aged to get hold of a few credits. They have
probably been telling the same inflated stories for years about the
discrimination against natives of this fair planet, but no one has
really cared. Now they have a chance to get their news releases and
faked pix out in quantity. Just at a time when the public is ripe for
their brand of nonsense. Putting this bunch out of business will be a
good day's work."

"Won't there be repercussions?" Costa asked. "If they are this important
and throw so much weight around--won't it look suspicious if they are
suddenly shut up. Like an obvious move by the enemy?"

"Not at all. That might be true if, for instance, you blew up the
headquarters of the War Party. It would certainly be taken as an
aggressive move. But no one really knows or cares about this Society of
the Half-baked Native Born. There might be reaction and interest if
attention was drawn to them. But if some accident or act of nature were
to put them out of business, that would be the end of it."

Costa was snapping his lighter on and off as he listened to Neel,
staring at the flame. He closed it and held it up. "I believe in
accidents. I believe that even in our fireproof age, fires still occur.
Buildings still burn down. And if a burnt building just happened to be
occupied by the S.P.N.B.--just one tenant of many--and their offices and
records were destroyed; that would be of very little interest to anyone
except the fire brigade."

"You're a born criminal," Neel told him. "I'm glad we're on the same
side. That's your department and I leave it to you. I'll just listen for
the news flashes. Meanwhile I have one little errand to take care of."

The words stopped Costa, who was almost out the door. He turned stiffly
to look at Neel putting papers into an envelope. Yet Costa spoke
naturally, letting none of his feelings through into his voice.

"Where are you going?"

"To see Hengly, the planetary operator here. Abravanel told me to stay
away from him, to run an entirely new basic survey. Well we've done that
now, and pinpointed some of the trouble areas as well. I can stop
feeling guilty about poaching another man's territory and let him know
what's going on."

"No. Stay away from Hengly," Costa said. "The last thing in the world we
want to do, is to be seen near him. There's a chance that he ... well
... might be compromised."

"What do you mean!" Neel snapped. "Hengly's a friend of mine, a
graduate--"

"He migh