"Now, now," Starza said. "Mustn't desert the sinking ship, Jake." I shut my eyes. His voice was soothing oil. "Jake, the Guild as a whole doesn't know of this plant. Guild agents are free-lancers, in the full sense of the word. They exercise their own initiative, and only report to Guild HQ when the job is done."
"Then," Carmody said, "if we can find out who—"
"Precisely." Starza's eyes were veiled. "Incidentally, Don, you've been gone the last four days. Why?"
Carmody regarded him steadily. "Recruiting. You knew that."
"Yet you brought back only a dozen Terms."
Carmody drew a slow deep breath. "Word's gotten around, Dave. The tribes have finally forgotten their petty wars and united against a common enemy. Us! Any Term that exhibits undesirable traits of individuality is now destroyed. I think a dozen was a good haul."
"You had the whole planet."
Carmody's grin was diamond hard. "You think maybe I spent a few hours under a Guild mind-control? Is that it?"
Starza said, "On your way out, send Los Tichnat in."
Carmody flushed. "Tichnat's the one and you know it! But if he's not—if you haven't run down the spy by tomorrow—you can accept my resignation. I saw what they left of Proycon."