caused any comment?
What about the maintenance crews, the warehouse men, the--"

"All the work crews were hauled out of subspace this morning," Reetal
said. "On the quiet, the Star's employees have been told that a gang
of raiders was spotted in the warehouse area, and is at present
cornered there. Naturally, the matter isn't to be mentioned to the
guests, to avoid arousing unnecessary concern. And that explains
everything very neatly. The absence of the security men, and why
subspace is sealed off. Why the Executive Block is under guard, and
can't be entered--and why the technical and office personnel in there
don't come out, and don't communicate out. They've been put on
emergency status, officially."

* * * * *

"Yunk," Quillan said disgustedly after a moment. "This begins to look
like a hopeless situation, doll!"

"True."

"Let's see now--"

Reetal interrupted, "There is one portal still open to subspace.
That's in the Executive Block, of course, and Heraga reports it's
heavily guarded."

"How does he know?"

"The Block's getting its meals from Phalagon House. He floated a diner
in there a few hours ago."

"Well," Quillan said, brightening, "perhaps a deft flavoring of
poison--"

Reetal shook her head. "I checked over the hospital stocks. Not a
thing there that wouldn't be spotted at once. Unless we can clobber
them thoroughly, we can't afford to make them suspicious with a trick
like that."

"Poison would be a bit rough on the office help, too," Quillan
conceded. "They wouldn't be in on the deal."

"No, they're not. They're working under guard."

"Gas ... no, I suppose not. It would take too long to whip up
something that could turn the trick." Quillan glanced at his watch.
"If the _Camelot_ docks at midnight, we've around six and a half hours
left, doll! And I don't find myself coming up with any brilliant
ideas. What have you thought of?"

Reetal hesitated a moment. "Nothing very brilliant either," she said
then. "But there are two things we might try as a last resort."

"Let's hear them."

"I know a number of people registered in the Star at present who'd be
carrying personal weapons. If they were told the facts, I could
probably line up around twenty who'd be willing to make a try to get
into the Executive Block, and take over either the control offices or
the transmitter room. If we got a warning out to the _Camelot_, that
would break up the plot. Of cour