“Golzan Doth sent in a report to his company about the same time Skordran Kirv made his first report to his Sector-Regional Subchief.”  Vall mentioned.

“That might be it,” Tortha Karf considered.  “I wish there were another explanation, because that implies a very extensive intelligence network, which means a big organization.  But I’m afraid that’s it.  I wish I could pull in everybody in Consolidated Outtime Foodstuffs who handled that report, and narco-hypnotize them.  Of course, we can’t do things like that on Home Time Line, and with the political situation what it is now—­”

“Why, what’s been happening, Chief?”

Tortha Karf swore with weary bitterness.  “Salgath Trod’s what’s been happening.  At first, after Yandar Yadd broke the story on the air, there was just a lot of unorganized Opposition sniping in Council; Salgath waited till the middle of the afternoon, when the Management members were beginning to rally, and took the floor.  The Centrists and Right Moderates were trying the appeal-to-reason approach; that did as much good as trying to put out a Fifth Level forest fire with a hand-extinguisher.  Finally.  Salgath got a motion of censure against the Management recognized.  That means a confidence vote in ten days.  Salgath has a rabble of Leftists and dissident Centrists with him; I doubt if he can muster enough votes to overturn the Management, but it’s going to make things rough for us.”

“Which may be just the reason Salgath started this uproar,” Vall suggested.

“That,” Tortha Karf said, “is being considered; there is a discreet inquiry being made into Salgath Trod’s associates, his sources of income, and so on.  Nothing has turned up as yet, but we have hopes.”

“I believe,” Vall said, “that we have a better chance right on Home Time Line than outtime.”

Tortha Karf looked up sharply.  “So?” he asked.

Vall was stuffing tobacco into a pipe.  “Yes.  Chief.  We have a big criminal organization—­let’s call it the Slave Trust, for a convenience-label.  The people who run it aren’t stupid.  The fact that they’ve been shipping slaves to the Esaron Sector for ten years before we found out about it proves that.  So does the speed with which they got rid of this Nebu-hin-Abenoz, right in front of a pair of our detectives.  For that matter, so does the speed with which they moved in to exploit this Croutha invasion of Kholghoor Sector India.

“Well, I’ve studied illegal and subversive organizations all over paratime, and among the really successful ones, there are a few uniform principles.  One is cellular organization—­small groups, acting in isolation from one another, cooeperating with other cells but ignorant of their composition.  Another is the principle of no upward contact—­leaders contacting their subordinates through contact-blocks and ignorant intermediaries.  And another is a willingness to kill off anybody who looks like a potential betrayer or forced witness.  The late Nebu-hin-Abenoz, for instance.