It Can Be Dangerous to Know Too Much

Aresia smiled again. She seemed a lot more cheerful and less stand- offish now that we were safely down on Weston II. Maybe she had been more concerned that she might not make it than she had let on.

"Don't fish for information, 'Uncle'," she said. "It's better that you don't know too much. Yes, I can make you forget everything, but the memories might still be accessible to a mind probe if they dug deep enough. OK, it's long odds against their being able to get out anything that would be at all coherent. Even so, rather than risk that happening, if you found out too much about my business here then I'd have to kill you. But I'd regret that. After all, you did save my life by picking me up from that lifeboat, even though I suspect that you've been wishing ever since that you hadn't bothered."

"But I didn't save your life, as it turned out. That Westonian ship that contacted me just after I'd picked you up [20915] would have rescued you."

"No doubt. Nevertheless, you still saved my life."

"What? You mean that you'd have been executed? But why? Is it about what's in that case of yours?" [20786] For she had brought the case with her. Luckily the Westonians must have been convinced that their blockade was one hundred per cent effective, as nobody had taken any interest in it - or indeed in us - as we came through Customs and Immigration. But I suppose if they had, she could just have removed her dark glasses for a moment.

"I've said more than I should already. Please don't ask any more questions. Now, you wanted to know where to take me. Once we get there, I'll give you your reward and you'll be free to go. The place is...

1. "Within the port. The address is 53, Rocket Avenue."
2. "A couple of miles outside the port itself, in a small settlement called Faith." "But that's a Seeker settlement!"

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