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and all personnel are subject to questioning regarding the alleged criminal activities of the owner.”
    “That’s preposterous!” Mrs. Fogarty exclaimed. “They can’t do that! That’s piracy, that is.”
    “’Fraid they can, missus,” Ronan said. “Look!”
    The surveillance screens showed three flitters landing in the east garden. An improbable number of armed troops poured from each and fell in behind the last passenger, who wore the official robes of a Federation Councilman.
    “That’s just wrong,” Mrs. Fogarty said, pointing to the councilman. “They don’t dress up like the Grim Reaper unless they’re presiding in court or some such official function. It’s myself should know, since there’s many the time I’ve done up Madame’s robes before and after she’d need of them.”
    The twins didn’t answer. “Please don’t tell them we’re here, missus,” Murel said instead. “They’re after us too. We have to hide.”
    “What I have to tell them is nothing they’ll be happy to hear,” Mrs. Fogarty said with a grim set to her lips. “Excuse me. I’ve a brand-new broom around here somewhere that I bought before Madame installed the central vacuum to spare me back. I feel the need of it now.”
    Ronan and Murel were already dashing for the nearest access to the pool, Sky running circles around them. It wasn’t actually a pool. Marmie had built it specifically for them, fashioned as a sort of artificial river that ran under the house and out around the grounds, among garden fountains and small ponds, before looping back inside again to form a lovely stream inside the great room. They felt they could hide there.
    What if they catch us in seal form and make us change?
Murel asked.
    Why would they do that? Our secret may be a bit more public than it used to be but I doubt it’s the gossip of the Corps. Besides, they’re very noisy. We’ll know they’re coming long before they know we’re there, and that will give us time to change.
    Otters dig dens in water banks,
Sky said.
Dens are good to hide in.
    I don’t think we can dig into the stuff under Marmie’s lawn, Sky,
Murel told him.
It’s not real. It would be like trying to den into the side of the spaceship.
    While their otter friend was thinking about that, they zipped out of their dry suits and tucked them into the pouches strapped to their backs. Then they dove into the pool, swimming quickly to the portion flowing under the house. To preserve their secret, Marmie had not set cameras near or within the banks of the waterway. Most views of the house and grounds included only glimpses of it.
    Now what?
Ronan wondered.
    We
keep our ears peeled,
Murel said.
If my message was transmitted before they cut it off, this will all get sorted out soon.
    If not?
    Perhaps we can sneak into the com center, disable the soldiers there, send again, and skedaddle?
    And how would we do that?
    I don’t know. But we must do something or we might as well have stayed and waited to be arrested at home.
    They’d kept their heads above water so they could hear what was happening above them. The house was well soundproofed, but their hearing was much better in seal form than the average human’s.
    “Children? I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” Mrs. Fogarty was saying.
    “You’d do well to cooperate, lady. Two children and a small brown mammal were seen running from the docking bay by our crew when we docked.”
    “There are many children who live here. Madame runs a school, you know. And children do have pets.”
    “They were seen entering the maintenance lift. That’s off-limits to children, is it not?”
    “As if that sort of thing ever stopped an inquisitive youngster!” Mrs. Fogarty scoffed. “But there are no children here, as you can see for yourselves. They must have popped off on one of the other levels.”
    “Tear the place apart,” the soldier who’d been doing the questioning said.
    “Here now!” Mrs. Fogarty