ort of like a leech, you know. I guess he
knew I wouldn't feel comfortable about having something like that go
oozing into the side of my neck or start oozing out again. Anyway, he
never did let me see it."

"Considerate little fellow!" said Pilch. She sighed. "Well, everything
came out very satisfactorily--much more so than anyone could have dared
hope at one time. All that's left is a very intriguing mystery which the
Hub will be chatting about for years.... What happened aboard Doctor
Fayle's vanished ship that caused the king plasmoid to awaken to awful
life?" she cried. "What equally mysterious event brought about its death
on that strangely hideous structure it had built in subspace? _What was
it planning to do there?_ Etcetera." She smiled at Trigger. "Yes, very
good!"

"I saw they camouflaged out what was still visible of the original
substation before they let in the news viewers," Trigger remarked.
"Bright idea somebody had there!"

"Yes. It was I. And the Devagas hierarchy is broken, and the Ermetynes
run out of Tranest. Two very bad spots, those were! I don't recall
having heard what they did to your friend, Pluly."

"_I_ heard," Trigger said. "He just got black-listed by Grand Commerce
finally and lost all his shipping concessions. However, his daughter is
married to an up and coming young businessman who happened to be on hand
and have the money and other qualifications to pick up those
concessions." She laughed. "It's the Inger Lines now. They're smart
characters, in a way!"

"Yes," said Pilch. "In a way. Did you know Lyad Ermetyne put in for
voluntary rehabilitation with us, and then changed her mind and joined
the Service?"

"I'd heard of it." Trigger hesitated. "Did you know Lyad paid me a short
visit about an hour before you got here this morning?"

"I thought she would," Pilch said. "We came in to Maccadon together."

Trigger had been a little startled when she answered the doorchime and
saw Lyad standing there. She invited the Ermetyne in.

"I thought I'd thank you personally," Lyad said casually, "for a
recording which was delivered to me some months ago."

"That's quite all right," Trigger said, also casually. "I was sure I
wasn't going to have any use for it."

Lyad studied her face for a moment. "To be honest about it, Trigger
Argee," she said, "I still don't feel entirely cordial toward you!
However, I did appreciate the gesture of letting me have the recording.
So I decided to dr