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A thieving inventor. A future at stake. And she only has one night to discover the truth. The most prestigious Midsummer celebration in Soldark is only three days away, and this is Verity Pennington’s best–and last–chance to attend. Verity thinks she might just be able to pull off a fantastic mask in order to gain entry, if she can only tap into her unwilling artistic side. But when a thief breaks into her family’s clock shop and steals invaluable plans, it isn’t just summer revelry on Verity’s dance card. She’ll need to track down the thief–who’ll be showcasing an invention at the ball–and find a way to confront him amid the Soldark elite, without getting kicked out in the process. With her family’s reputation at stake, she’ll do anything to make it right. But things at the ball are not as they seem, and Verity must find her way through a maze of lies and mechanical masterpieces before she can find out the truth.

The Best Policy is a science fiction short story by Randall Garrett (under the pseudonym "David Gordon") about honesty. It was first published in Astounding Science Fiction magazine, in October 1957.