But Kallee had lost little of his assurance. "You haven't heard the last
of this. A tape of the whole proceedings goes to the Board--"

"As you wish. But in the meantime--" Van Rycke gestured to the waiting
Salariki who were beginning to mutter impatiently. Kallee glanced around,
heard those mutters, and made the only move possible, away from the
Queen. He was not quite so cocky, but neither had he surrendered.

Dane caught at Tau's sleeve and asked the question which had been burning
in him since he had come upon the scene.

"What happened--about the catnip?"

There was lightening of the serious expression on Tau's face.

"Fortunately for you that child took the leaves to the storm priest. They
tested and approved it. And I can't see that it has any ill effects. But
you were just lucky, Thorson--it might have gone another way."

Dane sighed. "I know that, sir," he confessed. "I'm not trying to rocket
out--"

Tau gave a half-smile. "We all off-fire our tubes at times," he
conceded. "Only next time--"

He did not need to complete that warning as Dane caught him up:

"There isn't going to be a next time like this, sir--ever!"