"I don't think they're planning on giving me any personal attention
at the moment. My organization is outside, not here. And it would look
odd to the Brotherhood if I started dragging a few Star guards around
with me at this point."
Ryter shrugged. "Suit yourself. It's your funeral if you've guessed
wrong."
* * * * *
"There was nothing," Quillan told Marras Cooms, "that you could
actually put a finger on. It was just that the commodore and Ryter may
have something up their sleeves. Velladon's looking too self-satisfied
to suit me."
The Brotherhood chief gnawed his lower lip reflectively. He seemed
thoughtful, not too disturbed. Cooms might be thoroughly afraid of the
escaped Hlat, but he wouldn't have reached his present position in
Nome Lancion's organization if he had been easily frightened by what
other men were planning.
He said, "I warned Movaine that if Velladon learned we'd checked out
the Hlat, he wasn't going to like it."
"He doesn't," Quillan said. "He regards it as something pretty close
to an attempted double cross."