Ileth snapped off the telecaster.
"Jon," she asked and leaned against him, "why did you sneak out tonight of all nights?"
He sensed the girl's tension, knew that it would be difficult to fool her. Suddenly, he decided to quit beating around the bush and strike straight into the heart of the opposing forces.
"I know you're an agent of General Atomic, Ileth. I've...!" He paused.
Ileth had gasped and drawn back from him. Her thoughts were in turmoil. "Emil! I must reach Emil!" was clear.
Saxon went on inexorably. "I've wind of a plot by General Atomic against the Shooting Star. If they could get their hands on the stellar drive, no doubt they could control deep space. They'd be in a position to dictate to Government."
Ileth was thinking furiously now, Saxon realized, trying to figure how much he knew and how much he was guessing.
He laughed without amusement. He knew damned little, too damned little.
Only this morning, he had intercepted the stray thought of one of his co-workers and realized that the man had sold out to General Atomic. To his horror he had read in the man's mind where General Atomic, after securing the stellar drive, intended to overthrow Government.
How General Atomic planned to get the drive, who else was in the plot, the man hadn't known. He had been bribed to take orders from a G.A. agent, whom he knew only as Q62.