Kitten piloted the hoveraft over a mild sea. Whitecaps sparkled like citrine in the early morning sun. The mist was burning upwards and it would be clear and bright soon.

If he weren’t involved in an impossible series of events culminating in an absurd search, Mal might have enjoyed the sight. He wasn’t hungry, nor tired, for the first time in some while. He longed wishfully for the routine and peace of a normal trading cruise, light-years from everything. He was just about fed up.

“Look, Kitten. I’ve been dragged through this once before. Government secrecy or no, dammit, this time I’d like to know what I’m getting into before it up and smacks me in the chops.”

“Okay, we’re looking for . . . you remember our late friend Rose?”

“I’m afraid so. What about him?”

“I never saw him without that case of bloodhype on the AAnns’ island. He never put it down or let, go of it for a second. I’d guess he slept chained to it.” She was staring straight ahead, speaking softly. “I think it’s safe to assume it’ll still be with him.”

“Sure . . . wherever the body is. You should pardon the sentiment, ‘so what?’ Are you so concerned about collecting evidence for a posthumous prosecution? If the case is still intact and unbroken, it’ll stay put. The government can recover it anytime,” he concluded.

“Don’t you remember what Peot said?” she continued. “About the monster not being affected by energy weapons? What about biological ones?”

“You’re kidding. The thing is utterly alien. And too big.”

“As far as we know, bloodhype’s nearly a universal drug. And as far as the thing’s size is concerned, you know what a milligram of that powder can do. What about a few kilos? According to the reports, the monster ingests its food and expels practically nothing in the way of waste products. It’s a super-efficient metabolic factory . . . Hitting or shooting the creature with the powder could have several effects. Open, it might be absorbed immediately. That would be ideal, of course, since the powder would go into the thing’s digestive system rapidly. Or the powder might be ingested first, without the case.”

“Or,” interrupted Mal, “the monster might ignore it entirely. In that case the effort wouldn’t be just useless, it’d be suicidal, because the thing’s sure to notice the shooters. And if the powder were released at the wrong time, we’d be likely to get a pretty good whiff ourselves.”

“I still think it’s worth a try. Chances are we won’t be able to dig the case out anyway.”

“Agreed. But I’m beginning to see that no one’s going to leave this planet until that thing is destroyed. And I’ve about as much confidence in the peaceforce at Repler City doing that as I do of finding that case.”

“Then why let it upset you?” Kitten smiled.