"Lancaster. Hold-down Switches to Safety, Warm-up Switches to Stand-by. Power Switches to Off. Open your port for visitor."
"Visitor, Tower?"
"Civilian requests conference about pickup job. Are you free?"
"I am free for Terra, Tower."
"Prepare to receive visitor, Lancaster. Good luck on job."
"Aye-firm. Over and off."
Farradyne went below and rode the bottom step of the landing ramp on its way out of the spacelock. He reached the ground about the same time as the arrival of a port jeep, which brought his visitor to him.
"You're Charles Farradyne? I'm Edwin Brenner. I'm told you are free for Terra. Is that right?"
"That's right."
Brenner nodded. He looked around. The jeep was idling and making enough noise so that the driver sitting in the machine could not possibly hear anything that was being said. The driver was not even interested in them; something in the distance had caught his eye and he was giving it all his attention. Satisfied, Brenner leaned forward and in a low voice said, "Let me see what you've got."