was something to grin at. His mouth was hanging open as though on hinges.

"You can close it now," the other said, as he reached out and closed it for him.

"Say! You—you were just putting on an act back there!" Marnay finally managed to exclaim, inanely.

"A good one, I hope."

"No, I'm wrong." Marnay shook his head slowly. "Couldn't have been an act, I stood right there and watched you drink at least eight tsiths. My own record's four—and then they carried me out."

"You just thought you saw me drink 'em. Good trick, if you know how."

Marnay nodded. Then he looked at the man narrowly, grasped his arm and said, "Come on, let's get away from here. And listen! Whatever it is you've got up your sleeve, I want in on it! I'm George Marnay. Tri-Planet News Service."

"Bob Kennett," the other said simply, sticking out his hand. "And you are in on it. That wasn't an accident when I bumped into you there at the bar. I thought I'd like to know you, because I heard you were making a few undercover inquiries about Prather! Mind telling me just what your interest is in that pirate?"

Marnay replied, his voice suddenly gloomy. "Guess I should have said I'm formerly of Tri-Planet News. You see, it's an old, familiar story. I was on an assignment back on Earth, and I happened to uncover a huge spacer-contract graft ... you know, millions being side-tracked into private pockets...."

"Well?"

"Well," Marnay wailed, "how was I to know that one of the big-shots implicated was my boss's brother-in-law? So to shut me up I was given this assignment. Sent out here to get a line on Prather, or else. It's a cute side-track, often used; what we newsmen call the graveyard assignment."

Kennett was interested. "Uh-huh," he nodded. "And just how much of a line have you got on Prather so far?"

"I'll give you one guess! Precisely nothing. Oh, of course I know all the stories. In the past few years the Patrol has destroyed his base of operations on Io, and again on Mercury, and twice on Ceres. But that pirate's as elusive as the last pea on the plate! Always he's one jump ahead of them, because of his spy system." Marnay shrugged hopelessly. "I suppose some of his men were in the Halo tonight, but how would I know 'em? I hear they 

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