."

"I am afraid that is not the case, Major. In the first place, there
was no place I could call from. In the second, if the Order wishes me
dead, there is no safety for me anywhere on Irschcha."

"I don't know," Dawson said skeptically. "All I've really heard about
the White Order is that they rule this planet with some sort of strange
power they refuse to talk about. I think you're underestimating the
Marines."

"Talent is not discussed outside the Order, except with potential
initiates," Corina said. "At least it has not been until now; I must
inform you of what they can do. It is you who underestimate them."

Dawson shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. Either way, I don't have the
authority to deal with a major rebellion; you might as well wait till
Ranger Medart gets here, and tell him."

Corina nodded, and Dawson went back to the report he'd evidently been
studying when she was brought in. She tried a probe of him, finding a
weak, almost-nonexistent mind-screen. It was not a real barrier, and
her reasons were compelling, so she probed deeper. Human mind patterns
were too murky to make this sort of thing a pleasure, but she scanned
anyway, for information about this Ranger Medart. She knew, as did
everyone, about Rangers in general--that they were the Sovereign's
representatives, wielding Imperial authority at need--but she had to
know about this specific one.

Dawson, unfortunately, knew little. Although he did serve aboard
Medart's cruiser, he was not very familiar with the Command Crew or
Ranger. All she could get was his feeling of respect, bordering on
awe--much, she thought, the way she had felt about Thark until this
morning.

Dawson did not expect any trouble from the Order here inside the
Palace, she noted, and found herself agreeing. Thark was not likely to
risk compromising the Crusade by a frontal attack now. There would
probably be an attempt, though, to have her returned as a criminal, as
the Sanctioner had threatened.

Perhaps an hour passed before the intercom chimed. Dawson answered,
and Corina overheard Captain Daley's report.

"Just finished that mind-probe you asked for, Pat. He was trying to
kill Losinj, all right. His orders came from Senior Valla; she told
him Losinj was betraying the Order. He also knows about the existence
of a Crusade, which is what they call this rebellion. I couldn't get
any details, though. And when he woke up, he somehow managed to knock
out a