"In any case," Dowland said, "you were figuring on stalling me around
here until Carter's boys turned up. Then you realized I must be an
Overgovernment man, and decided it would be too dangerous to allow me
to prowl about the ranch until help came."
Jill nodded.
Dowland considered her reflectively. "You understand, I believe, that
unless I can somehow get word to the Solar Police Authority within the
next few hours, Miguel's injuries may very well kill him? And that if I
could get word out, an SPA jet would have him in the nearest hospital
ten minutes later?"
"I understand both those things, Dowland," she said. "But I also know
that Miguel would not choose to have his life saved at the cost of
exposing our plans."
Dowland shrugged. "Very well.... Now, were the things that happened
before I got here as you've described them?"
"Yes."
"You know of no way to get into that laboratory at present?"
"Not unless you can find the key to the door."
"That key should be around this immediate area?"
"It should be," she said, "but I haven't been able to find it."
"No further ideas about that?"
"None."
Dowland was silent a moment. "Miss Trelawney, is there anything else
that might be of importance here that you still have not told me?"