hed to
those colored streamers Hume noted. This meant either that their
owners represented luxury trades, where a name signified the
profession or service, or that they were covers--perhaps both. Wass'
world fringed many different circles, intermingled with some quite
surprising professions dedicated to the comfort, pleasure or health of
the idle rich, off-world nobility, and the criminal elite.

Hume fingered the right call button, knowing that the thumb pattern
he had left on Wass' conference table would have already been relayed
as his symbol of admission here. A flicker of light winked below the
name, the wall to the right shimmered, and produced a doorway.
Steering Vye to it, Hume nodded to the man waiting there. He was a
flat-faced Eucorian of the servant caste, and now he reached out to
draw Lansor over the threshold.

"I have him, gentlehomo." His voice was as expressionless as his face.
There was another shimmer and the door disappeared.

Hume brushed his hand down the outer side of his thigh, wiping flesh
against the coarse stuff of the crew uniform. He left the lobby
frowning at his own thoughts.

Stupid! A swamper from one of the worst rat holes in the port. Like as
not that youngster would have had his brains kicked out in a brawl, or
been fried to a crisp when some drunk got wild with a blaster, before
the year was out. He'd done him a real kindness, given him a chance at
a future less than one man in a billion ever had the power to even
dream about. Why, if Vye Lansor had known what was going to happen to
him, he would have been so willing to volunteer, that he would have
dragged Hume here. There was no reason to have any regrets over the
boy, he had never had it so good--never! There was only one small
period of risk for Vye to face. Those days he would have to spend
alone on Jumala between the time Wass' organization would plant him
there and the coming of Hume's party to "discover" him. Hume himself
would tape every possible aid to cover that period. All the knowledge
of a Guild Out-Hunter, added to the information gathered by the
survey, would be used to provide Rynch Brodie with the training
necessary for wilderness survival. Hume was already listing the items
to be included as he strode down the street, his tread once more
assured.

3

His head ached dully, of that he was conscious first. As he turned,
without opening his eyes, he felt the brush of softness against his
cheek, and a