“How about some solid fuel for a change?” he suggested at last.
“You’re in your right orbit now,” said Sean, speaking with elaborate precision. “But let’s go where there’s some life.”
“Just as you say,” responded Trevelyan amiably. They bad dinner in a small and noisy tavem which was beginning to fill up as the sun declined. Trevelyan kept making clumsy passes at the owner, a pneumatic human female. There was almost a fight, and they were frigidly escorted to the door.
“You’re a good sort,” said Sean, laughing. “A proper fellow, Micah.”
“Electron shells,” said Trevelyan owlishly. “We’re only a pair of little electrons, jumping from shell to shell.”
They went down the street, stopping in most of the bars that lined it. They were in a dim and smoky underground room when Trevelyan put his head on his aims, giggled stupidly, and went Iiinp. Sean sat for a moment, blinking across the table at the man, wondering what to do.
“That will be four credits sixty,” said a voice from high above. Sean saw a bearded giant with an uncompromising look about him. “That’s your score, ‘less you want something else.”
“Uh-no.” Sean felt in his pouch. Empty.
“Four credits sixty,” said the giant.
“M’ frien’s got it.” Sean shook the unstirring Solarian. The shoulder was hard under his fingers, but ‘the dark head rolled lax on the folded arms. Sean looked at the blurred form of the denkeeper, considered, and reached the triumphant answer.
He leaned over the table and groped in the Solarian’s bip pocket until the leatheroid was in his hand. It was hard to focus. He opened the wallet and looked closer.
The luminescent words on the card within blazed at him-.
TREVELYAN MICAH
FIELD AGFNT A-1392-zx-843
STFLLAR UNION COORDINATION SFRVICE
UNATTACHED
And the ringed star that burned over the letters, burned with its own cold fire and seemed to be spinning in dark space—
A Cordy!
Slowly, fighting himself every millimeter of the way, Sean paid the bill and slid the wallet back where it belonged. He couldn’t think straight he had to get a soberpill fast. This might not mean anvtbing, but …
“Trevelyan! Trevelyan Micah!” Sean said. “This is the district chief. Whassyer mission on Nerthus? Wake up, Trevelvan! Whassyer mission’
“Nomads,” mumbled the voice. “Catch a Nomad ship, chief. Lemme sleep.”
CHAPTER VII
Nomad’s Prisoner
HIS HEAD ACHED a little in the smoke and noise of the inn, and Trevelyan had to resist the temptation to steal a glance and see what was happening about him. The landlord had been bribed carefully, and had played his part well.
He could almost feel Sean’s eyes on him. The Nomad bad bought a soberpill and spent a frantic quarter hour in a communication booth. Now lie was sitting with one hand on his gun butt, staring and staring.
The affair bad gone off like a robot gun so far.
Recognizing the early symptoms of worry, “Trevelyan let his thoughts fioat free, Civilization was most complex and
delicately balanced, but culture was not a physical thing -it was a process. Civilization was not material technology but a thought-pattem and an understanding. Then a voice broke into his thoughts.
.
“All right, Sean, what’d you get me out of bed for? I warn you, lad, it had better be good.”
The voice was a strong resonant bass, speaking with an easy drawl, and the footsteps were heavy. Trevelyan’s muscles wanted to leap.
“A C-Cordy, Hal. He’s a Cordy. We g-got to drinking together and when be passed out, his wallet-” Trevelyan heard the young Nomad get up and strain across the table.
“Here, see for y’self.”
“Hm. Since when did Corclys carry this sort of thing? Or get sotted on the job?”
The newcomer was shrewd, thought Trevelyan, actually his trick had been rather childish. He listened to Sean
falter through an account of the evening.
“Ah, so. This one reckons vou’ve been picked up, lad. Now let’s see why.” A calloused fist grabbed Trevelyan’s hair and pulled his face up for inspection. “On purpose, too. This man’s no more drunk than I am. All right, friend,
you can quit now.”
Trevelyan opened his eyes, For a satirical instant be enjoyed Sean’s dumbfounded expression, then looked all the other man. This was a stout middle-aged fellow, his hairy body bare except for cloak, shoes-and gun belt-he must