," she said. "But there was
something you said before that made me wonder. There was really very
little of Doctor Azol left after that plasmoid got through with him."

He nodded. "True."

"It wasn't Azol, was it?"

"No."

"Man, oh, man!" Trigger jumped up, bent over his chair and gave him a
quick peck on an ear tip. "If I ask one more question, we'll be sitting
here the next two hours. I'll run instead! See you around lunchtime,
Commissioner!"

"Right, Trigger," he said, getting up.

He closed the door behind her and went back to the transmitter. He
looked rather unhappy.

"Yes?" said a voice in the transmitter.

"She just left," Commissioner Tate said. "Get on the beam and stay
there!"

18

"Well," Trigger said, regarding Brule critically, "I just meant to say
that you're getting the least little bit plump here and there, under all
that tan. I'll admit it doesn't show yet when you're dressed."

Brule smiled tolerantly. In silver swimming trunks and sandals, he was
obviously a very handsome hunk of young man, and he knew it. So did
Trigger. So did a quartet of predatory young females eyeing them
speculatively from a table only twenty feet away.

"I've come swimming here quite a bit since they opened the Center," he
said. He flexed his right arm and regarded his biceps complacently.
"That's just streamlined muscle you're looking at, sweetheart!"

Trigger reached over and poked the biceps with a finger tip. "Muscle?"
she said, smiling at him. "It dents. See?"

He clasped his other hand over hers and squeezed it lightly.

"Oh, golly, Brule!" she said happily. "I'm so glad I'm back!"

He gave her the smile. "You're not the only glad one!"

She looked around, humming softly. They were having dinner in one of the
Grand Commerce Center's restaurants. This one happened to be beneath the
surface of the artificial swimming lake installed in the Center--a giant
grotto surrounded by green-gold chasms of water on every side.
Underwater swimmers and bottom walkers moved past beyond the wide
windows. A streak of silvery swiftness against a dark red canyon wall
before her was trying to keep away from a trio of pursuing spear
fishermen. Even the lake fish were Hub imports, advertised as such by
the Center.

Her eyes widened suddenly. "Hey!" she said.

"What?"

"That group of people up there!"

Brule looked. "What about them?"

"No suits, you idiot!"

He grinned. "Oh, a lot of them do that. Okay by