ing toward them and
drawing sidearms.

Entos obviously saw them as well, because he snarled and struck for her
again. She was starting to parry when the Marines fired, and both
Irschchans fell.

* * * * *

Thark finally came to the conclusion that if he had made any other
errors in his chagrin, he couldn't remember them. And Prowler didn't
need him, while it would probably be wise to brief his chief aides
fully on Corina's defection, even though it was a strong probability
she was dead by this time. He made his way to the ship's lounge,
thinking about the mistakes he had made with her--mistakes that would
have to be avoided in the future with others who had been taught in
Imperial schools.

The lounge was small--Kanchatka-class vessels had originally been
intended as couriers, not yachts--but it was quite comfortable, with
deep-pile carpeting, and a large viewscreen now displaying a sunset
landscape Valla was fond of. She and Kainor started to rise as Thark
entered, but settled back at his gesture.

He paused at the service panel to dial three glasses of koril, the
fermented milk Irschchans drank as humans drank wine. Carrying them,
he joined his aides, seating himself on the third pile of cushions at
the lounge's low table.

After the first silent, companionable sips, Thark began filling the
other two in. It wasn't easy for any of them, though an outsider would
have thought them discussing abstractions. Only Thark himself had been
truly close to Corina, but Kainor and Valla had known and liked her for
the four years since her Talent was discovered; her betrayal hurt.

When Thark was finished, Valla detailed the steps she'd taken to insure
the traitor's death, for Kainor's benefit. That brought a trace of
amusement to his voice. "Three Sanctioners, Valla? And Entos? I
should think either more than adequate to deal with her."

"Either should be," Valla agreed, "but you know I like to take
precautions, especially when it is so little trouble. Should she by
some stroke of luck escape the Sanctioners, she will not escape Entos."

"True," Thark said. It was unfortunate, he thought, that it had seemed
desirable to impose a communications blackout, including telepathy,
except in a major emergency or by messenger, but at present security
was more important than convenience--however good it would be to be
able to make definite, rather than tentative, plans. Facts must be
accept