either, but what could I do?"

"Federation security? Because of the plasmoids?"

"Yes.... Well.... I'd--I don't know."

Trigger sighed. "Is it just me you're not supposed to tell these things
to?"

"No, no, no," Plemponi said hastily. "Nobody. I'm not supposed to admit
to anyone that I know anything of the whereabouts of Holati Tate or
Professor Mantelish."

"Fibber!" Trigger said quietly. "So you know!"

Plemponi looked appealingly at Mihul. She was grinning. "My lips are
sealed, Trigger! I can't help it. Please believe me."

"Let _me_ sum it up then," Trigger said, tapping the arm of her chair
with a finger tip. "Eight weeks ago I get pulled off my job in the Manon
System and sent here to arrange the organizational details of this
Plasmoid Project. The only reason I took on the job, as a temporary
assignment, was that Commissioner Tate convinced me it was important to
him to have me do it. I even let him talk me into doing it under the
assumed name of Ruya Farn and"--she reached up and touched the side of
her head--"and to dye my hair. For no sane reason that I could discover!
He said the U-League had requested it."

Doctor Plemponi coughed. "Well, you know, Trigger, how sensitive the
League is to personal notoriety."

The eyebrow went up again. "Notoriety?"

"Not in the wrong sense!" Plemponi said hastily. "But your name _has_
become much more widely known than you may believe. The news viewers
mentioned you regularly in their reports on Harvest Moon and the
Commissioner. Didn't they, Mihul?"

Mihul nodded. "You made good copy, kid! We saw you in the solidopics any
number of times."

"Well, maybe," Trigger said. "The cloak and dagger touches still don't
make much sense to me. But let's forget them and go on.

"When we get here, I manage to see Mantelish just once to try to find
out what his requirements will be. He's pretty vague about them.
Commissioner Tate is in and out of the Project--usually out. He's also
turned pretty vague. About everything. Three weeks ago today I'm told
he's gone. Nobody here can, or will, tell me where he's gone or how he
can be contacted. The same thing in the Maccadon Precol office. Same
thing at the Evalee Home office. Same thing at the U-League--any
office. Then I try to contact Mantelish. I'm informed he's with Tate!
The two of them have left word I'm to carry on."

She spread her hands. "Carry on with what? I've done all I can do until
I get further instructions fro