I felt my ears prick up. As it happened, Bayta and I were also on our way to Bellis, the capital world of the Bellidosh Estates-General. "What sort of item?"

"A piece of artwork," he said. "I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say anything more right now. I assure you, though, the transaction will be completely legal."

"I'd certainly hope so," I said. "And my part in this transaction would be …?"

"I merely want someone competent and trustworthy at my side," Smith said.

I nodded toward his fancy suit jacket. "It seems to me a man of your means should be able to hire carloads of extremely competent people."

His lip twitched. "The competency part isn't the trick," he said. "And you come highly recommended."

"Really," I said, intrigued in spite of myself. There were very few people out there these days who would recommend me for any job higher than that of chief sewage handler. "May I ask by whom?"

He considered, then shrugged. "I suppose it's not really a secret. Deputy UN Director Biret Losutu."

I looked again at Bayta, saw my own surprise reflected in her eyes. "Interesting," I said.

"Isn't it?" Smith agreed. "Especially since I would have expected your part in the Yandro affair to have earned you a certain degree of hostility from him. You must be very special for his opinion to have turned around that completely."

He had that right, anyway. My whistle-blowing on the Yandro affair three years ago had made me an enemy in Losutu's eyes. A few months ago, when we'd next met, that status had eroded to the point where I merely qualified as an irritant.

But that was before Losutu himself had been dragged into this quiet war.

The fact that Smith had dropped Losutu's name made this a shade more intriguing. Unfortunately, there was no way of knowing whether or not he was telling the truth about Losutu having recommended me to him.