She took the two to a side office and spoke through the doorway.

"Off-world visitors, Commander: Captain Clattuc and Sergeant Wook, from Cadwal."

Commander Plock jumped to his feet: a tall man, broad of shoulder, narrow of hip, with short thick black hair, glowing hazel eyes and features of jutting bone and corded cartilage. Odd! thought Glawen;

Plock looked anything but a slave to regulation.

Plock pointed to chairs.

"Be seated, if you will. You are Captain Clattuc and this is Sergeant Wook, correct?"

"Correct, sir."

"This is your first time on Tassadero?"

"For me it is," said Glawen.

"Kirdy has been here before, with Floreste's Mummers."

"And what are your impressions, so far?"

"Fexelburg is a lively place, certainly. The folk dress with great care and the car drivers are all dedicated musicians.

The police would seem to be extremely alert. Even suspicious. Almost as soon as we arrived at the hotel.

Inspectors Barch and Tanaquil were on hand to pay their respects."

"Almost insulting," said Plock.

"On your next visit use more expressive titles: "Plenipotentiary High Exterminator Clattuc," "Supreme Warlord of the Araminta Armies Wook':

something of the sort. Then they will send a more dignified delegation out to learn your business which I assume is of a professional nature?"

"I'll be glad to explain, if you have the time."

"If Barch and Tanaquil took the time, I guess I can do the same. Proceed."

Glawen explained the circumstances which had brought Kirdy and himself to Tassadero. Like Barch and Tanaquil, Plock was puzzled.

"Why the Zubenites? I'd expect such antics of the Fexels. Announce a fashionable, very expensive, new way to fornicate and they would fight to thrust their money at you."

"This is more or less what I heard from Barch and Tanaquil.

They were cordial enough and spoke of full cooperation, but I don't think it means much. They want us to stay away from Lutwiler Country373 that is the impression I get. Lutwiler Country is dangerous, so they say, without law of any kind."

"Gaean law operates everywhere," said Plock.

"Barch and Tanaquil know this as well as I do."

"I said something to this effect, but they paid no great attention."

"For a fact there is no local law in Lutwiler Country. Justice lacks refinement, and operates at a basic level. In Lutwiler Country I use the title 'executive ad judicant because I am forced to be policeman, judge, prosecutor, defender and public executioner all at once, without so much as changing hats."

Kirdy asked: "What crimes take you out on the steppes?"

"Almost anything you can imagine. Every few years a nomad turns bandit and becomes rather nasty. He burns ranch houses, kills tourists, kicks dogs, throws babies into the purple ooze and generally makes a fuss. The IPCC is then called upon to abate the nuisance. That means lonesome days and bitter nights out on the steppe, looking for fire with my infrared sensor. When I find the bandit, I chat with him a few minutes, then I find him guilty and shoot him. That is the way things go in the Outer Countries, including Lutwiler."

"Inspector Barch said the Fexelburg police will guard tourists, if necessary."

"Just so. They wanted us to take on the job; we told them that if they fitted out caravans and sent tourists out into the Far Countries, then protection became their responsibility. If we had to deal with it, tourists would not be allowed out of Fexelburg unless they hired their own armed escort."

"The IPCC is not popular with the Fexelburg police." Plock threw back his head and laughed.

"We've had our difficulties. The upper echelons do well for themselves. A year or so back a certain Rees Angker formed a 'citizens' watch' to look into police peculation. He disappeared one night and was never seen again. The citizens' watch got the message and disbanded. We offered to investigate, but the Fexelburg police refused our help. When we persisted, they ordered us to close down our office, as it was not needed.

We agreed and prepared to move out. There was an incidental technicality: our business, the protection of interstellar commerce, became impractical without a local IPCC presence.

For this reason there would be no more ships arriving at Fexelburg spaceport and they might as well close it down, starting the day after our departure, and we were already packing to leave. Ah! What satisfying outcries! We were assured that it was all a mistake, that we were both needed and loved! They sold us this building at half its value where before we paid an exorbitant rent, and we were exempted from all taxes. So it worked out well."

"And that was the end to it?"

"Not quite. We demanded the resignation of the Chief High Commander of Police and the two High Commanders responsible for the disappearance of Rees Angker. Presto! It was done!

They graciously renounced their titles, but operated as before. One day someone-don't ask me his name--flew these three gentlemen out into Vamoose Country and put them down on Wasty Steppe, exactly halfway around the planet. Each was given a handkerchief, a small bottle of mouthwash and a change of underwear, and allowed to go his way. Doubtless they carved out interesting new careers for themselves. So then: are the Fexelburg police now foursquare and incorruptible? I think not. They still do as they like, but rather more discreetly, since they know that we are watching."

"Well, it seems that we must take our chances with Lutwiler Country," said Glawen.

"What is the best way to go?"

"If you hire a car, the driver will scorch like a maniac and never stop playing tunes. The omnibus makes three trips a day in each direction. You can go out in the morning, make your inquiries-which I suspect will be futile--and return in the evening. The depot is just around the plaza, in front of the ADA travel agency. It might be a good idea to get your tickets now, as the buses tend to fill up."

Glawen and Kirdy rose to their feet.

"One last word, and most important," said Plock.

"The IPCC, unlike the Fexelburg police, goes anywhere, especially to help one of its own. I advise you to work out a fail-safe system of some son, where one of you is always within reach of a telephone. Then, if anything goes wrong, use this system to notify us, and we will do our best to put things right."

"There are telephones in Lutwiler Country?"

"Hm," said Plock.

"Not many. At Flicken Junction, halfway along the route, and also at Pogan's Point, but nothing in between."

"We'll work something out," said Glawen.

"Thank you for your advice."

Glawen and Kirdy continued around the plaza searching in vain for the ADA travel agency. Finally they put inquiries to a passerby, who gave them a quizzical look and jerked his thumb over his shoulder.