"We heard that you were coming two days ago, Lord Virzal," Zortan
Brend said. "We delayed the take-off of this ship, so that you could
travel to Darsh as inconspicuously as possible. I also booked a suite
for you at the Solar Hotel, at Darsh. And these are your
Assassins--Olirzon, and Marnik."

Verkan Vall hooked fingers and clapped shoulders with them.

"Virzal of Verkan," he identified himself. "I am satisfied to intrust
myself to you."

"We'll do our best for you, Lord Virzal," the older of the pair,
Olirzon, said. He hesitated for a moment, then continued: "Understand,
Lord Virzal, I only ask for information useful in serving and
protecting you. But is this of the Lady Dallona a political matter?"

"Not from our side," Verkan Vall told him. "The Lady Dallona is a
scientist, entirely nonpolitical. The Honorable Brarnend is a business
man; he doesn't meddle with politics as long as the politicians leave
him alone. And I'm a planter on Venus; I have enough troubles, with
the natives, and the weather, and blue-rot in the _zerfa_ plants, and
poison roaches, and javelin bugs, without getting into politics. But
psychic science is inextricably mixed with politics, and the Lady
Dallona's work had evidently tended to discredit the theory of
Statistical Reincarnation."

"Do you often make understatements like that, Lord Virzal?" Olirzon
grinned. "In the last six months, she's knocked Statistical
Reincarnation to splinters."