take it anyway." Mihul patted her hip with her other hand.
"Little hypo gun here. That's the alternative."

"What!"

"That's right. Same type of charge as in your fancy Denton. Stuff in the
glass is easier to take and won't leave you groggy."

"What's the idea?"

"I've known you quite a while," said Mihul. "And I was watching you the
last twenty minutes in that room through a screen. You'll take off again
if you get the least chance. I don't blame you a bit. You're being
pushed around. But now it's my job to see you don't take off; and until
we get to where you're going, I want to be sure you'll stay quiet."

She still held out the glass, in a long, tanned, capable hand. She stood
three inches taller than Trigger, weighted thirty-five pounds more. Not
an ounce of that additional thirty-five pounds was fat. If she'd needed
assistance, the hunting lodge was full of potential helpers. She didn't.

"I never claimed I liked this arrangement," Trigger said carefully. "I
did say I'd go along with it. I will. Isn't that enough?"

"Sure," Mihul said promptly. "Give word of parole?"

There was a long pause.

"No!" Trigger said.

"I thought not. Drink or gun?"

"Drink," Trigger said coldly. She took the glass. "How long will it put
me out?"

"Eight to nine hours." Mihul stood by watchfully while Trigger emptied
the tumbler. After a moment the tumbler fell to the floor. She reached
out and caught Trigger as she started down.

"All right," she said across her shoulder to the open doorway behind
her. "Let's move!"

* * * * *

Trigger awoke and instantly went taut with tension. She lay quiet a few
seconds, not even opening her eyes. There was cool sunlight on her
eyelids, but she was indoors. There was a subdued murmur of sound
somewhere; after a moment she knew it came from a news viewer turned
low, in some adjoining room. But there didn't seem to be anybody
immediately around her. Warily she opened her eyes.

She was on a couch in an airy, spacious room furnished in the palest of
greens and ivory. One entire side of the room was either a window or a
solido screen. In it was a distant mountain range with many snowy peaks,
an almost cloudless blue sky. Sun at midmorning or midafternoon.

Sun and all had the look of Maccadon--they probably still were on the
planet. That was where the interview was to take place. But she also
could have been sent on a three-day space cruise, which woul