tead of a planetary civilization. I
think they'll find things getting very hot for them very fast in Manon."

"_Very_ good," said Trigger. "That I like! But what makes you think the
opposition is just one group? There might be a bunch of them by now.
Maybe even fighting among themselves."

"I'd bet on at least two groups myself," he said. "And if they're
fighting, they've got our blessing. They're still all opposition as far
as we're concerned."

She nodded, "How are you letting them know about the move?"

"The mountains around here are lousy with observers. Very cute tricks
some of them use--one boy has been sitting in a hollow tree for weeks.
We let them see what we want to. This evening they saw you coming in.
Later tonight they'll see you climbing into the ship with the rest of
the party and taking off. They've already picked up messages to tell
them just where the ship's going." He paused. "But you've got a job to
finish up here first, Trigger. That'll take about four days. So it won't
really be you they see climbing into the ship."

"What!" She straightened up.

"We've got a facsimile for you," he explained. "Girl agent. She goes
along to draw the heat to Manon."

Trigger felt herself tightening up slowly all over.

"What's this job you're talking about?" she asked evenly.

"Can't tell you in too much detail. But around four days from now
somebody is coming in to Maccadon to interview you."

"Interview me? What about?"

He hesitated a moment. "There's a theory," he said, "that you might have
information you don't know you have. And that the people who sent
grabbers after you want that information. If it's true, the interview
will bring it out."

Her mouth went dry suddenly. She turned her head to Quillan. "Major,"
she said, "I think I'd like that cigarette now."

He came over and lit one for her. Trigger thanked him and puffed. And
she'd almost spilled everything, she was thinking. The paid-up
reservation. Every last thing.

"I'd like to get it straight," she said. "What you're talking about
sounds like it's a mind-search job, Holati."

"It's in that class," he said. "But it won't be an ordinary mind-search.
The people who are coming here are top experts at that kind of work."

She nodded. "I don't know much about it.... Do they think somebody's got
to me with a hypno-spray or something? That I've been conditioned?
Something like that?"

"I don't know, Trigger," he said. "It may be something i