Luckily for both of them, they didn't have to wait long.
Ten minutes later, a guard came and they were taken through a mazy grid of passages to a medium-sized rectangular office. The walls were shaded grey metal, the floor a kind of springy rubber surface. Muted green ferns lined the corners. The room itself was nearly bare except for a lacquered oval table, at which sat Captain Kate Andrews and six other Galactic Police officers.
"Ah, you're here," said Kate. "Take a seat." She indicated the near side of the table, which held just two small chairs. Wally and Guybrush came forward, slowly, and slid into them.
"Hi," said Guybrush.
"Now, it's Guybrush Threepwood and Wally B. Feed, right?" asked Kate. "Good, good. Well, I guess we can get down to business." A nearby officer handed her a single typewritten document; Kate glanced at it, then pushed it toward Guybrush and Wally. "This document grants you full immunity from prosecution, in response for your evidence against Upchuck. We are willing to pay compensation for the lost time incurred as a result, and there is also provision for resettlement on Earth... if you so choose, of course."
Wally picked up the document and looked curiously at it.
Guybrush didn't even glance in its direction. "That sounds good," he said. "I've got some questions though."
"Shouldn't you read the offer first?" asked Kate.
"They're not really about the offer," said Guybrush. "First of all, what happens if we don't sign?"
Kate shook her head slightly. "I'll be honest with you, Guybrush Threepwood. We know you're a space pirate. We have enough evidence to put you away for a long, long time. Charges have been laid. In fact, it's only the possibility that you could be of help to us that's currently holding up legal proceedings. We like to think space pirates can work with us, rather than against us. And should your case comes to court, believe me, no judge is going to look favorably on your non-cooperation."
Guybrush kept an affable smile on his face during this little speech, though he could sense Wally tensing up beside him. "But you're willing to offer us immunity," he said.
"We consider you a minor target," said Kate. "And as far as we've been able to determine, nobody knows more about Upchuck than you do. You're a very valuable witness to us."
Guybrush reflected on this. A question occurred to him. "Got any other witnesses yet?"
A look passed between Kate and her fellow officers. "I cannot answer that," said Kate.
Aha. Guybrush resisted the urge to sit back in his chair. Suddenly he saw how they could get out of this jam.
"I'd like to make a counter-offer," said Guybrush.
Kate and her fellow officers exchanged another look. "We are not in the habit of negotiating deals-" began Kate.
"Oh, nevermind that," said Guybrush. "Let's live dangerously for once. Captain Kate Andrews, I can offer you another witness for your prosecution of Upchuck. Mancomb Seepgood."
Kate let die the protest that was on her lips. "Leader of the Space Moose?" she asked.
"Right. I know the current location of their base: it's somewhere on the surface of Ganymede. And you can't talk to him directly: send just one of your Galactic Police ships over there and they'll vanish before you even pick them up on radar. If you can give me a small cloaked needlefighter, I'll have him back up here within the hour."
"That sounds like a big risk on my part just to get another witness," said Kate.
Guybrush hesitated over his next this sentence: this would have to be worded diplomatically. "I'm taking a big risk giving you the location of the Space Moose camp."
There it was, stated as baldly as possible. I'll give you the location of the Space Moose camp, and if you should choose to crack down on them as hard as you want, well, I guess it's not really my business. Would Kate take the gambit? he wondered.
"I'm still not sure what's in it for you, though," said Kate. "We've already offered immunity, financial recompense, and resettlement. What else are you after?"
Guybrush chose his words carefully, like someone jumping from stepping stone to cross a river. He could see her warming to the prize he'd offered; now to reassure her she wouldn't lose her star witness. "Mancomb Seepgood is an old friend of mine, and I'd like to see him get the same offer of immunity you've offered us." Never mind that you just implied the Space Moose are enemies of yours. Kate is too shrewd to believe the first proferred reason. "And I don't just want to cool my heels and wait for a chance to testify against Upchuck... I'd like to play a more active part."
Kate looked at her officers. "Excuse us," she said to Guybrush, then they stood and left the room.
Guybrush and Wally waited in silence. Guybrush worried. Clearly Kate would suspect him of trying to arrange an escape opportunity. Guybrush saw no use in trying to hide the fact that he had an ulterior motive, just its nature. Given that she could see he felt constrained by their imprisonment on board the ship, his desire to contribute by flying down and arranging Mancomb's cooperation made perfect sense. It would require some faith on her part that he was an immediately helpful and willing accomplice, but in his quick reading of Captain Kate's personality, Guybrush guessed she was an optomist.
They came back ten minutes later, and Kate was smiling. "The needlefighter is crewed by four of my officers, with just enough fuel for a return journey. You fly down, you fly back. Otherwise all legal offers made will be rescinded, and the charges against you brought forward."
"That will be fine," said Guybrush. "I assume Wally will be allowed to accompany me down? Mancomb Seepgood knows we fly together, and it'd look odd just me showing up on my own."
Kate looked at Wally. She hesitated. She wanted to believe the best of them, but something inside her warned against it.
Wally smiled warmly, and adjusted his monocle.
"Okay, we'll allow that," said Kate.