hastily into the building. Brasidus waited until the dust had subsided before getting out of the car.
“That Agis!” snarled the Captain as he sketchily acknowledged Brasidus’ salute, “I’ll have him transferred to the infantry!”
“I’ve seen him do the same when he’s been driving you, sir.”
“Hmph! That’s different, young man. Well, he got you here in good time. Just as well, as I’ve instructions for you.”
“And I’ve a report for you, sir.”
“Already, Brasidus? You’ve wasted no time.” He smiled greasily. “As a matter of fact, I’ve already had a call from Captain Lycurgus, passing on a complaint from Doctor Heraklion. What did you learn?”
Brasidus, who possessed a trained memory, told his superior what he had seen and heard. Diomedes listened intently. Then he asked, “And what do you think, Brasidus?”
“That Arcadians were already on Sparta before Seeker landed, sir.”
“Arcadians? Oh, yes. The twin-turreted androids. Did you hear that rumor, too? And how do you think they got here?”
“There could have been secret landings, sir. Or they could have been smuggled in aboard Latterhaven Venus and Latterhaven Hera .”
“And neither of these theories throws Security in a very good light, does it? And the smuggling one rather reflects upon the spaceport guards.”
“They needn’t be smuggled in as adults, sir. Children could be hidden in some of those crates discharged by the Latterhaven ships. They could be drugged, too, so that they couldn’t make any noise.”
“Ingenious, Brasidus. Ingenious. But I’ve been aboard the Venus and the Hera often enough and, believe me, it would be impossible for either ship to carry more than her present complement. Not even children. They’re no more than cargo boxes with a handful of cubicles, cells that we should consider inadequate for our criminals, perched on top of them.”
“The cargo holds?”
“No. You can’t have a man—or a child—living in any confined space without his leaving traces.”
“But they didn’t just happen, sir. The Arcadians, I mean.”
“Of course not. They either budded from their fathers or came out of a birth machine.” Diomedes seemed to find this amusing. “No, they didn’t just happen. They were either brought here or came here under their own power. But why?”
“Heraklion seemed to like the one that he was with last night. It was . . . unnatural.”
“And what were your feelings toward him? Or it?”
Brasidus blushed. He muttered, “As you said yourself, sir, these beings possess a strange, evil power.”
“So they do. So they do. That’s why we must try to foil any plot in which they’re engaged.” He looked at his watch. “Meanwhile, my own original plan still stands. The Council has approved my suggestion that Seeker ’s personnel be allowed to leave their ship. Today you will, using my car and driver, escort Lieutenant Commander Grimes and Doctor Lazenby to the city, where an audience with the King and the Council has been arranged for them. You will act as guide as well as escort, and—you are armed—also as guard.”
“To protect them, sir?”
“Yes. I suppose so. But mainly to protect the King. How do we know that when they are in his presence they will not pull a weapon of some kind? You will be with them; you will be situated to stop them at once. Of course, there will be plenty of my own men in the Council Chamber, but you would be able to act without delay if you had to.”
“I see, sir.”
“All right. Now we are to go aboard the ship to tell them that everything has been organized.”
A junior officer met them in the airlock, escorted them up to the commander’s quarters. Grimes was attired in what was obviously ceremonial uniform—and very hot and uncomfortable it must be, thought Brasidus. Professionally he ran his eye over the spaceman for any evidence of weapons. There was one, in full sight, but not a very dangerous one. It was a sword,
“That Agis!” snarled the Captain as he sketchily acknowledged Brasidus’ salute, “I’ll have him transferred to the infantry!”
“I’ve seen him do the same when he’s been driving you, sir.”
“Hmph! That’s different, young man. Well, he got you here in good time. Just as well, as I’ve instructions for you.”
“And I’ve a report for you, sir.”
“Already, Brasidus? You’ve wasted no time.” He smiled greasily. “As a matter of fact, I’ve already had a call from Captain Lycurgus, passing on a complaint from Doctor Heraklion. What did you learn?”
Brasidus, who possessed a trained memory, told his superior what he had seen and heard. Diomedes listened intently. Then he asked, “And what do you think, Brasidus?”
“That Arcadians were already on Sparta before Seeker landed, sir.”
“Arcadians? Oh, yes. The twin-turreted androids. Did you hear that rumor, too? And how do you think they got here?”
“There could have been secret landings, sir. Or they could have been smuggled in aboard Latterhaven Venus and Latterhaven Hera .”
“And neither of these theories throws Security in a very good light, does it? And the smuggling one rather reflects upon the spaceport guards.”
“They needn’t be smuggled in as adults, sir. Children could be hidden in some of those crates discharged by the Latterhaven ships. They could be drugged, too, so that they couldn’t make any noise.”
“Ingenious, Brasidus. Ingenious. But I’ve been aboard the Venus and the Hera often enough and, believe me, it would be impossible for either ship to carry more than her present complement. Not even children. They’re no more than cargo boxes with a handful of cubicles, cells that we should consider inadequate for our criminals, perched on top of them.”
“The cargo holds?”
“No. You can’t have a man—or a child—living in any confined space without his leaving traces.”
“But they didn’t just happen, sir. The Arcadians, I mean.”
“Of course not. They either budded from their fathers or came out of a birth machine.” Diomedes seemed to find this amusing. “No, they didn’t just happen. They were either brought here or came here under their own power. But why?”
“Heraklion seemed to like the one that he was with last night. It was . . . unnatural.”
“And what were your feelings toward him? Or it?”
Brasidus blushed. He muttered, “As you said yourself, sir, these beings possess a strange, evil power.”
“So they do. So they do. That’s why we must try to foil any plot in which they’re engaged.” He looked at his watch. “Meanwhile, my own original plan still stands. The Council has approved my suggestion that Seeker ’s personnel be allowed to leave their ship. Today you will, using my car and driver, escort Lieutenant Commander Grimes and Doctor Lazenby to the city, where an audience with the King and the Council has been arranged for them. You will act as guide as well as escort, and—you are armed—also as guard.”
“To protect them, sir?”
“Yes. I suppose so. But mainly to protect the King. How do we know that when they are in his presence they will not pull a weapon of some kind? You will be with them; you will be situated to stop them at once. Of course, there will be plenty of my own men in the Council Chamber, but you would be able to act without delay if you had to.”
“I see, sir.”
“All right. Now we are to go aboard the ship to tell them that everything has been organized.”
A junior officer met them in the airlock, escorted them up to the commander’s quarters. Grimes was attired in what was obviously ceremonial uniform—and very hot and uncomfortable it must be, thought Brasidus. Professionally he ran his eye over the spaceman for any evidence of weapons. There was one, in full sight, but not a very dangerous one. It was a sword,
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