ter looked, and saw Narf whipping up the blunt, ugly spread-beam
blaster--known to soldiers as the Coward's Special, because at short
range it could not miss and would always cripple and blind a man for
life even though it would not always kill him. Sonig was standing by,
nodding his weasel head and smiling in open admiration.

"Of course," Rockford said, "Sonig isn't mentioning the needle gun all
Verdam envoys carry up their sleeve. He's flattering Narf's ego for a
reason--he intends to have Vesta, as well as Jardeen, sewed up for the
Verdam empire when he leaves here."

"And so far as I can see," Hunter said coldly, "Sonig never is going
to have anything vaguely resembling intelligent resistance to his
plans."

[Illustration]

"Ah, yes ... so far as you can see," Rockford agreed amiably. "But you
obey my order to take Lyla for another walk and everything will turn out
all right. In fact, I'll speak to her about that right now."

Hunter stared after Rockford as he walked away. There could be no
possible shred of doubt--Rockford was insane!

The breeze shifted and the voice of Narf came:

"... Certainly no weapon for a timid man, this spread-beam blaster. Have
to meet the enemy man-to-man at close range."

"In that respect, too," Sonig said, "you remind me of our great General
Paluk. His skill in hand-to-hand combat was something that--"

"Rootenant--"

Hunter quivered and steeled himself.

"Rootenant--" Alonzo came to a flopping halt beside him. "I terr
Princess Ryra and she say I are bad to be mad at you. So I not mad, even
if you didn't give me my pay."

"Thank you," Hunter said acidly. "I was deeply disturbed by your
resentment."

"Oh, I know, you don't rike me. But I think you not as mean as you act.
But Rord Narf--he is. I terr you, he awready mad enough to kirr you."

"What? Lord Narf wants to kill me?"

"Oh, he know you hord Princess Ryra's hand awrmost awr the way down the
hirr this morning. Mr. Sonig, he see you, and he run and terr Rord Narf
and Mr. Boran, too."

"But I was only helping her down the hill."

"Rord Narf, he are going to say mean things about it to Princess Ryra,
too. I know. He are awrways saying mean things to my Princess Ryra."

Alonzo sighed, a sound strangely humanlike in its sadness.

"Who wirr watch over my Princess Ryra after she marry Rord Narf? He
said, 'The first thing to go around here wirr be that stupid
brabber-mouth animar that are not worth what it costs t