"This is a bit more pressing than gravity, Hofton. I need Phylaxis and its material secured. Thales definitely, everything else as a can-do-if-possible."

"How soon?"

"An hour ago. Now, send Udal in here and get on it."

"Your wish, etcetera," he said with a slight flourish of his hand as he backed away from the desk.

The security guard brought Udal in.

"Sit down, Mr. Udal." Ariel entered commands into her terminal and the tri-D image of his mangled robot came up. She reached under the desk and brought up the crate containing the contraband positronic brain, gratified at the sudden amazed fear in his eyes.

"I'll talk," she said, "you listen. This isn't just a humaniform drone. This is a positronic robot and here is the brain. You receive the drone bodies through normal trade routes and buy the brains from a black market source. The result is an illegal positronic robot, contraband, forbidden by more laws here than I can remember. The people who vandalized your establishment weren't there to simply damage your business, they were there to give you and us a warning. You've been trading in black market robots, Mr. Udal, and some of the local fanatics have found out about it. I admire the nerve to make a complaint to me"

"But-"

"I'm talking now, Mr. Udal. This is causing us a lot of trouble and if you want to come out of this with a whole skin you will begin cooperating with me. First, by telling me the truth. I want to know who you're buying them from and where you're picking them up. I want to know how long you've been doing this, and I want to know who else is doing it and what else is being marketed illegally."

Udal's face began to distort. "I can't-"

"You can, Mr. Udal. Don't tell me you're afraid of reprisals. I assure you there's nothing they can do to you that I won't, and I can do it legally."

It took Udal several minutes to reach the point of decision. Ariel waited. She could see it coming, see him wrestling with the options, and finally realizing that he had none.

"Kynig Parapoyos," he said finally. "It's all through him."

Now, Ariel listened while Udal talked.