"Computer, what the hell’s the name of this ship anyway?" muttered Cole, his eyes scanning the various control panels.

"I am the Raging Tiger," answered the computer.

"What’s a tiger?" asked Doshin.

"A large predatory feline carnivore native to Earth. Date of extinction: 2109 A.D."

"Well," said the alien with a shrug, "that explains why I never heard of it."

"Computer," said Cole, "give me an ETA for Singapore Station."

"Eighty-three minutes."

He stared at the screen. "You’d think we could see it by now."

"According to my data banks, it is only seven miles long. You will not see it until we are within two minutes of it."

"I see something else, though," said Cole, checking the viewscreen, where five ships had just appeared. "I want to send a message on every possible wavelength—and I want it on visual, too."

"Ready."

"This is Wilson Cole. I have captured the Republic ship known as the Raging Tiger. My code word is Four Eyes. May I have an escort to Singapore Station, please?"

"This is Miguel Flores, Captain of the Golden Dawn" came a reply. "I’m not aware of any code word. Also, I’ve met Captain Cole, and you’re not him."

"What the hell are you talking about? The code is Four Eyes."

"Nobody gave me any code word," said Flores.

"Let me guess. You just joined this week."

"That’s right."

"Before you do something rash," said Cole, "contact the Theodore Roosevelt. They will confirm my current appearance and my code word."

"They’d better," said Flores. A minute later his image was back. "All right, Captain Cole. You’ve got an escort."

His image vanished.

"What if they’d shot first?" asked Dozhin.

"You’d be past worrying about it by now," answered Cole.

"Is that all you’ve got to say?" demanded the alien.

"What do you want me to say?" responded Cole. "I’m the one who declared open season on Republic ships once they enter the Frontier. I can hardly get mad at anyone for carrying out my orders."

"I have come to the conclusion that you are not a military hero after all," said Dozhin after some consideration.

"That’s what I’ve been telling you all along."

"What you are," continued Dozhin, "is a madman with a death wish!"

"If you say so."

"Hah! You don’t deny it?"

"Would it do any good?" said Cole. "Your mind’s made up. But don’t forget that this madman kept you alive when Lafferty’s ship was stopped, and again just now."

"Dumb luck."

"The intelligent don’t depend on luck," said Cole. "And the dumb don’t understand how it works."

The alien glared at him but remained silent, and in a little over an hour and a quarter the Raging Tiger docked at Singapore Station. Cole emerged from the ship to be confronted by half a dozen armed men.

"I’m not carrying any weapons," he said.

"I assume you won’t mind if we don’t take your word for it," said Flores. He nodded to a companion, who came over and thoroughly frisked both Cole and Dozhin.

"This is silly," said Cole. "You’ve already confirmed my identity."

"Probably," said Flores. "The only thing I know for sure is that I’ve confirmed that a man who resembles the Wilson Cole I know is in possession of the proper code. You will be treated with the utmost respect, but I need positive identification."

"You’re either the most thorough officer I’ve met in years, or else you’re a fanatic who could be more trouble than he’s worth," said Cole. "I hope it’s the former. Now please escort me to either the Theodore Roosevelt or to Duke’s Place. There will be people at either who can vouch for me."

"Duke’s Place," responded Flores. "I don’t want you near the Roosevelt until we know for sure that you’re Wilson Cole."

Cole posed no objection, and he and Dozhin were taken to the casino. As soon as they entered, Cole spotted Val at one of the tables.

"Do you see that tall redheaded woman?" he asked Flores.

"The one they call the Valkyrie, yes."

"Do you know that she’s Third Officer aboard the Theodore Roosevelt?"

Flores nodded his head.

"Call her over."

Flores turned to two of his men. "The giant redhead. Bring her over here."

"Ask her politely," added Cole. "She doesn’t like to be ordered."

"We have these" said one of the men, holding up his burner.

"Threaten her with that and she’ll take it away and shove u right up your ass," said Cole. "Just ask her politely."

"Do as he says," ordered Flores.

"Good decision," said Cole. "They wouldn’t be much use to you after they got her mad."

Flores chuckled, and a moment later the two men accompanied Val across the room to stand in front of Cole.

"Welcome back, Cole," she said. "Sharon was worried sick about you, but I figured you’re such a devious bastard you’d find a way to survive." She looked down at Dozhin. "What’s this?"

"I am a who, not a what," said the alien with dignity. "My name is Dozhin, and I am Wilson Cole’s most loyal friend." Cole stared at him. "Within limitations," he added lamely.

"I’ll just bet," said Val. She looked at Cole. "Do you need me for anything, now that I’ve convinced them you’re not Admiral Garcia, or can I go back to enjoying myself?"

"You are free to go," said Flores.

"I didn’t ask you, Shorty."

"Go place your bets," said Cole.

"She called me Shorty," said Flores as Val returned to the gaming tables. "I am six feet three inches tall."

"Everything is relative," said Cole.

The Octopus entered the casino just then, saw Cole, and walked over to him. "I just got here," said the Octopus. "How did it go?"

"It went okay," answered Cole. "I’ll fill you in later."

The Octopus jerked a thumb in Flores’s direction. "He giving you any problems?"

"No, no problems."

"Damned well better not be," growled the Octopus, heading off for the Duke’s table.

Flores turned to Cole. "I’m sorry if I have embarrassed or inconvenienced you," he said uncomfortably. "I was just doing my duty."

