s, 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.

"I think I've never been so hot in my life. I feel like I'm being
broiled alive."

"Here comes the Denebian now."

They had been driven into the Empty Places in a sand sled. The trip had
taken two days but because the sled was air-conditioned no one had
objected. When they saw the half dozen jets they knew why a sled had
taken them into the wilderness. The jets were small cargo-carriers with
room for pilot, co-pilot and perhaps a ton of cargo in each. Whatever it
was the Denebians wanted exported, it didn't take up much room.

Orkap of Deneb walked toward them past the first of the jets. He began
without preamble: "Your cargo is packed and ready to be moved in an
underground vault five hundred yards from here. You will break up into
pairs, a pilot and co-pilot for each jet." Sria Krishna and Pandit had
already paired themselves to