eration against this mutual enemy
of ours, Dunnan. This is fine; it has my approval, and the approval
of Prince Vandarvant, the Prime Minister, and, I might add, that of
Goodman Mikhyl. I think it ought to go further, though. A formal treaty
between Tanith and Marduk would be greatly to the advantage of both."

"I'd be inclined to think so, Prince Edvard. But aren't you
proposing marriage on rather short acquaintance? It's only been
fifty hours since the _Nemesis_ orbited in here."

"Well, we know a bit about you and your planet beforehand. There's
a large Gilgamesher colony here. You have a few on Tanith, haven't
you? Well, anything one Gilgamesher knows, they all find out, and
ours are co-operative with Naval intelligence."

That would be why Andray Dunnan was having no dealings with
Gilgameshers. It would also be what Zaspar Makann meant when
he ranted about the Gilgamesh Interstellar Conspiracy.

"I can see where an arrangement like that would be mutually
advantageous. I'd be quite in favor of it. Co-operation against
Dunnan, of course, and reciprocal trade-rights on each other's
trade-planets, and direct trade between Marduk and Tanith. And
Beowulf and Amaterasu would come into it, too. Does this also have
the approval of the Prime Minister and the King?"

"Goodman Mikhyl's in favor of it; there's a distinction between him
and the King, as you'll have noticed. The King can't be in favor of
anything till the Assembly or the Chancellor express an opinion.
Prince Vandarvant favors it personally; as Prime Minister, he is
reserving his opinion. We'll have to get the support of the Crown
Loyalist Party before he can take an equivocal position."

"Well, Baron Cragdale; speaking as Baron Trask of Traskon, suppose
we just work out a rough outline of what this treaty ought to be,
and then consult, unofficially, with a few people whom you can
trust, and see what can be done about presenting it to the proper
government officials...."

* * * * *

The Prime Minister came to Cragdale that evening, heavily incognito
and accompanied by several leaders of the Crown Loyalist Party. In
principle, they all favored a treaty with Tanith. Politically, they
had doubts. Not before the election; too controversial a subject.
"Controversial," it appeared, was the dirtiest dirty-name anything
could be called on Marduk. It would alienate the labor vote; they'd
think increased imports would threaten employ