was still that curious look on his face, that
careless grin at his lips. "But what service I can render you," he was
continuing, "is quite another! Ladies, how good are your teleprobe
gadgets against an Ihelian screen? A big blank, aren't they? But I
still think you'd give those cute shirts of yours to find out what's
going on inside the thick skulls of our Ihelian friends."

A puzzled look flickered across the Thrayxite commander's face, yet
she remained immobile, and her weapon held steady.

"First of all, bright eyes," Cain said swiftly, "may you be the first
to know that they're all men! _All men_, get it?" There was a soft
gasp from Daleb, and the commander's eyes flickered, widened almost
imperceptibly. "And better yet, I'm a pal of Kriijorl, their commander
who picked us up just inside the Rim that time you followed us into
Earth. So think it over. It ought to be worth a fancy little pile to
you, ladies, since women agents would be kind of conspicuous in an
all-male civilization!"

"You expect us to believe this fantasy? Do you expect us to accept
your proposal on the basis of nothing more than words? And the
technique you describe. It has never been used, never even considered
as a legitimate method of battle!"

Cain laughed easily. "Then maybe you better consider it if you want to
come out on top! And as to the rest of it, if I was part of some
counter-plot against you do you think I'd've gone to the trouble of
bringing along some security?" And Judith felt something freeze inside
her as he threw a careless glance in her direction. "There she
is--Sergeant Judith Kent. Your hostage for this little operation! If I
misbehave, she should make a pretty good bargaining point with Ihelos.
From all I gather, they've got Earth sore enough at them as it is!"

There was an instant's silence, and then the commander said, "You have
not proven your statement that our enemy is a male enemy."

"What do you think they wanted women for on Earth after you blasted
that planetoid of theirs? A quilting party or something? Add it up."

The quiet in the small control bubble was electric. Judith watched the
Thrayxites' faces as they weighed the incredible thing that Cain had
said.

"I haven't got all eternity!" Cain snapped. "You think you can afford
not to believe me?"

"Very well. Our Book has never mentioned this technique of spying, and
therefore there can be no rule against it. As for the rest--that could
be immaterial