and of social
activity. From the aircar which brought them across Port Nichay the
evening before, Telzey had seen occasional strings of guest houses,
similar to the one Halet had rented, nestling along the park slopes.

[Illustration]

Nothing very sinister about Port Nichay or green Jontarou, surely!

Halet? That blond, slinky, would-be Machiavelli? What could--?

Telzey's eyes narrowed reflectively. There'd been a minor
occurrence--at least, it had seemed minor--just before the spaceliner
docked last night. A young woman from one of the newscasting services
had asked for an interview with the daughter of Federation
Councilwoman Jessamine Amberdon. This happened occasionally; and
Telzey had no objections until the newshen's gossipy persistence in
inquiring about the "unusual pet" she was bringing to Port Nichay with
her began to be annoying. TT might be somewhat unusual, but that was
not a matter of general interest; and Telzey said so. Then Halet moved
smoothly into the act and held forth on Tick-Tock's appearance,
habits, and mysterious antecedents, in considerable detail.

Telzey had assumed that Halet was simply going out of her way to be
irritating, as usual. Looking back on the incident, however, it
occurred to her that the chatter between her aunt and the newscast
woman had sounded oddly stilted--almost like something the two might
have rehearsed.

Rehearsed for what purpose? Tick-Tock ... Jontarou.

Telzey chewed gently on her lower lip. A vacation on Jontarou for the
two of them and TT had been Halet's idea, and Halet had enthused about
it so much that Telzey's mother at last talked her into accepting.
Halet, Jessamine explained privately to Telzey, had felt they were
intruders in the Amberdon family, had bitterly resented Jessamine's
political honors and, more recently, Telzey's own emerging promise of
brilliance. This invitation was Halet's way of indicating a change of
heart. Wouldn't Telzey oblige?

* * * * *

So Telzey had obliged, though she took very little stock in Halet's
change of heart. She wasn't, in fact, putting it past her aunt to have
some involved dirty trick up her sleeve with this trip to Jontarou.
Halet's mind worked like that.

So far there had been no actual indications of purposeful mischief.
But logic did seem to require a connection between the various
puzzling events here.... A newscaster's rather forced looking interest
in Tick-Tock--Halet