Sallah parked her sled crosswise on the landing grid, thinking that if more were set down at random along the straightaway, the Mariposa parked at the other end of the field would not have sufficient space for takeoff. But how long would there be that many sleds at Landing?

“Hey, hurry up, Sallah,” Ozzie called as he and Cobber jumped out of the sled.

“Gotta check in at the tower,” she said, waving cheerfully at them to go on.

“Oh, leave it the once,” Cobber suggested, but she waved them on again.

Ongola was just leaving the meteorology tower as she reached it. He gave her a resigned nod and opened the door again, noticing as he did so the position of her sled. “Wise to leave it like that, Sallah?”

“Yes. A precautionary measure, Commander,” she said in a tone intended to warn him that she had come on a serious errand.

He did not seat himself until she was halfway-through her suspicions, and then he lowered himself into the chair with such weariness that she hated herself for speaking out.

“Forewarned is forearmed, sir,” she said in conclusion.

“It is, indeed, Mister Telgar.” His deep sigh stressed the return of doubt. He motioned her to be seated. “How much fuel?”

When she reluctantly gave him the precise figures, he was surprised and concerned.

“Could Avril know of Kenjo’s hoard?” Ongola sat up so quickly that she realized he found her suspicions of the astrogator far more worrying than Kenjo’s theft. “No, no,” he corrected himself with a quick wave of his hand. “Their dislike of each other is genuine. I will inform the admiral and the governor.”

“Not tonight, sir,” Sallah said, inadvertently raising her hand to protest. “It’s only because this was the first chance I’ve had to approach you …”

“Forewarned is forearmed, Sallah. Have you mentioned these suspicions to anyone else?”

She shook her head vigorously. “No, sir! It’s bad enough suspecting there are maggots in the meat without offering anyone else a bite.”

“True! Eden is once again corrupted by human greed.”

“Only one human,” Sallah felt obliged to remind him.

He held up two fingers significantly. “Two, Kimmer. And who else was she speaking to on board?”

“Kimmer, Bart Lemos, and Nabhi Nabol, and two other men I’ve never met.”

Ongola did not seem surprised. He took a deep breath and sighed before he put both hands on his thighs and rose to his full height. “I am grateful, and I know that the admiral and the governor will also be grateful.”

“Grateful?” Sallah stood, feeling none of the relief she had hoped to gain from telling her superior.