"As if you didn't know!"
Gavin considered this, examining the dart-gun at the same time. It was
a tiny thing, curved to fit the roundness of a leg. Beautiful as a
jewel.
"Oddly enough," he returned dryly, "I don't know."
She glared at him through the semi-gloom without replying. The
buildings flowed past the windows, the green glow of lichens and moss
illuminating the street with about the same intensity as a full moon's
light on Terra.
Gavin made his voice cold as he leaned toward the girl. "Do you want me
to loosen your tongue for you? Who's watching the _Nova_?"
Nadia gasped, her hand at her throat. "You know as well as I do. X's
men!"
"Who's X?"
"Who's X? You ask that? You went to see him this afternoon. You even
made an appointment with him later."
Gavin recalled the words he had spoken for the benefit of X's men as he
left the bar--"I'll see you later, then." Captain Cabot was not without
his own spy system after all. His estimation of Cabot went up a notch.
"You won't believe this," he said, "but I haven't the foggiest notion
who X is. Do you know?"
Nadia's dark eyes looked puzzled. She shook her head, gave a short
laugh. "You're going to be a big disappointment to Josiah. I wouldn't
care to be in your shoes."
"Josiah ... oh, you're referring to Captain Cabot. So he expects me to
be able to tell him who X represents."
"You were talking to him," said the girl bluntly.
Gavin regarded Nadia a moment. Then he asked, "Why has the sailing been
advanced?"
She clamped shut her jaws.
"You don't want me to force you to talk, do you?" suggested Gavin.
"You wouldn't dare."
"Wouldn't I?"
Nadia bit her lip. "It doesn't make any difference, I suppose." She
shrugged. "You know anyway, if you're working for X. Captain found out
that some powerful clique is trying to have the _Nova_ interned. He
rushed his clearance through before they had time to act." She paused
before adding, "X has bought off Trev."
So it was the Martian who had sold out, not Nadia. He handed back the
girl's dart-gun. "Here. See if you can't behave yourself now."
Nadia took the weapon. She pointed it deliberately at Gavin's chest.
"Please clasp your hands behind your neck!"
* * * * *
The robot cab drew up at the curb. The door opened. It's voice issued
from the loudspeaker. "Pit Seven."
"Get out," Nadia ordered. "Stand back from the door."
Gavin slid out. The buildings were gone, replaced by a wall of
structural concrete which disappeared overhead in the clouds. It had
begun to rain again, a clammy drizzle. The girl followed him to the
curb, shivering as the drops hit her bare shoulders and back.
A green-lighted sign over a door in the concrete wall read: