haps the result of the mingling of several human races.
His eyes were slightly sunken, so that it was difficult in this light
to read their expression. He was, Hume had already decided, a class
one brain and observant to a degree, which could either be a help or a
menace. "There have been no cases of failure?"

"None reported," Hume returned. All his life he had relied on machines
operating, of course, under the competent domination of men trained to
use them properly. He understood the process of the verifier, had seen
it at work. At the Guild Headquarters there were no records of its
failure; he was willing to believe it was infallible.

"A race residing in the sea now--could you be sure your machine would
discover its presence?" Starns continued to question.

Hume laughed. "Not to be found on Jumala, you may be sure of that--the
seas here are small and shallow. Such, not to be picked up by the
verifier, would have to exist at great depths and never venture on
land. So we need not fear any surprises here. The Guild takes no
chances."

"As it always continues to assure one," Yactisi replied. "The hour
grows late. I wish you rewarding dreams." He arose to go to his own
bubble tent.

"Yes, indeed!" Starns blinked at the fire and then scrambled up in
turn. "We hunt along the river, then, tomorrow?"

"For water-cat," Hume agreed. Of the three, he believed Chambriss the
most impatient. Might as well let him pot his trophy as soon as
possible. The ex-pilot deduced there would be little cooperation in
exploration from that client until he was satisfied in his own quest.

Rovald, Wass' man, lingered by the fire until the three civs were safe
in their bubbles.

"River range tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes. We can't rush the deal."

"Agreed." Rovald spoke with a curtness he did not use when the civs
were present. "Only don't delay too long. Remember, our boy's roaming
around out there. He might just be picked off by something before
these stumble-footed civs catch up with him."

"That's the chance we knew we'd have to take. We don't dare raise any
suspicion. Yactisi, for one, is no fool, neither is Starns. Chambriss
just wants to get his water-cat, but he could become nasty if anyone
tried to steer him."

"Too long a wait might run us into trouble. Wass doesn't like
trouble."

Hume spun around. In the half light of the fire his features were set,
his mouth grim. "Neither do I, Rovald, neither do I!" he said softly,