Chapter 5

They crossed the landing stage, entered the antigrav shaft, and floated downward; at the end of a hallway, below, Vall opened the door of Tortha Karf's office and ushered her through ahead of him. Tortha Karf, inside the semicircle of his desk, was speaking into a recording phone as they approached. He shut off the machine and waved, a cigarette in his hand. "Come on back and sit down," he invited. "Be with you in a moment." Then he switched on the phone again and went on talking--something about prompter evaluatio…