Hanse could have given lessons to the most subtle spy in existence. He sighed, closed the window against the sudden breeze from the river beyond the garden, and turned down the glow of the lamp above his desk.

Sep swept the room yet again with the electronic device that spied out any bugging element. She activated the stronger one that could intercept any signal from a distant amplifier that might pick up what they said. Nothing registered.

"Your Highness," she said finally, "I have had a message, via ComStar, from Ardan Sortek. To save time, I would like for you to read it" She handed it across the desk.

"Thank you. Major Septarian." He took the capsule, opened it, and rapidly scanned the contents, nodding several times.

When he finished, Davion looked at Sep and said, "The Archon sent me word, some time ago, about this claim that Ardan saw my double on the Folly. The doctors insist that it is delusional. I know Ardan. If he wants to check it out—which I guess to be the motive for this message— then he must have the chance. If not for my sake, for his own."

He turned to the computer console beside him, and quickly punched up the records of Septarian and Jarlik.

Sep almost grinned. The Prince's mind was running along the same channels as her own.

"I see that you and Captain Jarlik have not had your regular leaves. We can't have our officers overworked in peacetime. How would you like some time, Major? You might even like to choose several of your fellow officers to accompany you. I know how close you become, in a unit. And you have no family nearby, I see."

"I'd like that very much, Highness," she said. "I have been wanting to see Stein's Folly, ever since our reconquest of that world. There should be some valuable learning there for a commander, both defensively and offensively. I'd like to take Jarlik and Ref Handrikan with me, if you approve. With our 'Mechs. We might get tired of relaxing, and want to get in some training, too, while we are there."

"It happens that I have a small JumpShip waiting to convey a...message...to Stein's Folly. It will also be convenient for your purposes. I shall put it at your disposal." His eyes twinkled at her in a conspiratorial fashion.

"Find out for me," he said, his voice so low as to be nearly inaudible. "And take care of Ardan."

"Thank you, Highness," she said, saluting. "And good night. My relief is in the hall. I can hear him already."

She moved rapidly after that Jarlik was already asleep when she pounded on the door of his quarters.

"Whoozat?" came his bearlike growl. "Betterbe'n' emergency!"

"Jarlik! Septarian, here! Let me in at once!"

The door clicked, and a suspiciously yellowed eye looked out.

It widened, as did the gap in the door. "Sep! Come in. I thought it was that triple-damned Fram playing a trick on me again. What's up?"

"We're going to take a trip," she said. To Stein's Folly. But no more now. Just get yourself and your 'Mech ready to be loaded on a DropShip waiting to rendezvous with a ship at our jump point. Get Ref. He's going, too. I don't want to say anything else until we reach our first recharge."

Jarlik was now fully awake. He was fumbling for his case, pulling gear from drawers and cupboards, and cramming it in without folding or even looking at what he grabbed. The excitement he seemed to feel thrummed through the room like a high-powered generator.

Sep grinned. Her own packing would probably go something like this.

"I've got to alert Denek, too. He'll be in charge of the unit until we get back. We have, by the way, two standard months, excluding recharge time, and two more months discretionary time. We're both well behind in leave-time, so there will be no question about it. Be ready, though. We're leaving as soon as I can get things in hand."

She hurried away to Denek's quarters, which he shared with his bosom enemy, Fram. A tap at that door was never enough to wake the pair. She used her override key and walked in.

Sep pulled the covers off Denek and turned up the cooling unit He shivered. His eyes opened.

"Hey!" he protested. "What goes?"

"You're in charge," she said briefly, "until Jarlik and I get back off leave. We've been working our tails off while you dopes goof off. Now we've got the chance to take some time off and a way to do some traveling, and we're grabbing it. Oh-six-hundred hours tomorrow, my friend. Don't be late, and don't forget the drill, or your tail will be in the fire when I get back." She stepped to the door and turned to grin at the sleepy officer.

"Don't think I won't know if you pull anything stupid. No pranks, now. No practical jokes. No great ideas. Just do your job, Denek, the way I know you can. Now, goodbye."

Doing her own manic version of packing a bit later, Sep shivered with excitement. What was it that Ardan thought he would find, there on that embattled world where he had so nearly died?

She puzzled over that thought while overseeing the storage of their 'Mechs on the DropShip that would take them to the JumpShip waiting in deep space. Her Tech had been joined by those of Jarlik and Ref, and all three were yawning. Their standbys were being left behind, however. This was no trip into war. A holiday jaunt, even with some training purposes, did not require taking along an entire battle-ready group.

The ship embarked a few minutes after sunrise. Only a sleepy guard-’Mech and a handful of troopers saw it go, and none of them thought twice about it. DropShips were in and out of the Prince's private port at all times of the day and night, as he sent and received messengers from all over the system, and beyond.

Sep found her billet and closed her eyes for a nap. When she woke at the jump point, she would tell her companions what was afoot. For now, she intended to catch some sleep. There would be plenty of time for everything in the long transit to Stein's Folly.

24

The weeks of jump didn't bother Ardan as much as usual. Nor did the long wait for recharge at each intermediary jump point afflict his nerves. He was too busy thinking about what he might possibly find upon return to Stein's Folly. Their final jump point was one of the irregular ones for that system, and from there, he could go by DropShip to the rendezvous point on the far side of the Folly's larger moon. He knew Sep would come, and though the JumpShip captain argued that the Steiners would never forgive him for leaving their guest alone in such a perilous situation, Ardan insisted.

The DropShip's scanners gave him a fair view of the desolate contours of the rocky planetoid as it orbited. The sky was black, for the vessel was in the shadow. Ardan's drop into the system had been invisible from the scanners on the Folly, hidden by the moon. Now he could see brilliant sparks against the midnight sky, other worlds and suns he probably would never visit

The tiny lump of rock turned toward the sun, which sent long shadows along its gritty stone surface. Ardan began to relax, even to doze a little. He was in place, and knew without a doubt that Sep was on her way. Things would begin to happen soon.

He woke with a start as a clang told him his capsule was being reattached to another ship. When he looked out, the moon had turned again and this side was dark. His scanners revealed another sleek DropShip in position. The hatch opened as he turned toward it.

"Sep, you made it!" he almost shouted, rising to meet her.

"We came as soon as we could, Dan. The Prince sent us." Sep caught him by his shoulders, and studied his face with concern. "But how are you? Are you all right now?"