Scott gave him the papers he had brought from the office. He had no idea what bearing they had on the situation now being unfolded.
Kring broke the seal on the envelope and opened it. He looked through the news reports—those which had been used and those which hadn't. Finally he found what he was looking for.
"You have heard of the Green Arrow," Kring asked Rastol.
"Of course. A bandit and outlaw who achieved some notoriety. What of him?"
"You may not have heard," said Kring, "that his real name became known. To myself and some others who cared to ask, after it was no longer a guarded secret. His name was Acton...."
Kring looked closely at Rastol. The big Martian gave no flicker of recognition.
"A not uncommon name," said Rastol.
"Acton was the name of your son, was it not?"
There was silence in the room. Kring's eyes looked steadily into Rastol's. Ylia stood at the door, her gun no longer pointing at the guest, but down at her side. Toby Black was stopped with a cigarette halfway to his lips.
Scott raised a hand to brush away what he thought might be an insect on the back of his neck. There was nothing there; it was part of the tension.