he

hoosh, hoosh. At last Pretorius spoke. "It's us you'll want to call the others, I suppose, Soldier?"

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
"Mark," said Beverly Dyson to key his throat mike. "Subiyaga, be very careful with that one. Take the detector down to aluminum spray if you have to to make sure he doesn't have a throwaway derringer. Mark."
"Mark," said the civilian-suited specialist responsible for the detection unit. "Yes, milord." Subiyaga nodded toward Councilor Dyson, halfway across the courtyard on the roof of his van. Dyson had moved the vehicle ostentatiously into the courtyard the night before when he was ordered out of Slade House.
A squad of Dyson retainers had been told off specifically to support Subjyaga. Besides them, representatives of five other Council Islands observed the detector. Coon Blegan glowered at the equipment on behalf of the Slades. The newness and tailoring of Blegan's blue livery could not disguise the old man's paunch; but the pistol beneath his left arm was to be surmised rather than seen with clarity. Whatever might be the instructions other Councilors had given their observers, it was quite certain that Blegan would object forcefully if anything irregular occurred during the weapons checks.
Councilor Dyson did not care. He and those of his retainers whom he chose to bring within the Hall would submit to the same