Spinneret

Carmen's jaw dropped. "You mean the supervisor programming? I didn't realize Udani and Ermakov were that close."

"Apparently they were," Meredith said, sliding over the details. There were some things he didn't yet want Carmen to know. "You see the potential crisis, I'm sure.

The five of us supervisors no longer have exclusive power over control tower access. We can now give everyone on Astra the ability to walk into restricted areas if we want to."

"Or anyone from the UN," she added quietly. "Is that what you're afraid of, that someone will leak that information to Msuya and bring down an attack?"

"That, and the nasty political games that could be played with it right here.

Dunlop's coup failed largely because his only access to the tower was an untrustworthy hostage. What would happen if Perez, say, sneaked a dozen of his allies in there and made them supervisors?"

"Cris wouldn't do a thing like that," Carmen defended the other. But she nevertheless looked uncomfortable.

"Then those dozen fanatics haul him bodily into the tower and do the job themselves," Meredith shrugged. "The end result's the same."

Carmen nodded reluctantly. "I don't suppose we could classify the details or something."

Not hardly. "It wouldn't stay classified long enough," he said aloud. "In fact, as soon as it becomes public that we've got the code there's likely to be a political struggle for control of it."

"So how is taking a trip in the Spi

"It may allow us to buy some time by defusing the current battle over what we're going to do with our money. I'd rather not say any more about it just now."

Slowly, Carmen got to her feet. "I hope you know what you're doing," she said.

"I'll get Peter and Loretta back to work right away. I presume I can tell them what we're doing once we're back aboard?"

"I suppose you'll have to." Meredith hesitated, then opened his middle desk drawer and withdrew a small stu

Her face was tight as she accepted it, holding it for a moment before slipping it into her side coat pocket. Then, without a word, she left.

Meredith waited until the door was again closed before exhaling loudly with frustration and relief. He could count on Carmen to do the job he'd given her …

but he wished mightily he hadn't had to drop this on her shoulders. But there were so few people on Astra he could really trust.

And in the next hour he made calls to all of them, giving orders and alerting them to the special files he was setting up. After that he stretched out on his office cot and took a nap in anticipation of the long evening ahead.

It was pitch dark by the time he arrived at the security fence that now surrounded the tu

Major Barner was waiting for him at the operations center, and together they drove to the Great Wall. There they transferred the supplies Meredith had brought from Unie into two of the open-roofed golf carts and drove to the tower. Parking next to the two carts already there, they rode the elevator to the top.

"Hello, Colonel; Major," Perez nodded as they walked into the main control room.

"I thought mine was the last shift in here today."

"Something special's come up," Meredith told him, casually eyeing the three scientists working at the control boards. Only Ermakov was able to manage the proper idle interest in the conversation; Udani and the Brazilian physicist, Arias, were several shades too alert. "I need your help with some things downstairs." he told Perez. "Major Barner'll take over your job here for whatever time's left."

Perez shrugged. "Fine with me. Lead on."

"Carmen and Hafner've been doing some work in one of the far chambers,"

Meredith explained as the elevator returned them to ground level. "We're taking a couple of carts of special equipment to them."

"I noticed them heading off in that direction once," Perez said, nodding. "Neither will say anything about what they're doing. Though with the doctor's new interest in isolationist politics, he doesn't talk to me about much of anything."

"You'll find out all about it soon," Meredith promised.

It was no more than a ten-minute drive from the edge of the cavern to the elevator co

"Welcome to Martello Spaceport East," Meredith said as they passed the Gorgon's Heads and triggered the door release.

Perez's reaction was a whispered Spanish oath. "A Spi

"Incredible!"

"That's what it is, all right. Come on—we've got to get these boxes inside."

The only entrance Meredith knew of was halfway up the curved side, accessible via a narrow accommodation ladder. Together he and Perez manhandled the supplies aboard, stacking them just inside the hatchway. Then, mentally crossing his fingers, he led the way forward.

Carmen, Loretta, and Hafner were waiting in the control room, their expressions tight. "We heard you come in," Carmen said quietly. "Everthing's ready, as far as I can tell."

"Ready for what?" Perez asked suspiciously, his eyes flicking over the room.

"We're taking a short trip," Meredith said, gesturing to a row of seats well away from any of the control boards. "If you three will strap yourselves—"

"A trip where?" Perez interrupted.

"To the Spi

Even Carmen's eyes widened at that. "You're not serious," Perez growled. "I, for one, am far too busy to take any trips— certainly in an untested alien craft."

"I'm sure Major Barner and Dr. Nichols can handle cavern duties until we get back," Meredith told him, drawing a stu

Perez sent a hard, accusatory look at Hafner and Carmen. "What about the election?" he asked, turning back to Meredith. "Or is this simply an elaborate way of eliminating my influence on Astra?"

"You'll note Dr. Hafner is also going with us," Meredith pointed out. "If you don't consider that being evenhanded, I'll simply mention that Major Barner has instructions to postpone the elections until we return."

"So what are you trying to prove? That you're still the man with all the power on Astra?"

"I've got no more power than anyone in this room," Meredith said flatly. Turning the stu

For a long moment Perez stared at him. Then, without a word, he walked over to the seats Meredith had indicated and sat down, dropping the stu

Turning back to the board, she pressed a handful of buttons. Beneath them, the deck vibrated momentarily; and then they were moving along the tracks toward the double doors. Carmen consulted a screenful of Spi