most of the last statement. As the Governor went
to say more, he snapped a harsh warning. "Governor, watch your mouth!
Commander Star's wife is Hashon!" The Governor inhaled sharply, and
looked like he was about to faint.
88 "Your report, Number Two," North calmly remarked.
89 "Our scientific team agrees with the Governor's people. There was
definitely a ship, buried out in the desert. Apparently, they turned on
her top shields to blow the sand away, then simply lifted off. Sir, a
perfect impression is still left. We could easily set our ship into it.
We think it's a cruiser, the same class as ours."
90 "Good Lord!" gasped North. "We'd better get back up to the ship and
get on their trail before it fades. You didn't finish answering my
questions, Governor …....how did the Hashons gain access to the beam
tubes?"
91 "They weren't guarded," the Governor confessed. "We don't have any
capability to the other planets. We only use them to send people and
cargo up to orbiting ships. When there's no ships around, we don't
bother to guard them."
92 "Governor," remarked North, "I'm sure you realize that your handling
of this whole incident has been a massive blunder. The minute you've
got communications back, you should have called in your ships to cover
your loss of tracking. If you had, they might have detected the vessel
in time to challenge it. Though they would have probably been
vaporized, you would have at least made a showing.
93 I will not enter your personal comments about mixed marriages into
my report. But I want you to turn your command over to whoever you feel
can handle it. You may either wait for charges, or, resign, it's up to
you. But I think a resignation at this time, would be to your best
interests."
94 The Governor nodded, but said nothing. As North and his party
hurried off to the transport tubes, within minutes they were headed for
the last bearings the Governor's people had on the fleeing vessel.
Three days later, they went to