“Let’s get back to Moonripple for a minute,” said Cain, trying to assimilate everything Silent Annie had told him. “She’s been hitting a world a month for most of her life. Why did she come here?”

“Just chance, nothing more.”

“And why has she stayed?”

“For the same reason I have,” said Silent Annie.

“All right,” said Cain. “Why have you stayed?”

“Because Santiago is a great man.”

“Santiago is a thief and a murderer.”

“It’s all a matter of viewpoint,” she said.

“Viewpoint’s got nothing to do with it,” replied Cain. “The man has been killing and plundering since before you were born. The Democracy’s managed to implicate him in almost forty murders, and there have probably been more than a hundred they don’t know anything about. And I have it on good authority that he’s got warehouses filled with stolen merchandise all over the Inner Frontier.”

“May I assume that your authority is the Jolly Swagman?”

“He wouldn’t be risking his life if he didn’t know they existed,” answered Cain.

“I’m not arguing their existence,” said Silent Annie. “Merely your interpretation of them.” She paused. “And incidentally, I don’t see the Swagman risking his life at this moment.”

“Is he a part of this, too?”

“Absolutely not,” she replied. “He was once, but Santiago dismissed him.”

“A falling-out between thieves?” suggested Cain.

“There was only one thief involved,” she replied sternly. “And he no longer works for us. I argued in favor of killing him, but Santiago chose to let him live.”

Cain leaned back and sighed. “All right,” he said at last. “I’ve heard a lot of talk from you and Moonripple about how Santiago is a great man. Suppose you tell me why you think so.”

“Fair enough,” said Silent Annie. “You tell me that Santiago is responsible for the deaths of a hundred and forty men. Let me begin by telling you that the actual figure is closer to eight hundred.”

“That makes him a great man?” said Cain ironically.

“How many men have you killed, Mr. Cain?”

“That’s not at issue here,” said Cain.

“Tell me anyway.”

“Thirty-seven.”

“You’re lying, Mr. Cain,” she said with a smile.

“The hell I am.”

“I happen to know that you killed more than five thousand men and women on Sylaria alone.”

“That was war,” he said.

“No, Mr. Cain. That was revolution.”

“Are you trying to tell me that Santiago is a revolutionary?” he asked skeptically.

“Yes, I am.”

“A woman named Sargasso Rose suggested the same thing,” he said. “I didn’t believe her, either. Who is he supposed to be revolting against?”

“The Democracy.”

Cain laughed out loud. “Are you seriously suggesting that he expects to overthrow the Democracy?”