“Our own Minster of Research is hostage. We can not execute him without due procedure. And to do this would be to advise Andromeda that we have discovered its plot. Obviously the infiltration is not yet complete, for the invading agents practice secrecy. This one must have been searching the records of Population for information on the strength of the auras of key personnel who can be taken over or neutralized. It is reasonable to assume that it requires a stronger aura to control an entity, as with normal hosting. This infiltration may be only beginning. We can therefore counter it if we can ascertain its full extent and master the technology to nullify it. Therefore we let this hostage go. The security guard shall be duly disciplined for his unwarranted attack on a Minister. He shall be removed to a far post for an extended tour, one no Minister would visit. I shall authorize and implement this myself, on the authority of the unanimous decision of this investigation team, with the concurrence and waiver of appeal by the Entity on the Spot. An innocuous report will be filed under the code-name ‘March.’ I shall proffer the Executive’s sincerest apologies to this wronged Minister for this blunder by one of our personnel. I doubt the Andromedan agent will take the matter further; he will not want any commotion that might expose him. Then, secretly, we shall indeed march.” He faced the guard, all facets seeming to bear on him momentarily. “Do you concur, Solarian?”
The man bowed his head. “I understand. My career is over—for the sake of my galaxy.”
“Yet if we prevail, and if any of we five entities survive,” Nath clicked, “there will be recompense.”
“Such reward as you have not dreamed,” the Solarian officer agreed. He turned to Canopus. “But how can we know who is loyal? We can’t check the whole government! We are merely an ad hoc investigatory team with little authority.”
“It becomes necessary to preempt authority,” Nath said. “But as my brother Solarian pointed out,” the human officer said, “we ourselves are suspect. We have no basis—”