you insist that two of you agreed on this decision, then I am forced to
support you officially. I will make a report of the incident to patrol
headquarters, and it will go on the permanent records of all three of
this ship's crew--including my personal opinion of the decision." He
looked up at Dal. "But be very careful, my young friend. Next time you
may not have a technicality to back you up, and I'll be watching for the
first plausible excuse to break you, and your Green Doctor friend as
well. One misstep, and you're through. And I assure you that is not just
an idle threat. I mean every word of it."

And trembling with rage, the Black Doctor picked up the folder, wrapped
his cape around him, and marched out of the control room.

* * * * *

"Well, you put on a great show," Jack Alvarez said later as they
prepared the ship for launching from the snow-swept landing field on
Morua VIII. An hour before the ground had trembled as the Black Doctor's
ship took off with Dr. Tanner and the Four-star Surgeon aboard; now Jack
broke the dark silence in the _Lancet_'s control room for the first
time. "A really great show. You missed your calling, Tiger. You should
have been on the stage. If you think you fooled Dr. Tanner with that
story for half a second, you're crazy, but I guess you got what you
wanted. You kept your pal's cuff and collar for him, and you put a black
mark on all of our records, including mine. I hope you're satisfied."

Tiger Martin took off his earphones and set them carefully on the
control panel. "You know," he said to Jack, "you're lucky."

"Really?"