Fargo continued prodding, but when Sligh didn't flicker an eyelash, Fargo said a little discontentedly. "Odd! You must be telling the truth, unless the wand is malfunctioning. Are you fully determined to tell me the truth, then?"
"Sure," said Sligh, and almost immediately cried out, "Yipe!" and writhed a bit.
"No, I guess the wand is not malfunctioning, so you'd better tell the truth unless you like the sensation you just felt. That goes for you, too, Fister. Very well, then, Sligh, you don't know what Ing looks like. Does that mean you've seen him only in disguise or that you've never seen him at all?"
"No one's ever seen him," said Fister hoarsely.
"Shut up," said Sligh.
"What's Ing's ultimate goal?"
There was a pause, and Sligh's face contorted itself.
"The truth, Sligh Fox," said Fargo. "Even trying to lie hurts when the wand nudges you."
"There is actually no need to lie," said Sligh with a growl. "You know what Ing is after. He wants to head the Solar System-for its own good."
"Of course, for its own good," said Fargo. "I wouldn't think for a moment that he's thinking of his own good, or that you're thinking of your own good. You're all just a noble bunch of patriots thinking only of others. I suppose you want to replace the more-or-less democratic Federation with a more autocratic type of government."
"A more efficient one with more determined leadership. Yes, it will do Ing good, and me good, too, but it will do everyone good. I'm telling the truth; the wand isn't touching me."
"That just means you believe what you say to be the truth. I'll give you credit for kidding yourself into thinking you're noble. Maybe Ing feels that way, too, though I doubt it, and wish I had him under the wand. What will you call Ing when he's won out? King Ing? Queen Ing? Boss Ing? Leader? Lord? Emperor?"
"Whatever Ing chooses."
"And how is Ing planning to accomplish all this? Where do I come in?"
Sligh squirmed. "Anyone opposing Ing would have to be negated or converted. You would be an ideal convert."
"You hoped to do it by applying this wand long and hard."
"That would just keep you quiet and cooperative till we took you away. We have other methods for the actual conversion."
"No doubt, but there's more to it," said Fargo. "You weren't after me until quite recently. I wonder why?"
"It would not be advisable for me to tell you."
"I'm sure you believe that, so it's not a lie, is it? Yes, you can avoid pain by telling truths that reveal nothing. On the other hand, perhaps I don't need your revelation. I suspect that Ing's plan is to take over Space Command, first of all. Once that is in his control, he can maneuver easily to take over the Federation itself. And it has recently occurred to him that I would be an ideal person to infiltrate the command and betray Admiral Yobo. After all, the admiral is my friend and trusts me, and I am badly in need of money, and that need will make it easier for me to be converted. In fact, there's your 'other method' for conversion. Plain, old-fashioned bribery. Am I right?"
Sligh hesitated only briefly. "All I can say is that Ing has plenty of money, and he is generous with those he considers his friends."
Jeff broke in suddenly. "Fargo, that's not all-"
"Shut up, Jeff. Now, Mister Sligh, I am turning the truth wand on myself. See, I haven't changed the setting."
"Yes. So what?"
"I'm going to tell you something, and if it isn't the truth, I'll feel what you felt when you tried to lie. Do you think I can hide it? Do you think I'm tougher than you are?"
"No," snarled Sligh.
"Very well. I'm telling you that there is no chance of converting me. I'm out of the fleet and I don't care, because I've got other things to do, but my brother's only ambition is to be in the fleet and serve Space Command someday. He's not like me. He's only fourteen, though he's tall for his age, but he's already shown that he's dead serious and reliable. Nothing will make him side with Ing, and nothing will make me do anything to spoil his plans. So give up on both of us."
"Is that wand still turned on?" said Sligh.
"Jeff, ask me a question I can lie to."
"Are you interested in women, Fargo?"
"Not at all," said Fargo, who then let out a wild cry and dropped the wand. "Did you have to ask me for that big a lie?" he said, holding both sides. His eyes were watering.
Then, as the pain abated, he said to Sligh, "Now let's get back to you and Ing. Tell me-"
Jeff interrupted. "Something's coming."
The soft whirring noise of an antigrav motor sounded not too far away, and in a moment there was a blue-and-white police car hovering overhead. Its searchlight was aimed down at the shaded clearing where the sun, still low on the horizon, had not yet penetrated.
A directed and magnified sound beam came down sharply, its loudness carrying all the overtones of authority: "We are answering a general distress call, giving these coordinates. No one move. We are the police."
Fargo at once stepped away from the two bound figures, dropped the truth wand, and raised his arms. Jeff raised his arms as well. Norby remained a barrel. After a moment's hesitation, Sligh and Fister began to call out, "Help! Help!"
"What in blazes is going on down there?" said the amplified police voice. A figure in blue leaned out, surrounded by the faint glow of a personal shield.
"Hey, Fargo," said Jeff. "Personal shields are finally on the market. Can we afford a couple?"
"Not on your life," said the policeman. "They cost a fortune, and civilians aren't allowed to have them."
"Is that why you don't have one, Sligh?" asked Fargo. "Or is Ing too cheap to get you one?"
"Mine is out of order," said Sligh. "The manufacturer guaranteed it, but-"
Fargo laughed. "I guess Ing tried the bargain basement."
The policeman leaned out further. The personal shield glittered on all sides but did not hide the very efficient stunner that the policeman was holding.
Fargo said, "If it's that expensive, officer, how come City Hall can afford them?"
"They can't," said the policeman. "Very few of us are equipped with them. Fortunately, for me, the mayor is my father. Now just what is all this?"
"As you can see-" began Fargo.
"Don't tell me what I can see, because I can see what I can see. I see two helpless men tied up, and two others standing near and in possession of what looks like an illegal truth wand. Which in turn makes it look very much like a mugging, and makes me sense, somehow, that I have the honor of speaking to the muggers."
"Hey," said Jeff. "You're not a policeman."
The policeman said sharply, "Do you wish to see my identification?"
"I mean, you're a woman."
Fargo said, "Better late than never, Jeff. There's hope for you if, at the tender age of fourteen, you've finally learned to tell the sexes apart."
The policeman said, " A policeman is a policeman, regardless of gender. Now, have you anything to say before I arrest you on the perfectly obvious evidence that-"
"Hey!" said Jeff. "You've got it wrong. We're the victims."
"Indeed. Victims are usually the ones that are tied up."
"That's right," called out Fister. "Get us loose. They jumped us when my friend and I were here in the park for a religious observance of the solstice."
"Are you Solarists?" asked the policeman with interest.
"Brought up Solarists by very pious parents," said Sligh. "Both of us. My friend and I. And these two hoodlums violated our religious rights by-"
"Madame Cop," said Fargo. "I suggest you take these two men-and my humble self-to the nearest police station for questioning. U sing their truth wand, or a police version if you'd rather, you will soon find out that these men are followers of Ing the Ingrate, and that they were pursuing me in order to force me to join them in their nefarious business. With great skill, I turned the tables on them and-"