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running shot that required a bit more than
luck...."
The dinner was excellent, but no one seemed to notice. Narf was
absorbed in the story of his swift rise to eminence in the Vestan Space
Guard. There were humorous incidents:
"... Can't understand why, but I seem to attract women like a magnet.
I'm strictly the masculine type of male and I approve of this but it can
be a blasted nuisance when you're an ensign going up fast and your
commander finds one of your blondes stowed away in your
compartment...."
And there were scenes of tense drama:
"... Made a boyhood vow that I'd never settle for anything less than to
always be a man among men. Seem to have succeeded rather well.
When I saw the crew was almost to the snapping point from battle
tension I knew that as commander I'd have to set the example that
would inspire."
Hunter recalled Rockford's words of a few hours before: "Narf got to
be commander, finally, but only because he was the son of the king's
best friend. His record is very mediocre."
Princess Lyla tried three times to start a conversation of general interest
and was drowned out by Narf each time. Sonig's pretense of being
spellbound by Narf's stories was belied by the way his eyes kept darting
from Rockford to Val Boran. Val's own attention kept shifting from
Narf to the silent Lyla, whose downcast eyes betrayed her
discouragement. She watched Val from under her eyelashes, to look
away whenever their eyes met, and Hunter wondered if she was
ashamed because Narf had given Sonig the seat of honor that should
have belonged to Val.
Of course, Narf's own position at the head of the table was actually
Lyla's.

[Illustration]
"... So there's no substitute for competent, unwavering leadership," Narf
was saying. "Received a citation for that one."
Sonig nodded appreciatively. "Your military record well illustrates the
fact that the tensions of danger and battle can bring forth in a competent
leader the highest kind of courage. But it seems to me that these same
circumstances, if the leader is frightened or incompetent, can easily
produce hysterical actions with disastrous consequences. Is this true,
your lordship?"
Rockford was watching Sonig intently and Hunter saw that there was
an eager anticipation in Sonig's manner.
"You are quite right," Narf answered. "I've always had the ability to
remain cool in any crisis. Very important. Let a commander get rattled
and he may give any kind of an order. Like the New Jardeen Incident."
A frozen silence followed the last five words. Hunter thought, So that's
what the little weasel was fishing for....
Rockford quietly laid down his fork. Val's face turned grim. Lyla
looked up in quick alarm and said to Narf:
"Let's not--"
"Don't misunderstand me, gentlemen," Narf's loud voice went on. "I
believe the commander of the Terran cruiser wouldn't have ordered it to
fire upon the Verdam cruiser over a neutral world such as New Jardeen
if he had been his rational self. Cold-war battle nerves. So he shot
down the Verdam cruiser and its nuclear converters exploded when it
fell in the center of Colony City. Force of a hydrogen bomb--forty
thousand innocent people gone in a microsecond. Not the commander's
fault, really--fault of the military system that failed to screen out its
unstable officers."
"Yes, your lordship. But is it possible"--Sonig spoke very

thoughtfully--"for a political power, which is of such a nature that it
must have a huge military force to maintain its existence, to thoroughly
screen all its officers? So many officers are required--Can there ever be
any assurance that such tragedies won't occur again and again, until a
majority of worlds combine in demanding an end to aggression and
war?"
Rockford spoke to the grim Val:
"I know, sir, that your sister was among the lost in Colony City. I am
sorry. For the benefit of Mr. Sonig and Lord Narf, I would like to
mention that the Verdam cruiser fired upon the Terran cruiser over
neutral New Jardeen in open violation of Galactic Rule. An
atmospheric feedback of the Verdam cruiser's own space blasters tore
out its side and caused it to fall. The Terran cruiser never fired."
"But Mr. Rockford--" Sonig spoke very courteously. "Isn't it true that
certain safety devices prevent atmospheric feedback?"
"They do--unless accidentally or purposely disconnected."
Sonig raised his eyebrows. "You imply a created incident, sir?"
"It doesn't matter," Val Boran said. His tone was as grim as his face and
it was obvious he did not believe Rockford's explanation. "Colony City
is a field of fused glass, now, its people are gone, and no amount of
debating can ever bring them back."
* * * * * * * * *
The dismal dinner