“I think we can avoid wasting time by ignoring pretenses,” said William, still in his pleasant voice. “You pushed yourself on us at the table because you wanted to meet someone there. It was hardly the marshal—your Dorsai manners could have found a better way than that. It was certainly not Hugh, and most unlikely to be ArDell. That leaves Anea; and she’s pretty enough, and you’re both young enough to do something that foolish . . . but, I think not, under the conditions.” William folded his lean fingers together, and smiled. “That leaves me.”

“Sir, I—” Donal started to stand up, with the stiffness of outraged dignity.

“No, no,” said William, gesturing him back. “Now it’d be foolish to leave, after going to all this trouble to get here, wouldn’t it?” His voice sharpened. “Sit down!”

Donal sat.

“Why did you want to see me?” asked William.

Donal squared his shoulders.

“All right,” he said. “If you want me to put it bluntly . . . I think I might be useful to you.”

“By which,” said William, “you think you might be useful to yourself, by tapping the till, as it were, of my position and authority—go on.”

“It so happened,” said Donal, “that I came into possession of something belonging to you.”

William extended his hand, without a word. After a second’s hesitation, Donal extracted Anea’s contract from his pocket and passed it over. William took it, unfolded it, and glanced over it. He laid it carelessly down on a little table beside him.

“She wanted me to get rid of it for her,” said Donal. “She wanted to hire me to dispose of it for her. Evidently she didn’t know how hard it is to destroy a sheet of the material contracts are made on.”

“But you took the job,” said William.

“I made no promises,” said Donal, painfully.

“But from the start, you intended to bring it straight to me.”

“I believe,” said Donal, ‘‘it’s your property.”

‘‘Oh, of course,” said William. He smiled at Donal for a long moment. “You realize, of course,” he said, finally, “that I needn’t believe a word of what you’ve said. I only need to assume that you stole it yourself and later got cold feet about disposing of it—and dreamed up this cock-and-bull story in an attempt to sell it back to me. The captain of this ship would be glad to put you under arrest at my word and hold you for trial as soon as we reach Harmony.”

A slight, cold, galvanic shiver ran down Donal’s spine.

“A Select of Kultis won’t lie under oath,” he said. “She—”

“I see no reason to involve Anea in this,” said William. “It could all be handled very conveniently without her. My statement against yours.” Donal said nothing. William smiled again.