“You? Are you—?”
“A sniffer? Yes. They got me years ago, just like you, when I began to get an idea of what this was all about. I didn’t know where this system was, but my job required me to get engineering supplies occasionally, and they didn’t want me talking.”
“That was why you didn’t speak to me outside the observatory, just after we got back from the caves?”
“You saw me come out of the office? I never knew you were there. Yes, that was the reason, all right.” Feth’s normally dour features grew even grimmer at the memory. Ken went back to his own gloomy thought, which gradually crystallized into a resolve. He hesitated for a time before deciding to mention it aloud, but was unable to see what harm could result.
“Maybe you can’t get out from under this stuff — I don’t know; but I’ll certainly try.”
“Of course you will. So did I.”
“Well, even if I can’t Drai needn’t think I’m going to help him mass produce this hellish stuff. He can keep me under his power, but he can’t compel me to think.”
“He could, if he knew you weren’t. Remember what I told you — not a single open act of rebellion is worth the effort. I don’t know that he actually enjoys holding out on a sniffer, but he certainly never hesitates if he thinks there’s need — and you’re guilty until proved innocent. If I were you, I’d go right on developing those caves.”
“Maybe you would. At least, I’ll see to it that the caves never do him any good.”
Feth was silent for a moment. If he felt any anger at the implication in Ken’s statement, his voice did not betray it, however.