op by to tell you there isn't really too much left in
the way of hard feelings, on my part."

They shook hands restrainedly, and the Ermetyne sauntered out again.

"The other reason she came here," Pilch said, "is to take care of the
financing of Mantelish's expedition."

"I didn't know that!" Trigger said, surprised.

"It's her way of making amends. Her legitimate Hub holdings are still
enormous, of course. She can afford it."

"Well," Trigger said, "that's one thing about Lyad--she's wholehearted!"

"She's that," said Pilch. "Rarely have I seen anyone rip into total
therapy with the verve displayed by the Ermetyne. She mentioned on one
occasion that there simply had to be some way of getting ahead of you
again."

"Oh," said Trigger.

"Yes," said Pilch. "By the way, what are your own plans nowadays? Aside
from getting married."

Trigger stretched slim tanned arms over her head and grinned. "No
immediate plans!" she said. "I've resigned from Precol. Got a couple of
checks from the Federation. One to cover my expenses on that plasmoid
business--that was the Dawn City fare mainly--and the other for the five
weeks special duty they figured I was on for them. So I'm up to five
thousand crowns again, and I thought I'd just loaf around and sort of
think things over till Quillan gets back from his current assignment."

"I see. When is Major Quillan returning?"

"In about a month. It's Captain Quillan at present, by the way."

"Oh?" said Pilch. "What happened?"

"That unwarranted interference with a political situation business.
They'd broadcast a warning against taking individual action of any kind
against the plasmoid station. But when he got there and heard the
Commissioner was in a kind of coma, and I wasn't even on board, he lost
his head and came charging into the station after me, flinging grenades
and so on around. The plasmoids would have finished him off pretty
quick, except most of them had started slowing down as soon as Repulsive
turned off the main one. The lunatic was lucky the termites didn't get
to him before he even reached the station!"

Pilch said, "Termites?"

Trigger told her about the termites.

"Ugh!" said Pilch. "I hadn't heard about those. So they broke him for
that. It hardly seems right."

"Well, you have to have discipline," Trigger said tolerantly. "Ape's a
bit short on that end anyway. They'll be upgrading him again fairly
soon, I imagine. I might just be going into Space Scou