Of course. Someone other than Gailet must have written it, and she was just passing it on for him to read!

“Sylvie came in a while ago,” Gailet said. “We groomed each other. She had trouble with the same knot.”

Sylvie! So. No wonder the chimmie had been so nervous, earlier.

Fiben considered carefully, trying to reassemble a puzzle. Sylvie must have planted the disk on Gailet… No, she must have worn it herself, let Gailet read it, and then transferred it to Gailet’s fur with her permission.

“Maybe I was wrong about Sylvie,” Gailet continued. “She strikes me as a rather nice chimmie after all. I’m not sure how dependable she is, but my guess is she’s pretty solid, down deep.”

What was Gailet telling him now? That this wasn’t her idea at all but Sylvie’s? Gailet would have had to consider the other chimmie’s proposition without being able to speak aloud at all. She would not even be able to give Fiben any advice. Not out in the open, at least.

“It’s a tough knot,” Fiben said, leaving a patch of wet fur as he sat back. “I’ll try again in a minute.”

“That’s all right. Take your time. I’m sure you’ll work it out.”

He combed through another area, near her right shoulder, but Fiben’s thoughts were far from there.

Come on, think, he chided himself.

But it was all so damn murky! The Suzerain’s fancy test equipment must have been on the fritz when the technicians selected him as an “advanced” neo-chimp. At that moment Fiben felt far from being anyone’s sterling example of a sapient being.

Okay, he concentrated. So I’m being offered a chance to escape. First off, is it valid?

For one thing, Sylvie could be a plant. Her offer could be a trap.

But that didn’t make any sense! For one thing, Fiben had never given his parole, never agreed not to run away, if he ever got the chance. In fact, as a Terragens officer it was his duty to do so, especially if he could do it politely, satisfying Galactic punctilio.

Actually, accepting the ofFer might be considered the correct answer. If this’were yet another Gubru test, his proper response might be to say yes. It could satisfy the inscrutable ETs… show them he understood a client’s duties.

Then again, the offer might be for real. Fiben remembered Sylvie’s agitation earlier. She had been very friendly toward him the last few weeks, in ways a chen would hate to think were just playacting.

Okay. But if it’s for real, how does she plan to pull it off?

There was only one way to find out, and that was by asking her. Certainly, any escape would have to involve fooling the surveillance system. Perhaps there was a way to do that, but Sylvie would only be able to use it one time. Once he and Gailet started asking open questions aloud, the decision would already have to be made.

So what I’m really deciding is whether to tell Sylvie, “Okay, let’s hear your plan.” If I say yes, I had better be ready to go.

Veah, but go where?

There was only one answer, of course. Up to the mountains, to report to Athaclena and Robert all he had learned. That meant getting out of Port Helenia, as well as this jail.

“The Soro tell a story,” Gailet said in a low voice. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed almost relaxed as he rubbed her shoulder. “They tell about a certain Paha warrior, back when the Paha were still being uplifted. Would you like to hear it?”

Puzzled Fiben nodded. “Sure, tell me about it, Gailet.”

“Okay. Well, you’ve surely heard of the Paha. They’re tough fighters, loyal to their Soro patrons. Back then they were coming along nicely in the tests given by the Uplift Institute. So one day the Soro decide to give ’em some responsibility. Sent a group of them to guard an emissary to the Seven Spin Clans.”

“Seven Spin… Uh, they’re a machine civilization, right?”

“Yes. But they aren’t outlaws. They’re one of the few machine cultures who’ve joined Galactic society as honorary members. They keep mostly out of the way by sticking to high-density spiral arm areas, useless to both oxygen and hydrogen- breathers.”

What’s she getting at? Fiben wondered.

“Anyway, the Soro Ambassador is dickering with the high muckity mucks of the Seven Spinners when this Paha scout detects something out at the edge of the local system and goes to investigate.

“Well, as luck would have it, he comes upon the scene to find one of the Seven Spinners’ cargo vessels under attack by rogue machines.”

“Berserkers? Planet busters?”

Gailet shuddered. “You read too much science fiction, Fiben. No, just outlaw robots looking for loot. Anyway, when our Paha scout gets no answer to his calls for instructions, he decides to take some initiative. He dives right in, guns blazing.”

“Let me guess, he saved the cargo ship.”

She nodded. “Sent the rogues flying. The Seven Spinners were grateful, too. The reward turned a questionable business deal into a profit for the Soro.”

“So he was a hero.”

Gailet shook her head. “No. He went home in disgrace, for acting on his own without guidance.”

“Crazy Eatees,” Fiben muttered.

“No, Fiben.” She touched his knee. “It’s an important point. Encouraging initiative in a new client race is fine, but during sensitive Galactic-level negotiations? Do you trust a bright child with a fusion power plant?”

Fiben understood what Gailet was driving at. The two of them were being oifered a deal that sounded very sweet for Earth — on the surface, at least. The Suzerain of Propriety was offering to finance a major Ceremony of Acceptance for neo-chimps. The Gubru would end their policy of obstructing humanity’s patron status and cease all hostilities against Terra. All the Suzerain seemed to want in exchange was for Fiben and Gailet to tell the Five Galaxies, by hyperspacial shunt, what great guys the Gubru were.

It sounded like a face-saving gesture for the Suzerain of Propriety, and a major coup for Earthkind.

But, Fiben wondered, did he and Gailet have the right to make such a decision? Might there be ramifications beyond what they could figure out for themselves? Potentially deadly ramifications?

The Suzerain of Propriety had told them that there were reasons why they weren’t allowed to consult with human leaders, out on the island detention camps. Its rivalry with the other Suzerains was reaching a critical phase, and they might not approve of how much it was planning on giving away. The Suzerain of Propriety needed surprise in order to outmaneuver them and present a fait accompli.

Something struck Fiben as odd about that logic. But then, aliens were alien by definition. He couldn’t imagine any Terran-based society operating in such a way.

So was Gailet telling him that they should pull out of the ceremony? Fine! As far as Fiben was concerned, she could decide. After all, they only had to say no … respectfully, of course.

Gailet said. “The story doesn’t end there.”

“There’s more?”

“Oh, yes. A few years later the Seven Spin Clans came forward with evidence that the Paha warrior really had made every effort to call back for instructions before beginning his intervention, but subspace conditions had prevented any*mes-sage from getting through.”

“So that made all the difference to the Soro! In one case he was taking responsibility he didn’t merit. In the other he was only doing the best he could!

“The scout was exonerated, posthumously, and his heirs were granted advanced Uplift rights.”

There was a long silence. Neither of them spoke as Fiben thought carefully. Suddenly it was all clear to him.

It’s the effort that counts. That’s what she means. It’d be unforgivable to cooperate with the Suzerain without at least trying to consult with our patrons. I might fail, probably will fail, but I must try.

“Let’s take a look at that knot again.” He bent over, brought his eye close to the message capsule. Again the lines of text appeared, along with the pulsing red spot. Fiben looked right at the expectant blob and thought hard.