"Exactly. And what do you suppose they have in mind for you?"

"What are you getting at?"

"Why is Rotune interested in your take-over?"

Zorn studied Retief"s face. "I"ll tell you why," he said. "It"s you birds. You and your trade agreement. You"re here to tie Petreac into some kind of trade combine. That cuts Rotune out. Well, we"re doing all right out here. We don"t need any commitments to a lot of fancy-pants on the other side of the Galaxy."

"That"s what Rotune has sold you, eh?" Retief said, smiling.

"Sold, nothing!"

Zorn ground out his dope-stick, lit another. He snorted angrily.

"Okay; what"s your idea?" he asked after a moment.

"You know what Petreac is getting in the way of imports as a result of the agreement?"

"Sure. A lot of junk."

"To be specific," Retief said, "there"ll be 50,000 Tatone B-3 dry washers; 100,000 Glo-float motile lamps; 100,000 Earthworm Minor garden cultivators; 25,000 Veco s.p.a.ce heaters; and 75,000 replacement elements for Ford Monomeg drives."

"Like I said. A lot of junk."

Retief leaned back, looking sardonically at Zorn, "Here"s the gimmick, Zorn," he said. "The Corps is getting a little tired of Petreac and Rotune carrying on their two-penny war out here. Your privateers have a nasty habit of picking on innocent bystanders. After studying both sides, the Corps has decided Petreac would be a little easier to do business with. So this trade agreement was worked out. The Corps can"t openly sponsor an arms shipment to a belligerent. But personal appliances are another story."

"So what do we do--plow "em under with back-yard cultivators?" Zorn looked at Retief, puzzled. "What"s the point?"

"You take the sealed monitor unit from the washer, the repeller field generator from the lamp, the converter control from the cultivator, et cetera, et cetera. You fit these together according to some very simple instructions. Presto! You have one hundred thousand Standard-cla.s.s Y hand blasters. Just the thing to turn the tide in a stalemated war fought with obsolete arms."

"Good lord!" Magnan said. "Retief, are you--"

"I have to tell him," Retief said. "He has to know what he"s putting his neck into."

"Weapons, hey?" Zorn said. "And Rotune knows about it?"

"Sure they know about it. It"s not too hard to figure out. And there"s more. They want the CDT delegation included in the ma.s.sacre for a reason. It will put Petreac out of the picture; the trade agreement will go to Rotune; and you and your new regime will find yourselves looking down the muzzles of your own blasters."

Zorn threw his dope-stick to the floor with a snarl.

"I should have smelled something when that Rotune smoothie made his pitch." Zorn looked at his watch.

"I"ve got two hundred armed men in the palace. We"ve got about forty minutes to get over there before the rocket goes up."

V

"You"d better stay here on this terrace out of the way until I"ve spread the word," Zorn said. "Just in case."

"Let me caution you against any ... ah ... slip-ups, Mr. Zorn," Magnan said. "The Nenni are not to be molested--"

Zorn looked at Retief.

"Your friend talks too much," he said. "I"ll keep my end of it. He"d better keep his."

"Nothing"s happened yet, you"re sure?" Magnan said.

"I"m sure," Zorn said. "Ten minutes to go. Plenty of time."

"I"ll just step into the salon to a.s.sure myself that all is well,"

Magnan said.

"Suit yourself," Zorn said. "Just stay clear of the kitchen, or you"ll get your throat cut." He sniffed at his dope-stick. "What"s keeping Shoke?" he muttered.

Magnan stepped to a tall gla.s.s door, eased it open and poked his head through the heavy draperies. As he moved to draw back, a voice was faintly audible. Magnan paused, head still through the drapes.

"What"s going on there?" Zorn rasped. He and Retief stepped up behind Magnan.

"--breath of air, ha-ha," Magnan was saying.

"Well, come along, Magnan!" Amba.s.sador Crodfoller"s voice snapped.

Magnan shifted from one foot to the other then pushed through the drapes.

"Where"ve you been, Mr. Magnan?" The Amba.s.sador"s voice was sharp.

"Oh ... ah ... a slight accident, Mr. Amba.s.sador."

"What"s happened to your shoes? Where are your insignia and decorations?"

"I--ah--spilled a drink on them. Sir. Ah--listen...."

The sound of an orchestra came up suddenly, blaring a fanfare.

Zorn shifted restlessly, ear against the gla.s.s.

"What"s your friend pulling?" he rasped. "I don"t like this."

"Keep cool, Zorn," Retief said. "Mr. Magnan is doing a little emergency salvage on his career."

The music died away with a clatter.

"--My G.o.d," Amba.s.sador Crodfoller"s voice was faint. "Magnan, you"ll be knighted for this. Thank G.o.d you reached me. Thank G.o.d it"s not too late. I"ll find some excuse. I"ll get a gram off at once."