Sual Av stared, perplexed. “But why would the League set such an elaborate trap as that to capture her?"
"Why did we come here to seek out the girl?” Thorn countered meaningly. “Because she has a secret that we want."
Gunner Welk started. “You mean that the League may be after the secret of Erebus, too? That the League may be trying—"
"Trying to get that radite on Erebus, the same as we are?” Thorn finished. He frowned. “It's possible. Remember, we heard that the League planned some frightful new agent of destruction to use on the Alliance worlds, to beat them into submission after they smash our fleet. Maybe the radite has something to do with that!"
Sual Av's green eyes widened. “Then it might be a League agent who put that Ear in your pocket yesterday, who is working from inside the pirates as we are and helped plan this trap? But who is it? Brun Abo, or Jenk Cheerly, or old Stilicho, maybe?"
"Whichever it is, if a League agent is after the girl's secret, we've got to beat him to it!” burst Gunner. “'But how?"
"She'll never tell me the secret, I'm sure of that, even though she feels grateful to me now,” Thorn said, frowning. “But she may have written down what her father told her about Erebus. She may have the secret among her papers."
Sual Av's ugly face stiffened. “You mean to search her papers? John, it's too dangerous! If these pirates caught you—"
"I've got to take the chance,” Thorn rapped. “With the League working against us, there's no time to lose now!"