“I described how you insisted that I take Ennie as a partner even though the girl wasn’t properly trained,” Tain obliged, showing a smile that had nothing of humor or good feeling behind it. “You did that because you expected Ennie to mess up in some way, and when she did you would be able to embarrass her uncle with her failure. It didn’t bother you in the least that you risked my life and hers just so you could further your political ambitions.”

“Now, now, it was nothing so dire and dangerous as that,” Coleson said, his smile back in place as he relaxed in his very expensive chair. “I

already know that the girl did mess up, and the fault for her not being properly trained was her uncle’s. He insisted that she start to work as an agent right away, and all I could do was go along with him. If the assignment had been on any other planet than Oliven I would have lodged a firm protest, but the worst that could have happened—what did, in fact, happen—was that you and she were enslaved. Considering the fact that you and she were retrieved by our own people almost at once means there was really no harm done at all.“

“No harm done at all,” Tain echoed, seeing that Coleson really wasn’t in the least bothered. “One of these days I’m going to show you exactly how little the harm can be considered. You have my word that you won’t enjoy the time.”

“I can understand your being upset, Tain, and that’s why I authorized a bonus for you,” Coleson said, still showing that smile as he laced his fingers comfortably across his middle. “I’ve even arranged for you to have some leave, during which time you can spend some of the bonus, but I do need you back here in about four days. There’s an assignment that -”

“Too bad, Coleson, but I won’t be back,” Tain interrupted, this time enjoying herself quite a bit. “Not only did you risk my neck for political reasons, but you went back on the deal we had. I told you that if you ever assigned Killen to work with me I would quit, but it looks like you didn’t believe me. This is my resignation, and if you try to fight it you’ll find out what nonpolitical down and dirty is like.”

Tain pulled the envelope with her resignation out of her shoulder bag and tossed it on Coleson’s desk, and the man’s hand slapped down on the envelope as he straightened in his chair. All amusement was gone from Coleson’s face, and heavy disturbance had taken its place.

“Come on, Tain, you can’t mean that!” he protested, obviously having taken the resignation only by reflex. “I didn’t break our agreement on purpose and you have to know it! Jake Killen was already on the planet when we got word of your capture, and there weren’t—a lot of—others to go to your rescue.”

“That’s right, you can’t lie about there being no one else, not when I saw the others at the base,” Tain said with a satisfied nod as Coleson limped through an effort to excuse what he’d done. “You had your choice of three other agents to use, but you were so eager to play your private game that you forgot about everything else. Now you can take your new assignment and shove it up your ass.”

“No, don’t do this,” Coleson said almost desperately after standing up and putting his hand out with the resignation clutched in it. “You know you’re the best agent I have, and I don’t want to lose you! Tain, be reasonable!”

“Goodbye, Coleson, and have a lousy life,” Tain said before turning and walking toward the door. Coleson kept trying to call her back, but she hadn’t been joking about leaving. They both knew she would have no trouble finding the same kind of work elsewhere, but first she was going to take a small vacation. There were things that needed to be thought about and then forgotten, and she would manage the forgetting. Even if it took a little while…

Jake walked into headquarters, more grimly determined than he’d been in quite a while. It had seemed like an eternity of being worried out of his mind before he and Tandro and Ennie had been able to leave for the base on horses supplied by Gordi, and then the trip had felt like an extension of that eternity. Not until he learned that Tain had made it back herself was Jake able to rest for a little while, not to mention sleep. But when he woke up he was angry rather than worried, and that anger had been growing.

“Agent Killen,” Coleson’s secretary said when he saw Jake, the man’s expression uncertain. “I’m sorry, but Mr. Coleson isn’t available right now. If you’d like to make an appointment I’d be glad to—Agent Killen!”

By that time Jake was already at the door to Coleson’s office, and a moment later he was through the door. Coleson sat stiffly behind his desk, staring at a monitor screen that Jake couldn’t see. When Jake walked in Coleson didn’t look up immediately, but when he did look up his expression lacked the smarmy charm that Jake usually had trouble stomaching.

“How could you say that that girl did an adequate job on her first assignment?” Coleson demanded, which told Jake that the man had been reading the report Jake had filed. “It was her fault that she and Tain were enslaved, and that’s a truth no one can get around!”

“What Ennie did was an accident, due mainly to her lack of proper training,” Jake answered mildly, enjoying Coleson’s agitation.

“Once she had some experience to call on, she did rather well.”

“But she brought a native of Oliven back with her!” Coleson shouted, then he seemed to regain control of himself. “She brought a native back with her, and that simply isn’t done,” Coleson continued more calmly.

“It’s going to be my painful duty to tell her that the man has to be sent back at once.”

“It would be premature to start enjoying that idea,” Jake advised when he saw the vicious gleam in Coleson’s eyes. “Ennie has already checked with her lawyers, and they’ve told her that Tandro isn’t a criminal so he can go anywhere he pleases. Besides, she’s about to hand in her resignation, citing inadequate departmental leadership as the reason for breaking her contract. You were the one who let her go out without adequate training, you know.”

“My skirts are clean on that one,” Coleson responded, that smarmy look beginning to come back as he relaxed into his chair. “Her uncle, who is a director, don’t forget, told me to put the girl to work at once. If she wasn’t adequately trained it wasn’t my fault.”

“Of course it was,” Jake countered, showing his own version of a smile. “You’re supposed to be in charge of this department, and if someone gives you an improper order it’s your place to say so and refuse to comply. A

challenged order would have been brought before the board if it wasn’t withdrawn, and only then would your hands have been clean. As it is it’s perfectly clear that you were playing politics, which the head of this department isn’t supposed to do. I hear there’s going to be an investigation made, and if you’re found culpable you’ll be gone so fast your imprint in that chair will still be visible.“

Coleson had gone pale listening to Jake, and his left hand turned to a fist on the arm of his chair. The man was finally starting to understand the ramifications of what he’d done, a circumstance that couldn’t have pleased Jake more. “But warning you to be ready to file for unemployment isn’t the reason I’m here,” Jake continued, drawing Coleson’s angry gaze. “I was told Tain Halliday stopped by to see you when she got back, and I want to know where she went.”

“Where Halliday went is no longer my concern,” Coleson returned, his manner suddenly even stiffer than it had been. “She came by to resign, and since I accepted her resignation I don’t care if she went straight to hell. My suggestion would be that you go and look for her there.”

“She quit?” Jake demanded, feeling as if he’d been hit hard in his middle. “How could you let her do that?”

“I decided that this department would be much better off without her, and I do still run this place,” Coleson answered, the man’s snottiness returning visibly. “With that point in mind, Killen, you can expect your next assignment in a couple or three days. And don’t even think about quitting yourself. You have no basis for a breach of contract, and if you walk out anyway I’ll have you enjoined from working anywhere else. Now get out of my office.”