tor of the Galaxy as the cleverest jewel thief
the human race had ever spawned. Drake had never met her, but he had
definitely heard of her.

He touched the admission stud, and the door slid silently aside. There
was no doubt about it, her body _did_ match her face.

* * * * *

"Do come in, Norma," he said.

She stepped inside, and Drake touched the closing button. The door slid
shut behind her.

She stood there for a moment, looking at him, and Drake took the
opportunity to study the girl more closely. At last, she said: "So
you're Anson Drake. You're even better looking than I'd heard you were.
Congratulations."

"I have a good press agent," Drake said modestly. "What's on your mind?"
He waved his hand at a nearby chair.

"The same thing that's on yours, I suspect," she said. "Do you have a
drink to spare?"

Drake unlimbered himself from the bed, selected a bottle from the menu
and dialed. The robot bellhop whirred, a chute opened in the wall, and a
bottle slid out. Drake poured, handed the tumbler to the girl, and said:
"This is your party; what do you have in mind?"

The girl took a sip of her drink before she answered. Then she looked up
at Drake with her deep brown eyes. "Two things. One: I have no
intention or desire to compete with Anson Drake for the Necklace of
Algol. Both of us might end up in jail with nothing for our pains.

"Two: I have a foolproof method for getting the necklace, but none for
getting it off the planet. I think you probably have a way."

Drake nodded. "I dare say I could swing it. How does it happen that you
don't have an avenue of disposal planned?"

She looked bleak for a moment. "The man who was to help me decided to
back out at the last minute. He didn't know what the job was, and I
wouldn't tell him because I didn't trust him."

"And you trust me?"

Her eyes were very trustful. "I've heard a lot about you, Drake, and I
happen to know you never doublecross anyone unless they doublecross you
first."

"Trade about is fair play, to quote an ancient maxim," Drake said,
grinning. "And I am a firm believer in fair play.

"But that's neither here nor there. The point is: what do you have to
offer? Why shouldn't I just pinch the gems myself and do a quick flit
across the Galaxy? That would give me all the loot."

She shook her head. "Belgezad is on to you, you know. He knows you're
here. His own private police and the Shan's own Guard will b