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"Prime-minister, what evidence can you present me to prove that
this is one of the men who abducted my crewmember?" Shardin asked the
nervous leader. He wanted to make sure they hadn't grabbed just
anyone off the streets as a scape-goat. A planet like Orionis could
not survive without the good-will of the Empire, and Shardin knew they
would do anything at this point to re-establish that good will.
The prime-minister presented his case against the man, and then
Shardin walked over to the prisoner. "If you are innocent, you have
nothing to fear from me, because my mind will see your innocence. I
will not hurt an innocent man. Now, clear your mind and let me ask
you a few questions."
Shardin asked the man about the abduction, and listened
carefully as the man answered the questions. The man said that he had
nothing to do with any of it, and that he was being railroaded; but as
he spoke, Shardin sensed the fear and guilt that always accompanied
lying. He calmly said, "I can sense you are lying about something.
Perhaps you'd better clarify yourself a bit better."
The man became more flustered, and said that he thought he had
seen the girl, but that he had not abducted her, and that he thought
one of his friends might have done it. Shardin still sen
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