in Onzar? Why not let
the Allied Systems have the tracer?"

Pyuf shrugged impatiently. "Gentlemen, from here on, we need a drink.
The explanation is simple, limpid, computable logic. As far as we can
see, it's the only course." He stared pointedly at Thane. "But it also
could be construed as treason. So we'd better have a drink." He
stepped to the door. "Astrid, will you bring glasses and the bottle?
We've got a bit of dialectics to dispense with."

* * * * *

After Astrid had handed the drinks around, Pyuf downed his. Then he
went on. "First of all, Thane, don't get me wrong. Maybe I couldn't
pass a security check with some of the boys in the Department of the
Outside. Maybe I could, I don't know. I've never tried. But I like the
Allied Systems as well as anything the Galaxy has to offer and I want
to live there. But let's take a hard look at them." He stopped to pour
another glass. "Within the A.S. you have the main federation, and you
have a lot of loosely confederated systems. Space only knows what the
confederations will do. We can only hope. But look at the rest of
them. Every couple of years, absolute, they rear back and elect an
assembly of 13,000 members, a really efficient size for a deliberative
body. So that sterling group elects a senate of 300 or so, and then
goes home. But it reserves a lot of rights, like declaring war. And
the senate, of course, goes ahead and elects the council. Which does
its best to keep things going."

"I know the system," Thane broke in. "Just what do you want to do
about it?"

"I don't want to do anything about it," Pyuf looked up earnestly. "I
want to prevent it from being wiped out. And right now the only way
that can be done is to work outside it, rather than through it. Or do
you want to hold a systems election when the Darzent fleet surfaces at
Onzar Confluence?"

Manning Reine was on his feet now. "And they will, Thane, they will.
We know there have been security leaks in the development of the
drive. It's just a question of time."

Thane calmly reached over and took the bottle from Pyuf. He filled his
glass and looked at the bottle, then at Pyuf, Astrid, and Reine. "All
right. We have our bottleneck. And we have our cork--the Onzarian
fleet. Just how do you propose we shove the cork into the bottle?"

Astrid was the first to answer. "We'll take the fleet! The Onzarians
are ready for freedom!" After that they were all talking. The
un