Romis sat down before the screen and touched a button on the panel at his side. Instantly the screen showed the bulky form of Sir Harold Spencer, sitting at a metal desk, obviously aboard his own star ship.
Spencer’s face was a thundercloud. “Minister Romis. I was going to call you when your call arrived here.”
Romis smiled easily and replied, “From the expression on your face. Commander, I believe you already know the reason for my calling.”
Sir Harold did not return the smile. “You are a welltrained diplomat, sir. I am only a soldierLet’s come directly to the point.”
“Of course. A major m the Kerak army has disappeared, and I have reason to believe he is on Acquatainia.”
Spencer huffed. “And a Star Watch lieutenant has disappeared, and I have reason to believe he is on Kerak.”
“Your suspicions are not without foundation,” Romis fenced coolly. “And mine?”
The Star Watch Commander rubbed a hand across his massive jaw before answering. “You have been using the words T and ‘mine’ instead of the usual diplomatic plurals. Could it be that you are not speaking on behalf of the Kerak government?”
Romis glanced up at the captain, standing by the door out of camera range; he gave only a worried frown and a gesture to indicate that time was racing.
“It happens,” Romis said to Sir Harold, “that I am not speaking for the government at this moment. If you have custody of the missing Kerak major, you can probably leam the details of my position from him.”
“I see,” Spencer said”And should I assume that you —and not Kanus and his gang of hoodlums—have custody of lieutenant Hector!”‘