"That's the place," Murphy agreed. "Run by an offshoot of the original Jesuits, they are. Smart lads. Zoologists, agronomists…"

"Geneticists?" Maslovic asked.

Murphy looked genuinely surprised as he caught the train of thought. "Be damned! Never would have thought of that. But these are real Holy Joes. Even as a blind they'd never go for Satanism. These are more like the ones who'd still burn witches at the stake."

"Well, it would be a logical cover. And wasn't that what you said these girls faced back home? No, I'm beginning to see a very disturbing pattern here," Mohr commented. "I think maybe we've put off visiting this Barnum a bit too long. Don't you agree, Commander?"

"I believe we should notify the captain of this before going any further," Sittithong replied. "This is suddenly turning very, very dark."

Mohr nodded. "I agree. And we've got something of a cover here with Murphy and his ship. We can simply explain our visit as taking our people where they were heading in the first place."

They all seemed to like the idea-all, that is, except Murphy. "Uh, pardon me, folks, but ain't you forgettin' somethin' here?"

"Yes?"

"I wasn't kiddin' about them girls bein' scared out of their wits at the idea of goin' back to their home world. They was all told that they would burn if they ever tried a comeback. And that's where they think we're takin' ' em now. That's why they did what they did."

"Yes, but we're not going to do that now. They're going where they want to go," Sittithong pointed out.

"Uh, yeah, well and good if you can get the word to 'em. But might I remind all of you that we ain't got 'em? And we got no idea where they are around here or how the hell to find 'em?"

IV: A SUMMONS FROM THE DARK

"Okay, girls, where are you at?" Murphy's voice came, friendly and fatherly sounding with a medium brogue through the ship's general public address system. "This is yer old friend Captain Murphy here, and after ye pulled that neat disappearin' trick the folks here they decided to make a deal. You can't stay hid forever in any case. What if one of them wee ones was to decide to get born while nobody could see? No doctors, no midwives, no nothin' around to make sure the wee ones don't croak and the mother don't bleed to death. Now, you know you can trust the old captain. They're gonna let us go. Take us down where we was goin' in the first place. All of us, fast, in one of their comfy shuttles. Now, I know you can hear me. God knows everybody else can. We're in one of the ship's lounges right now and we'll stay there. All the maps on the walls will blink showin' where we are, and they all show where you are, so just come on down. I swear this is on the up-and-up. They just want to be rid of us."

He switched off the PA and settled back in his chair, a pint of synthetic dark ale in one hand. He took a swig, and the foam seemed to crust on his upper lip.

"You think they'll buy it? That they'll trust you?" Lieutenant Commander Mohr asked him, more than a little worried. Murphy had the feeling that the security officer wasn't nearly as confident of the inviolability of his secret computers and files as he made out he was.

"Well, they'll probably think about it for a bit," Murphy replied, "but, then, one of them baby contractions will nip 'em in the tummy and they'll get real tired out real fast and start thinkin' it over. I expect they'll eventually come here just to check it out before they show themselves, but, yes, if we're straight with them, then they'll be straight with us. I'm pretty sure of that."

Mohr nodded. "I hope you're right. And I really do want them off this ship, all three and you, as fast as is practical. In fact, the Admiralty itself pretty well ordered it. As soon as we insure that they're in good shape, I'm packing you all off with one of my best pilots and Sergeant Maslovic as company. They'll get you down to Barnum's World all right. After that, it's up to you."

"I have a feelin' you may have some problems once they're down there, at least in keepin' 'em in view, but we'll see," Murphy told him. "I'm well out of this, I think. At least their delivery will net me enough to get me to a junkyard planet like Sepuchus where I can put together another ship. Maybe a wee bit faster one."

"No wonder your ship's so banged up! You bought it at salvage?"

"Well, I bought the hulk at salvage, and the rest of the parts bit by bit. It's actually quite practical, you see. Cheap but serviceable, I can repair it with standardized parts most anywhere if need be, and nobody pays much attention to rustbuckets like that. Beats me why you even bothered to haul me in this time. Pickin's must be slim."

Mohr shrugged. "It's less that than the principle of the thing. We let you get away with it, suddenly everybody tries and we wind up in a series of mini wars just to keep operating. And I have to tell you, Murphy, that pirates and privateers are multiplying like cockroaches. Things are getting worse and worse. It's all breaking down, and one day it's going to be victims and prey and then nothing much at all. You can see it coming."

"Perhaps. I think we're better'n that," the old captain told him. "Me, I think it's about time this nasty little system fell apart so it could be replaced with something better, something that works. We got thirty, forty colonies that could be self-sufficient in food and a lot of supplies if they could kick the habit of dependin' on other worlds for things and start doin' more of it themselves. So long as they think of themselves as colonies, though, they're gonna be stuck, and eventually every pig will sink into the mud and drown. No, Commander, we got to stop this whole colonial stuff. It's time for the kids to realize they grew up."

"You're talking about anarchy."

"I'm talkin' about independence! We change or we die. That's the way it's always been."

"Then who protects these new independent worlds from the ruthless killers who'll sweep in the moment there's no navy to at least threaten them?"

"They protect themselves! They do it or they die! Faced with that, they'll protect themselves, believe you me. And it may cost a world or two. They have to see that they got no choice but to fight for their own. It's tough, but that's the way of it."

"Pretty ruthless, Murphy. You're talking about possibly millions of innocent lives."

"That may be true, but you just said it yourself. It's breakin' down, it is. It can't be held and your big ships can't defend the whole of it. They learn to do it, or they die fast and messy or slow and messier. They'll learn." He looked at the clock and changed his tone.

"I think it's time I whisper more sweet nothin's to me darlin's," he sighed, and turned towards the intercom.

"C'mon, me sweet darlin's. Can't keep the nice folk here waitin'. Besides, I don't know about you, but I'm more'n ready to blow this joint and get back to some free land. I'm gettin' kinda bored just sittin' here and waitin', and if we miss our stop, well, then, we might be stuck on this tub for a long, long time."

He paused for a moment. "Anything?"

"No," Mohr sighed. "I think-what the hell?"

He was looking over Murphy's shoulder at a data screen, and suddenly the screen had gone black. Now, in it, appeared shimmering almost cartoon-like outlines of the three missing girls. With just the outlines and an otherwise blank background, it was impossible to figure out where they were.

"Well, well! How are you, darlin's?" Murphy beamed.

"How do we know this ain't no trick?" came an eerie set of voices, all three speaking in perfect unison.

"Oh, c'mon. I know it's not, but think about it. You got them over a barrel, darlin's. They want you off, and me with you. What's the choice? I mean, you can stay like ye are, whatever that is, and then what? The wee ones are born and there's either messy problems or ye ain't gonna be thinkin' 'bout hidin' out nohow. They ain't gonna kill you, neither. They don't know what'd happen to their pretty ship if they tried. So come on up, get somethin' here to eat and drink, take a rest and get a shower and some clean clothes, and then we'll be off."