“Nice goin’, chief. She didn’t hug me.” Bunny was glum on this point.
“Wait a minute, guys.” Rod silenced the laughter. “You’re all wrong. That girl betrayed me—she’s gone over to the tetrarchs—lock, stock and barrel.”
“Let’s hear about it, Rod.” Williamson was intent.
Rod recounted briefly what had happened when Mona Darlanan had read his sign language.
When he was through, Bill Williamson was silent for a long moment. Then he spoke slowly, “Rod, you’re the only one who ever arrived on Tetrarch knowing of our existence. As a matter of fact, Mona was responsible for smuggling that note aboard the space ship—the one that brought you here. You came close to giving the whole show away with your sign language gag. Mona Darlanan was smart enough to realize that and she took the one sure way to get you on your way to us.”
“I don’t catch.” Rod Harrow’s face was a study in bewilderment.
“I’m not surprised.” Williamson was half smiling. “Mona does that to guys. We first got in touch with her when one of the boys—he’s gone the glowing way now—used one of our captured humanoid suits and made like a guard. We selected Mona as our contact because she’s completely and utterly loyal. And she’s probably the finest actress there is.
“To get herself solid with the tetrarchs she ‘adopted’ that little jerk, Jerry Wilson. That was to convince them that she was sincere.”
Rod, listening intently, nodded—he understood the why of that gnawing thought back on the lowlands now.
“She keeps us informed of what the tetrarchs are planning—and she’s got them hoodwinked—particularly that rat, Latham Koler.