hey are punished. When I think of
them being executed with all that dreadful, hopeless formality--"

"On Darth," said the Lady Fani practically, "we're not very formal about
such things. Just cutting somebody's throat is usually enough. But he
treated you like a sister, did he? Thal?"

Thal swallowed. He'd been beaming a moment before, with his arms full of
silver plate, jewelry, laces, and other bits of booty from the town of
Ensfield. But now he said desperately:

"Yes, Lady Fani. But not the way I'd've treated my sister. My sisters,
Lady Fani, bit me when they were little, slapped me when they were
bigger, and scorned me when I grew up. I'm fond of 'em! But if one of my
sisters'd ever lectured me because I wasn't refined, or shook a finger
at me because I wasn't gentlemanly-- Lady Fani, I'd've strangled her!"

There was a certain gleam in the Lady Fani's eye as she said warmly to
Hoddan:

"Of course I'll take care of the poor thing! I'll let her sleep with my
maids and I'm sure one of them can spare clothes for her to wear, and
I'll take care of her until a space liner comes along and she can be
shipped back to her family. And you can come to see her whenever you
please, to make sure she's all right!"

Hoddan's eyes tended to grow wild. His grandfather cleared his throat
loudly. Hoddan said doggedly:

"You, Fani, asked each of my men if they'd fight for you. They said yes.
You sent them to cut my throat. They didn't. But they're not disgraced!
I want that clear! They're good men! They're not disgraced for failing
to assassinate me!"

"Of course they aren't," conceded the Lady Fani sweetly. "Whoever heard
of such a thing?"

Hoddan wiped his forehead. Don Loris opened his mouth fretfully.
Hoddan's grandfather forestalled him.

"You've heard about that big pirate fleet that's been floating around
these parts? Eh? It's my grandson's. I run a squadron of it for him.
Wonderful boy, my grandson! Bloodthirsty crews on those ships, but they
love that boy!"

"Very--" Don Loris caught his breath. "Very interesting."

"He likes your men," confided Hoddan's grandfather. "Used them twice.
Says they make nice, well-behaved pirates. He's going to give them
stun-pistols and cannon like the one that smashed your gate. Only men on
Darth with guns like that! Seize the spaceport and put in power
broadcast, and make sure nobody else gets stun-weapons. Run the country.
Your men'll love it. Love that boy, too! Follow him anyw