Yes, parting. I was on my own. After all, with a Security disc--the
Amnesty, they called it--such as I possessed, and a collapser, I could
go anywhere, do anything, commandeer anything I might need. All with
no questions asked. Needless to say, I was feeling pretty chipper as I
entered the hangar housing _Phobos II_. At the moment, I was the most
influential human being in the known universe.

The pilot, as per my videophoned request, was waiting there for me. I
saw him as I stepped into the cool shadows of the building from the hot
yellow sunlight outside. He was tall, much taller than I, but he seemed
nervous as hell. At least he was pacing back and forth amid a litter
of half-smoked cigarette butts beside the gleaming tailfins of the
spaceship, and a fuming butt was puckered into place in his mouth.

"Anders?" I said, approaching to within five feet of him before
halting, to get the best psychological effect from my appearance.

He turned, saw me, and hurriedly spat the butt out onto the cement
floor. "Yes, sir!" he said loudly, throwing me a quivering salute. His
eyes were a bit wild as they took me in.

And well they might be. An Amnesty-bearer can suddenly decide a subject
is not answering questions to his satisfaction and simply blast the
annoying party to atoms. It makes for straight responses. Of course,
I was dressing the part, in a way. I wore the Amnesty suspended by a
thin golden chain from my neck, and for costume I wore a raven-black
blouse and matching uniform trousers and boots. I must have looked
quite sinister. I'm under six feet, but I'm angular and wiry. Thus,
in ominous black, with an Amnesty on my breast and a collapser in
my holster, I was a sight to strike even honest citizens into quick
examinations of conscience. I felt a little silly, but the outfit was
Baxter's idea.

"I understand you were aboard the _Phobos II_ when the incident
occurred?" I said sternly, which was unusual for my wonted demeanor.

"Yes, sir!" he replied swiftly, at stiff attention.

"I don't really have any details," I said, and waited for him to take

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