to Vall. "There was almost
twenty-four hours between the time I heard about this and when this
blasted Yandar Yadd got hold of the story. Of all the infernal,
irresponsible--" He almost choked with indignation. "And it was
another fourteen hours between the time Skordran sent in his report
and I heard about it."

"Golzan Doth sent in a report to his company about the same time
Skordran Kirv made his first report to his Sector-Regional Subchief."
Vall mentioned.

"That might be it," Tortha Karf considered. "I wish there were another
explanation, because that implies a very extensive intelligence
network, which means a big organization. But I'm afraid that's it. I
wish I could pull in everybody in Consolidated Outtime Foodstuffs who
handled that report, and narco-hypnotize them. Of course, we can't do
things like that on Home Time Line, and with the political situation
what it is now--"

"Why, what's been happening, Chief?"

Tortha Karf swore with weary bitterness. "Salgath Trod's what's been
happening. At first, after Yandar Yadd broke the story on the air,
there was just a lot of unorganized Opposition sniping in Council;
Salgath waited till the middle of the afternoon, when the Management
members were beginning to rally, and took the floor. The Centrists and
Right Moderates were trying the appeal-to-reason approach; that did as
much good as trying to put out a Fifth Level forest fire with a
hand-extinguisher. Finally. Salgath got a motion of censure against
the Management recognized. That means a confidence vote in ten days.
Salgath has a rabble of Leftists and dissident Centrists with him; I
doubt if he can muster enough votes to overturn the Management, but
it's going to make things rough for us."

"Which may be just the reason Salgath started this uproar," Vall
suggested.

"That," Tortha Karf said, "is being considered; there is a discreet
inquiry being made into Salgath Trod's associates, his sources of
income, and so on. Nothing has turned up as yet, but we have hopes."

"I believe," Vall said, "that we have a better chance right on Home
Time Line than outtime."

Tortha Karf looked up sharply. "So?" he asked.

Vall was stuffing tobacco into a pipe. "Yes. Chief. We have a big
criminal organization--let's call it the Slave Trust, for a
convenience-label. The people who run it aren't stupid. The fact that
they've been shipping slaves to the Esaron Sector for ten years before
we found out about it proves