!
Haven't seen you in some time. A pleasure to see you again, my lord, a
distinct pleasure! I don't get to Honolulu often, you know. How long's
it been? Four years?"

"Two, I think," said the colonel.

"Really? Only two? It seems longer. How've you been?"

"Well enough," said the colonel. "Excuse me--Mr. Heywood, I'd like to
present you to the Honorable Jon Senesin; Mr. Senesin, this is Robar
Heywood, of South African Metals."

While the two men shook hands and mouthed the usual pleasantries,
Colonel Lord Sorban watched them with an amusement that didn't show on
his placid face. Young Senesin was rather angry that the _tete-a-tete_
had been interrupted, while Heywood seemed flustered and a trifle
stuffy.

"So you're the son of our Prime Portfolio, eh?" he said. There was a
trace of hostility in his voice.

Colonel Sorban saw what was coming and made no effort whatsoever to stop
it. Instead, he simply sat there in straight-faced enjoyment.

"That's correct, Mr. Heywood," Senesin said, a little stiffly.

"I should have known," Heywood said. "You look a great deal like him.
Although I don't know that I've ever seen your picture in the newsfacs
or on the screens."

"Dad prefers to keep his family out of the spotlight," said Senesin,
"unless we get publicity for something other than the accidental fact
that we happen to be the family of the Prime."

"Yes, yes, of course. I see. May I stand the three of us a drink?"
Senesin and the colonel were agreeable. The drinks were brought. Heywood
took a swallow of his, and remarked casually: "Do you agree with your
father's politics, sir?"

"I don't know," Senesin said flatly.

Heywood misunderstood completely. "Yes, I suppose it is a bit
disappointing. Hard for a man's son to divide his loyalty like that. You
can't support his actions, and yet you hesitate to condemn your own
father."

"You mistake my meaning, Mr. Heywood," young Senesin said sharply. "I
said, 'I don't know' because I honestly don't know what my father's
politics _is_ any more."

But Heywood only compounded his error. "Of course not. How could you?
Since he became Prime, his policies have been erratic and unpredictable,
not to say foolish."

_This is it_, thought the colonel, wondering what young Senesin's
reaction would be. He didn't have to wonder longer than half a second.

"Mr. Heywood," said Senesin, his voice oddly tight under the strain of
suppressed emotion, "a person should learn to kno