to fight to get it."

"Then the Star Watch can step in," Leoh said, resignedly.

"Maybe ... but it'll take time to mobilize the Star Watch ... Kanus
can move a lot faster than we can. Sure, we could throw in a task
force ... a token group, that is. But Kanus' gang will chew them up
pretty quick. I ... I'm no politician, sir, but I think I can see what
will happen. Kerak will gobble up the Acquataine Cluster ... a Star
Watch task force will be wiped out in the battle ... and we'll end up
with Kerak at war with the Terran Commonwealth. And it'll be a real
war ... a big one."

Leoh began to answer, then stopped. His eyes were fixed on the far
entrance of the dining room. Suddenly every murmur in the busy room
stopped dead. Waiters stood still between tables. Eating, drinking,
conversation hung suspended.

Hector turned in his chair and saw at the far entrance the slim,
stiff, blue-uniformed figure of Odal.

The moment of silence passed. Everyone turned to his own business and
avoided looking at the Kerak major. Odal, with a faint smile on his
thin face, made his way slowly to the table where Hector and Leoh were
sitting.

They rose to greet him and exchanged perfunctory salutations. Odal
pulled up a chair and sat with them.

"I assume that you've been looking for me," Leoh said. "What do you
wish to say?"

Before Odal could answer, the waiter assigned to the table walked up,
took a position where his back would be to the Kerak major, and asked
firmly, "Your dinner is ready gentlemen. Shall I serve it now?"

Leoh hesitated a moment, then asked Odal, "Will you join us?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Serve it