f-appointed searcher for the hidden
starship. Bellaver, letting his lawyers worry about Vernon's
accusations, had already laid formal claim to that ship, based on the
value of the stolen Titanite.

"Where?" demanded Bellaver now, in a fury of impatience. "Where?"

"Wait," said Hyrst. "There are too many watching, ready to follow you.
They know what you're after. Wait till we're clear of Mars."

He sat in his chair, looking into space. His drive was all gone, and the
anger that had fed it. Somewhere his son and his two daughters were
drawing their first free breaths relieved of a burden they should never
have had to carry. They knew now that he was innocent, and they could
think of him now without bitterness, speak his name without hate. He had
done what he had set out to do, and he was finished. He knew what was
ahead of him, but he was too tired to care.

The yacht went fast, away from the old red weary planet. Hyrst thought
of Shearing and Christina and the others, laboring over their ship on
the dark plain. He felt safe in doing this, because Vernon was gone and
the gray evil man who had helped to torture Shearing aboard the _Happy
Dream_ was still in an Earth hospital recovering from the blow Hyrst had
given him. They were out of reach, and Hyrst was the only Lazarite
Bellaver had.

He did not try to get through to Shearing because he knew that was
impossible, and there was no reason for it anyway. He let his mind
stretch out and rove through the nighted spaces beyond Saturn, beyond
Uranus and Neptune, beyond the black and frigid bulk of Pluto. He did
not see the ship nor touch a Lazarite mind, and so he knew that they
were still holding the cloak, still hiding from possible betrayal. He
withdrew his mind, and wished them luck.

"We're clear of Mars," said Bellaver. "Which way?"

"That way," said Hyrst, and pointed. "Toward the Sun."

The yacht swerved and steadied on a new course, toward the distant glare
of Sol. And Bellaver said,

"What's the exact location?"

"Can you trust every man in this crew?" asked Hyrst. "Can you be sure
not one of them would give it away, when we stop to refuel? You're not
the only one that knows about the starship now, remember."

"You could tell _me_."

"You're too impatient, Bellaver. You'd want to head straight there, and
it won't be that easy. They have defenses. We have to be careful, or
they'll destroy the ship before we reach it."

"Or finish their relays and go."