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to get as much information as possible before we move."
"Is that why you've been monopolizing Faye Picciano lately," Caine snorted. "I
should have known it was business."
For some reason Caine's words suddenly put things in perspective; and rather
than boil over, Lathe's anger drained away. "It was, on both sides and her
business is also information. Be thankful I
deflected her away from you you wouldn't have lasted an hour once she got
started."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean the complete temptress routine, all the way down to the
pheromone-based perfume she was wearing. And she's damn good at it, too."
Caine suddenly looked wary, as the source of Lathe's mood must have dawned on
him. "Did she ah ?"
"No, she didn't succeed," the comsquare said. "The sexual ploy's the oldest in
the book, but no less potent for all that. I know better than to risk
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emotional entanglement on a mission; I'm not sure you do. Chances are you'd be
in bed with her right now, telling her anything she wanted to know."
"Ridiculous," Caine said... but he didn't sound entirely sure of himself. "You
think she's a government spy?"
"Not necessarily." Lathe stepped past Caine and sat down across from Skyler.
"Whichever side she's on she'd want to pump us for all she could. Tacticians
always want all the information they can get."
"Is that why you sent the others away from here?" Caine asked, coming over to
stand beside the table. "So she couldn't get to them?"
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The Blackcollar
"She or other potential spies. Also, it's a good general policy not to load
all your torpedoes into the same tube. Actually, you're the only one we
absolutely have to keep the collies from getting hold of."
"Hence the bodyguards?"
"We just like your company," Novak assured him from his bunk.
Caine's response was a snort.
"But you've got a point," Lathe said, thinking quickly. The timing was
critical here.... "If we sit around too long the collies may try something.
Okay. Tomorrow, Mordecai and I will go take a close-
up look at Henslowe Prison, try to find the best approach for getting the vets
out."
Across the room Mordecai raised his eyebrows, but remained silent. Caine said.
"Well, that's something. I'll come, too."
Lathe shook his head. "Sorry. We're keeping you out of collie reach, remember?
You'll stay here where it's safe."
Caine's lip twisted, but something in Lathe's face must have warned him not to
argue the point.
Turning on his heel, he strode over to the window and stared out.
The impatience of youth, Lathe thought, stroking his dragonhead ring as he
looked at Caine's stiff back. A wave of weariness swept abruptly over him. Why
was he going through all this torture again, especially for a mission with
such a poor chance of success? Sighing, he turned his eyes away from Caine.
Skyler was still sitting across the table from him. "You all right?" he asked
softly.
Lathe managed a lopsided smile. "Sure."
"He'll learn. You serious about tomorrow?"
"Yes. Have you talked to Vale lately?"
"Novak saw him this morning. O'Hara and Haven seem to be coming along okay.
Still pretty weak, though high-dose Idunine treatment's no fun."
"None of us are in this for the fun of it," Lathe said dryly. "When will they
be able to fight?"
"Vale guessed a couple of days maybe three or four before they're back to full
strength."
"Okay." Lathe glanced at his watch. "The tactical group's meeting in an hour;
I'll tell them about the trip then. Not about your part, of course."
Skyler rubbed his fingertips thoughtfully on the tabletop. "You have to tell
them anything at all? If
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The Blackcollar there's a collie spy in the group, you'll be inviting a trap."
"Possibly. But if we don't say anything they'll never trust us again Tremayne
already thinks we ask too much on blind faith. Besides, we might prove this
way whether or not there is a spy in the group."
"Um. Just you and Mordecai going, then?"
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"Plus one of the Argentians, probably I expect Tremayne will insist on that.
Our loyal guide Fuess would be a good choice. If it comes to a fight an extra
blackcollar would be handy to have around."
Lathe cocked his head slightly to one side. "I see an objection in there that
still hasn't been answered."
Skyler nodded fractionally in Caine's direction. "You're going to leave him
alone with Novak? If
I
wanted to capture him alive, that's when I'd pull my raid."
Lathe was silent a long moment. "You think Security's that desperate yet? If
they miss they risk driving us out of range of their spies."
"Granted. But I don't think we should count on the opposition having good
sense."
"In that case maybe we'd better send him over to stay with Hawking, Kwon, and
Spadafora."
"Or else take him with you in the morning. Seriously. They'll be trying to
keep you alive anyway, and if they realize who they've got they'll be doubly
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