“It’s — beautiful.”

“You can be the owner of many more, like this and far larger. Or you can sell them, for many times your investment. But please do not tell anyone else that I showed it to you.”

He reached out his hand to take the diamond. She pulled back, and he frowned. “What’s wrong, Leonora?”

“Nothing is wrong.” She closed her hand around the stone and the pouch of black velvet. “If only — if only I could just keep this for a day or two.”

“I see.” His tone was chilly.

“Oh, Daniel, it’s not that. Please don’t think that I don’t trust you. I do. But if I could keep the stone a little while, it might help both of us. I could have it examined by a professional in gemstones. Neither of us is that.”

“I have been told that my own expertise in this field is far from negligible. But I suppose I could be wrong. I am not infallible.” His voice remained cold. “However, the decision is not mine to make. What do I tell the mine developers? If I say I do not have another investor — not even the down payment from an investor — they will certainly want the stone back.”

“How much did you say it is again? The first payment?”

“Twenty-five thousand.”

“Do you think they would possibly take twenty thousand? That is all I have available in liquid assets.”

“It would be irregular, but I can probably prevail upon them to accept twenty thousand rather than twenty-five. I have already given them a glowing description of your character and reputation.”

“Then let’s do it. We’ll make the transfer right now.” Leonora held up her hand, fist still clenched around the velvet and the stone. “And then can I take the diamond away with me for a couple of days?”

“My dear Leonora.” He lost his worried look and smiled. “How could I — how could anyone — resist a lady as charming as you? Take the stone with you. Have your tests done — nondestructive ones, if you please. You will find, I know, that you are holding a diamond of the finest quality. However, I must insist on one other condition of this transaction.”

Leonora handed over a trade crystal, which disappeared at once into a small ivory box on top of the desk. “That will transfer twenty thousand. And I must be off, I’m already late. But what is your other condition?”

The simian face remained serious, but a twinkle lit the warm brown eyes. “Oh, nothing to worry you. But you and I must take a trip together, Leonora, and … examine our holdings. You show me yours, and I will show you mine.”

“Mr. Casement! You are a wicked, wicked man.”

“I said to call me Daniel.”

“Oh. All right. Daniel.” She giggled, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and hurried out of the building. She passed close to where Chan was standing. He had already put away the earphones and the remote-observing unit, and she didn’t give him a second glance.

Chan waited five minutes, then strolled over to Danny Casement’s building. He knocked gently on the solid paneled door, with its modest and tasteful inscription, Daniel Walsingham Casement, Investment Counselor .

“Just a second.”

After a wait that was at least a couple of minutes, the door slid open. “Yes?” Danny Casement stood in the doorway with an inquiring expression on his face. Chan, peering past him, saw that the ivory box containing the trade crystal had vanished from the desktop.

“Yes?” Danny repeated.

“Yes, what?” Chan pushed past him into the room. “Dapper Dan Casement, that’s no way to greet an old friend.”

“Oh my God.” Danny gave a howl of recognition. “Chan Dalton. You’re the last person in the world I expected to walk in that door.”

“It’s been a long time.”

“Nearly twenty years.”

“But you haven’t lost the touch, Dan. You’re still the best in the system, and it’s a pleasure to see you operate. Charm them, stroke them, scare them, soothe them, tempt them — and watch how they love you as they take the bait. Do you realize you told that lady that it was the Yang diamond you loaned her, and also that it was not the Yang diamond?”

“You’ve been spying on me.” It was a simple statement of fact, not an accusation.

“Yes. I assume that wasn’t a real diamond you showed her.”

“Then you would be totally wrong. It was a genuine, first-class, defect-free natural diamond. When Leonora has it tested, as she surely will, she will learn that I told her the truth — and be suitably overcome with remorse for her lack of trust in me. The stone was even from the Hyperion mines, all one-quarter carat of it. A man has his operating expenses. But Chan, why would you do a thing like spying on an old friend?”

“Because, as you say, it’s been close to twenty years. People change. If you seemed different, in ways that matter, I would have saved your time and mine. I would have gone away and never knocked on your door. But you reeled that one in so smooth, it looked like anyone could do it.”

“What do you mean, `reeled in’? Leonora Coslett is a business associate.”

“And I saw you giving her the business.”

“Not at all. I am truly fond of the lady. I have, let us say, aspirations.”

“If she proves to be wealthy enough.”

“Now that is an unfair accusation.” Danny waved a hand. A chair folded out of one wall and a table from the top of the desk, while a tray of flasks and glasses appeared from one of the cabinets. “However, if you are done casting aspersions on my honesty and reputation, take a seat. This isn’t just social, from the look of it, but we can have a drink while you talk the talk.”

“Provided your drink isn’t like the food at the Inn Paradise.”

“Better known locally as Ptomaine Central .You ate there? I could have warned you. It accounts for your surly countenance.” Danny filled two glasses. “This will make up for it. Genuine imported Santory single-malt scotch, aged thirty days, from the Hokkaido deep cellars. Burn the hair right off your ass. Cheers!”

After a long pause, Danny went on in a strangled voice, “But what are you doing out here? Last word I got through the grapevine, you were Lord High Muckymuck to the Duke of Bosny.”

“I was. Good job, but I had an offer I couldn’t refuse. That’s why I’m here.”

Chan described his meeting with the Stellar Group, the appearance of the new Link point in the Geyser Swirl, the lost Stellar Group ships, and the upcoming human expedition. Danny Casement watched with shrewd brown eyes and listened intently. He did not speak until Chan, giving details of the expedition, added, “a big, powerful ship, but with your typical crew: military people and scientists.”

Danny snorted. “And you thought, what will anybody get out of a dim bunch like that? Nothing. So why not give the old brigade, hand-picked and perfectly matched, a chance to do what we once planned? It’s been twenty years, but if we can find the team and get it together, we have it made. It’s even better than last time, because we don’t have to scrape around to pay for a ship and crew. The government will provide us with a ship and a bunch of goons and gofers, for free.”

“As usual, you’re ahead of me. How does it sound?”

“Interesting. Another shot at the universe, the whole candy-bag, that sounds fine. Of course, compared with this” — Danny’s wide-flung arms encompassed and dismissed the whole of Mars, quietly fading into futility as the once-open road to the stars remained blocked—” anything tends to look better than this. So it’s tempting to close your eyes and risk your ass and hat. But I see a couple of big catches. First, your Stellar Group buddies say, no violence. That’s all right when you’re dealing with them, they don’t do violence. But anyone else you meet might not agree. What are we supposed to do if some nasty comes at us with a meat-axe? Smile and get chopped?”