t worry. It's for free. I'm calling from the yacht
of a friend."

"Some friend!" Trigger said, startled.

"It isn't costing her anything either. She had to transmit to the Hub
today anyway. Asked me if I'd like to take over the last few minutes of
contact and see if I could locate you.... Been missing me properly,
Trigger?"

Trigger smiled. "Very properly. Well, that was lovely of her! Someone I
know?"

"Hardly," said Brule. "Nelauk arrived a week or so after you left.
Nelauk Pluly. Her father's the Pluly Lines. Let's talk about you. What's
the silver-haired idea?"

"Got talked into it," she told him. "It's all the rage again right now."
He surveyed her critically. "I like you better as a redhead."

"So do I." Oops, Trigger thought. Security, girl! "So I'll change back
tonight," she went on quickly. "Golly, Brule. It's nice to see that
homely old mug again!"

"Be a lot nicer when it won't have to be over a transmitter."

"Right you are!"

"When are you coming back?"

She shook her head glumly. "Don't know."

He was silent a moment. "I've had to take a bit of chitchat now and
then," he remarked, "about you and old Tate vanishing together."

Trigger felt herself coloring. "So don't take it," she said shortly.
"Just pop them one!"

The smile returned. "Wouldn't be gentlemanly to pop a lady, would it?"

She smiled back. "So stay away from the ladies!" Somehow Brule and
Holati Tate never had worked up a really warm regard for each other. It
had caused a little trouble before.

"Okay to tell me where you are?" he asked.

"Afraid not, Brule."

"Precol Home Office apparently knows," he pointed out.

"Apparently," Trigger admitted.

They looked at each other a moment; then Brule grinned. "Well, keep your
little secret!" he said. "All I really want to know is when you're
getting back."

"Very soon, I hope, Brule," Trigger said unhappily. Then there was a
sudden burst of sound from the ComWeb--gusts of laughing, chattering
voices; a faint wash of music. Brule glanced aside.

"Party going on," he explained. "And here comes Nelauk! She wanted to
say hello to you."

A dozen feet behind him, a figure strolled gracefully into view on the
screen and came forward. A slender girl with high-piled violet hair and
eyes that very nearly matched the hair's tint. She was dressed in
something resembling a dozen blossoms--blossoms which, in Trigger's
opinion, had been rather carelessly scattered. But presumably it wa