ell balled up. He's almost ready to move in right now. Only one
stumbling block. Know what that is?"

Don shook his head.

"Youngster named Petoen Waern. He's old enough--older than he looks.
His mother's a niece of the last king. Conclave of the tribes could put
him on the throne tomorrow morning. He's a bet Stern missed a while
back. Now, he's trying to make up for it."

Don frowned. "Is that really why----"

"Right. That's why the row in the locker room. That would have
eliminated that claimant in a hurry. Nobody wants a king with a family
criminal record and a habit of starting brawls--especially when he
loses those brawls. Kings just aren't supposed to go in for that sort
of thing." Masterson smiled mirthlessly.

"Anyway, I doubt he'd have survived that affair if you hadn't rammed
your neck into it."

* * * * *

"But there are other claimants. They'll come of age pretty soon."

"Sure they will. But that's pretty soon--and not soon enough. Besides,
Stern's got them under control, along with their families--the
important ones, anyway. There'd be a deadlock when a conclave started
checking their claims. And somehow, their councilors wouldn't be able
to come up with quite the right arguments.

"If a formal conclave meets, and no claimant is clearly eligible for
the throne--know who'll be called to start a new royal line?"

"But he----" Don shook his head doubtfully.

"Yes, he could." Masterson shook his head. "Sure, he's regent. But he
hasn't renounced his position as prime minister. And with his personal
effect on people, he couldn't lose. No, the only reason he can't stand
a conclave right now is one youngster--and one family he's never been
able to control, because they stay out of his personal reach. And he
almost got the youngster out of the way. Neat little operation, with
only one thing that could go wrong. You."

Don frowned. "But that affair was just a personal----"

"Think so? Oh, sure, I gave the Hunters a big horselaugh yesterday.
Rayson was around then. And Rayson was a pretty big boy. He knew all
about the Hunters, I'm pretty sure. And I know better than to laugh
about them." He leaned forward.

"I can't prove it, and it wouldn't do too much good if I tried, but I
know perfectly well who's behind not only the Hunters, but a flock of
other criminal gangs--juvenile and adult as well. Think I didn't know I
was talking to a bunch of Hunters when I liste