t," she said "I'll give you proof! I'll have to now. But
that'll be it. Once they've tipped their hand all the way, you'll
have about thirty seconds left to make the right move. I hope you
remember that!"

He cleared his throat. "I--"

"NOW!" Telzey said.

Along the walls of the balcony garden, beside the ornamental flower
stands, against the edges of the rock pool, the crest cats appeared.
Perhaps thirty of them. None quite as physically impressive as Iron
Thoughts who stood closest to the Moderator; but none very far from
it. Motionless as rocks, frightening as gargoyles, they waited, eyes
glowing with hellish excitement.

"This is _their_ council, you see," Telzey heard herself saying.

The Moderator's face had also paled. But he was, after all, an old
shikari and a senior diplomat. He took an unhurried look around the
circle, said quietly, "Accept my profound apologies for doubting you.
Miss Amberdon!" and reached for the desk communicator.

Iron Thoughts swung his demon head in Telzey's direction. For an
instant, she picked up the mental impression of a fierce yellow eye
closing in an approving wink.

"... An open transmitter line to Orado," the Moderator was saying into
the communicator. "The Council. And snap it up! Some very important
visitors are waiting."

The offices of Jontarou's Planetary Moderator became an extremely busy
and interesting area then. Quite two hours passed before it occurred
to anyone to ask Telzey again whether she knew where her aunt was at
present.

Telzey smote her forehead.

"Forgot all about that!" she admitted, fishing the sportscar's keys
out of the pocket of her sunbriefs. "They're out on the parking
platform...."

* * * * *

The preliminary treaty arrangements between the Federation of the Hub
and the new Affiliated Species of the Planet of Jontarou were formally
ratified two weeks later, the ceremony taking place on Jontarou, in
the Champagne Hall of the Shikaris' Club.

Telzey was able to follow the event only by news viewer in her
ship-cabin, she and Halet being on the return trip to Orado by then.
She wasn't too interested in the treaty's details--they conformed
almost exactly to what she had read out to Iron Thoughts and his
co-chiefs and companions in the park. It was the smooth bridging of
the wide language gap between the contracting parties by a row of
interpreting machines and a handful of human xenotelepaths which held
he