They left the bridge and went, not below to the main launching hold, but aft to a small lock. On the way Wyatt asked,
"Can you tell me what's going on?"
"For your own sake," said Makvern, "no."
They got into the skimmer and the pilot took it away and they sat stiff and silent like three people going to a wake. And Wyatt had an idea he was about to get a little closer to the truth of whatever forces were operating behind the scenes here. He needed to know, needed it desperately. He was prepared to sell or double-cross anybody including himself in order to get a warning to Earth in time, but before he could do that he had to know who was buying, and what, and for how much.
The skimmer passed swiftly through the fleet, past the great dull-gleaming hulls tarnished by a thousand atmospheres, pitted and scarred by the cosmic dust and drift of half a galaxy.
The black enormous form of the flagship loomed ahead, blotting out the stars. The skimmer was gathered into it. A minute later, as they stood close together at the ladder head, Makvern whispered in English,
"This is going to be ugly. Keep out of it, you understand? No matter what!"
CHAPTER V
The man was obviously sick, probably dying, painfully, spasmodically, and not from natural causes.