Moonbeams and magic by Janelle Taylor Page A

he's trying to lure me to his side?"
    "He revealed suspicious things to you. Perhaps it is a strong attraction to you that loosened his tongue and dazed his wits. If he is working for a rival, obtaining an ally or source of infonnation would be of value to him."
    Starla did not like the idea of being used by Dagan or anyone, but Cypher's second sentence did warm her from

    head to feet. "If he's an enemy or working for one, how could he dupe Thorin? "
    "Many galaxies have secrets from the others. He asked about future retesting; that could mean his immunity is limited by time and induced by a temporary blocker."
    "We've never heard of such a chemical or treatment."
    "That does not mean one does not exist elsewhere. He is of Kalfan origin, but his loyalties could be to another, for hire or another reason. He is a villite in his world and his record reveals he becomes a bijoni at times."
    "Perhaps revenge for something Tochar did in the past is his motive."
    "That is a possibility."
    Starla realized that an immunity to Thorin meant Dagan could have deceived Tochar and might not be as wicked as he alleged. . . . But her speculations, and Cypher's, could be farfetched—and Dagan was in reality as bad as his record claimed.
    "Why did you reveal so much about moonbeams?" Cypher asked.
    Starla's answer came easily. "So Dagan would realize the enormous dangers involved in his new position and weigh the risks and his payments against Tochar's profits and safety; I'm hoping he'll decide they do not equate to suit him. If he leaves, that's one less villite to defeat." And the removal of a disarming temptation. "If he stays, it might cause dissension and disloyalty. Even a man like Dagan wouldn't want anybody to become so invincible that he could never break free and any resemblance to life as he knows it would vanish. He knows Tochar took advantage of his ignorance about moonbeams when the fiendal purchased them from him. No leader of honor would trick one of his men, and Tochar was hiring him. I doubt Dagan won the crystals in a resi game. Either he lucked out on a shipment and stole them, or one of Tochar's contacts is double-dealing. If he believes I trust him—or I'm irresistibly

    attracted to him—maybe he'll open up to me. If so, there might be a way to exploit it to aid our mission. I must confess, Cypher, no matter what Dagan Latu claims to be or how his record reads, my instincts tell me he can be trusted in a dark horn; but I promise I won't act on that impression until I am assured of its accuracy. If he is working for a rival, maybe they will destroy each other and complete this mission for us."

"If that is a fact, be careful you do not get caught between adversaries in a violent takeover."
    "I'll be careful, and I have you to monitor and protect me. What does Dagan's voice pattern reveal to you?"
    "An analysis is impossible without a base line of truth with which to compare his words and inflections for honesty."
    Starla pondered that matter for a preon. "Is there any type of device I can press against him so you can obtain readings?"
    "That is impossible. Without a foundation line for comparison, I could not differentiate between what is fact and what is prevarication."
    "That means I just have to go on my instincts and training."
    "They have never failed you in the past."
    "Hope and pray they don't desert me this time."
    Dagan completed a scan of his chamber for listening and observing mechanisms and found none. Afterward, he retrieved a cryptographic message awaiting him on the communications device concealed in his knife handle, the most advanced and smallest unit in existence. It told him that two perusals of his criminal record had been made, both from untraceable sources who had access codes to the same mass memory computer network into which he and his friend could tap. He was certain the first probe was To-

    char's, but the second was a mystery. He deduced it was carried out by one of Tochar's cohorts from