e the fastest-moving squad I ever saw go into action."

"That," Plemponi said reflectively, "doesn't sound much like our
Maccadon police."

"I don't think they are. Imported talent of some kind, for my money.
Anyway, if someone wants to pick up Trigger Argee here, he'd better come
in with a battleship."

Plemponi glanced nervously across the balcony at the cloudless blue sky
about the quadrangle.

"The impression I got from Holati Tate," he said, "is that somebody
might."

2

There was a tube portal at the end of the hall outside Doctor Plemponi's
office. Mihul stepped into the portal, punched the number of her
personal quarters, waited till the overhead light flashed green a few
seconds later, and stepped out into another hall seventeen floors below
Plemponi's office and a little over a mile and a half away from it.

Mihul crossed the hall, went into her apartment, locked the door behind
her and punched a shield button. In her bedroom, she opened a wall safe
and swung out a high-powered transmitter. She switched the transmitter
to active.

"Yes?" said a voice.

"Mihul here," said Mihul. "Quillan or the Commissioner...."

"Quillan here," the transmitter said a few seconds later in a different
voice, a deep male one. "Go ahead, doll."

Mihul grunted. "I'm calling," she said, "because I feel strongly that
you boys had better take some immediate action in the Argee matter."

"Oh?" said the voice. "What kind of action?"

"How the devil would I know? I'm just telling you I can't be responsible
for her here much longer."

"Has something happened?" Quillan asked quickly.

"If you mean has somebody taken another swing at her, no. But she's all
wound up to start swinging herself. She isn't going to do much waiting
either."

Quillan said thoughtfully, "Hasn't she been that way for quite a while?"

"Not like she's been the last few days." Mihul hesitated. "Would it be
against security if you told me whether something has happened to her?"

"Happened to her?" Quillan repeated cautiously.

"To her mind."

"What makes you think so?"

Mihul frowned at the transmitter.

"Trigger always had a temper," she said. "She was always obstinate. She
was always an individualist and ready to fight for her own rights and
anyone else's. But she used to show good sense. She's got one of the
highest I.Q.s we ever processed through this place. The way she's acting
now doesn't look too rational."

"How would she h