m to wash her hands, feeling dissatisfied. She couldn't
quite identify why, though; she had eventually persuaded the thief that
she could tell when he was lying to her, and he had finally told them
of his contacts within the Brotherhood, giving enough details that
those two would be taken into custody next time they appeared in
public. Neither theft nor contact with the Brotherhood were capital
crimes, so once she'd made sure he knew nothing of Shannon or the
horror raids, she'd called the guards and had him taken away for
sentencing.

Major Illyanov had said she'd done well, she reminded herself as she
put her tunic back on. So why should she feel otherwise? The answer,
of course, was that she shouldn't--but the fact remained that she did.
Well, she'd be trying again after lunch, on that trooper who'd gone
rogue; maybe she'd do better with him.

Shortly afterward, she and Illyanov entered the Inquisitors' lounge.
The only one there was Mike Odeon, slouched in an armchair with his
feet up on a hassock and what she could only call a positively smug
look on his face. It took no effort at all to realize that his phoning
had been successful; she grinned, her mood lightening. "Is it still
Captain," she asked, "or do I call you 'Father' now?"

"Depends on the circumstances," Odeon said, returning her grin lazily.
"Until after the next horror raid, anyway." He stood, turning to
Illyanov with a more sober expression. "Which you're not to talk about
even as a rumor, sir. Colonel Bradford asked me whose deductions I was
going by--I suppose he knows my records well enough to be sure they
weren't mine--and I'm to tell you the whole thing is rated an
all-Systems secret, until King Mark says otherwise."

"Understood--and I will of course comply." Illyanov bowed slightly.
"But since I did deduce this much, will you be able to tell me how
correct I was?"

"Now that I can do, along with a bit more," Odeon said, grinning again.
"And our lunch is courtesy of Inquisitor-Colonel Bradford--it should be
here any time. If you don't mind, I'd just as soon wait till then to
go any further."

"As you wish."

Odeon's prediction was correct; their lunch arrived less than half a
minute later, and not long afterward, they were eating a meal that
might have come from the Royal Palace itself.

All three spent some time in silent enjoyment, then Cortin couldn't
hold her curiosity any more. "How did you do it, Mike?"

"No problem,