"Actually, you’re to be commended for your thoroughness," replied Cole, trying to put him at his ease.

"Thank you for your understanding." Flores saluted and left.

"I suppose we’d better find you a ship to go home in," Cole said to Dozhin.

"Don’t be in such a hurry," replied Dozhin, staring at the colorful gaming tables and the even more colorful characters standing at them. "This is a fabulous place, this station. I just may stay here."

"You’re welcome to," said Cole. "But this fabulous place figures to be under a serious attack by the Republic in the not-too-distant future."

"You’re better protected here than I was on the farm."

"True, but why would the Navy attack a Republic farm?"

"Why do they do anything they do?" responded Dozhin. "I need to weigh my decision carefully—and I can’t do that until I have seen more of Singapore Station."

"So go look," said Cole.

"I intend to."

"The bottom three levels were specially built to accommodate aliens, though since you seem comfortable in Galactic Standard gravity and atmosphere you can stay on the human levels if you want."

"I’ll look around and then I’ll decide."

"Fine," said Cole. "Have a good time."

"There is one problem," said Dozhin hesitantly.

"Only one?"

"I do not have any money."

"Not even Republic credits?"

"Nothing."

"I hope you don’t expect me to believe that you managed that farm for free," said Cole.

"My money is in a box under my bed."

"What the hell, I wouldn’t trust a Republic bank either."

"But I have no currency of any kind with me."

Cole reached into his pocket and pulled out a ten-dollar Maria Theresa note. "Here," he said, handing it to Dozhin. "Don’t spend it all at once, and when you run through it, go over to that big table in the corner. Walk up to a man with a platinum mask and tell him that I said he should give you a job."

"I don’t want a job."

"Suit yourself. I hope you and the ten dollars have a long and happy life together." Cole began walking toward the Duke’s table.

"But I want to fight against the Republic."

"If I come to a situation where I can use you, you’ll get your chance. In the meantime, if you feel that strongly, you could donate half your earnings to the cause."

"What cause?" demanded Dozhin, looking around. "I don’t see anyone rushing to join a cause."

"Good. If you can’t spot them, maybe the Navy can’t either. Now go enjoy yourself before I take my money back."

That statement galvanized the alien into action, and he was out of the casino and heading for an airlift to the lower levels almost before anyone noticed he was gone. All eyes turned to Cole as he made his way to the Duke’s table, which was currently occupied by the Platinum Duke, David Copperfield, and the Octopus.

"Have a drink," said the Octopus. "You had us worried when we heard about the commotion on Chambon V."

"Which reminds me," said Cole, pulling a small cube out of his pocket. "Here’s an early birthday present."

"What is it?"

"Your copy of the Inner Frontier patrol routes for all the ships at the Chambon V base."

"For how long?"

"Two months."

"That’ll help," said the Octopus.

"More than you think," said Cole.

"Oh?"

"I changed some of their routes. I don’t think I left any footprints, so they shouldn’t know what I did and shouldn’t change it back."

The Octopus grinned. "There’s going to be good hunting this month!"

"And we’ve now got two Republic ships to use as decoys," added David Copperfield.

"Right," said Cole. "I forgot all about the first one."

"Getting shot at and chased around the Republic will do that to your memory," said the Octopus.

"I bear glad tidings from the Republic, too," said Cole.

"Please tell me Susan Garcia is dead of a painful, disfiguring disease," said the Duke.

"She’s alive and well, and probably thinks pretty much the same of you as you think of her—on those rare occasions that she can be bothered to think of you at all."

"All right," said the Duke. "What secondary good news do you bring?"

"Once I figure out how to contact them again, I’ve got another four hundred to five hundred ships on our side."

"Five hundred ships?" repeated the Octopus. "Where are they?"

"In the Republic."

"That makes it official," said the Duke.

"What are you talking about?" asked Cole.

"When it was just you and few ships out here, ships with no allegiances, you were an illegal rabble. But with ships from the Republic —now you’re officially a rebellion."

"Semantics," said Cole.

"But meaningful semantics," said the Duke. "This will make it much easier to raise money and recruit more young men and women to your side."

"I don’t have a side."

"Then to your banner."

"So now it’s only two-million-to-one odds against us instead of five-million-to-one," said Copperfield.

"It’ll be a less than that," said Cole. "Those four hundred ships aren’t from all across the Republic. They’re just from Piccoli III and its vicinity. I’ll bet we could pick up a few hundred ships near every Navy base in the Republic."

"Wouldn’t those near the bases tend to be the most patriotic?" asked Copperfield.

"The nearest ones will have had the most interaction with the Navy," said Cole. "These days, that’s not always a pleasant experience."

They spoke a few minutes more. Then the Octopus went off to his ship to study the cube, and Cole and David Copperfield headed toward the Teddy R.

"Tell me the truth, Steerforth," said the little alien. "What are our chances?"

"A little better than they were last week," said Cole.

"That’s all?"

"David, against something like the Republic, that’s a giant step forward."

"Yes, I suppose it is," admitted Copperfield. "When you consider the odds, don’t you ever feel overwhelmed?"

"I don’t think of the odds," said Cole.

"What do you think of?"

Cole paused for just a moment. "I think of Four Eyes," he said. "And a thousand others who met the same fate." "You couldn’t have saved him."

"No," said Cole. "No, I couldn’t have. But maybe we can save the next thousand. At least, we’ve got to try."