again becoming the marauders they once were? That is the question which
we feel must be answered. Without knowing, we are sitting on a powder
keg in which the fuse may or may not be lighted. Will you bring us back
the answer we need?"

Cameron felt a sudden grimness which had not been present before. "I'll
do all I can," he said soberly. "If the information is there I'll bring
it back."

* * * * *

After the secretary had gone and Fothergill turned from the door to
rejoin him Cameron sat in faintly shocked consideration of the Council's
unexpected support. It took his research out of the realm of the purely
sociological and projected it into politics and diplomacy. He was
pleased by their confidence, but not cheered by the added
responsibility.

"That's a lucky break," said Fothergill enthusiastically, "and I'm
beginning to suspect you may be rather badly in need of all the breaks
you can get once you land among the Markovians. Don't forget for a
single minute that you are dealing with the sons and grandsons of
genuine pirates."

The professor sat down again. "There's one other little item of interest
I turned up the other day. You should know about it before you leave.
The Markovian Nucleus is somewhat of a hotbed of Ids."

"Ids--you mean the Idealists--?"

Fothergill nodded. "Know anything about them?"

"Not much, except that they are a sort of parasitic group, living
usually in a servant relationship to other races on terran-type worlds.
As I recall, even they claim that they do not know the planet or even
the galaxy of their origin, because they have been wanderers for so many
generations among alien races. Perhaps it would be a good idea to make a
study of them, too--I don't know that a thorough one has ever been
made."

"That's what I wanted to warn you about," said Fothergill, smiling.
"Stick to one subject at a time. The Ids _would_ make a nice research
project in themselves, and maybe you can get around to it eventually.
But leave them alone for the present and don't become distracted from
your basic project among the Markovians. The policy of the Corning
Foundation is to demand something very definite in return for the money
they lay on the line. You won't get to go back next year unless you
produce. That's why I don't want you to get sidetracked in any way."

II

Cameron admitted to himself that he was getting more edgy as the day of
departure approached, but he