There were more speeches. Then a messenger, white-faced, arrived with
a written note for the chief executive. He read it and passed it to
Calhoun. It was from the Ministry of Health. The spaceport reported
that a ship had just broken out from overdrive within the Wealdian
solar system. Its tape-transmitter had automatically signaled its
arrival from the mining planet Orede.

But, having sent off its automatic signal, the ship lay dead in space.
It did not drive toward Weald. It did not respond to signals. It
drifted like a derelict upon no course at all. It seemed ominous, and
since it came from Orede, the planet nearest to Dara of the blueskins,
the health ministry informed the planet's chief executive.

"It'll be blueskins," said that astute person firmly. "They're next
door to Orede. That's who's done this. It wouldn't surprise me if
they'd seeded Orede with their plague, and this ship came from there
to give us warning!"

"There's no evidence for anything of the sort," protested Calhoun. "A
ship simply came out of overdrive and didn't signal further. That's
all!"

"We'll see," said the chief executive ominously. "We'll go to the
spaceport. There we'll get the news as it comes in, and can frame
orders on the latest information."

He took Calhoun by the arm. Calhoun said sharply, "Murgatroyd!"

During the banquet, Murgatroyd had been visiting with the wives of the
higher-up officials. They had enough of their husbands normally,