Four-Day Planet

rio Vieira, and a whitebeard named Piet Dumont. Al Devis had been with us when we crashed the door out of the meeting room, but he'd fallen by the way. We had a couple of fla

g about what would happe

am, running out

r Fujisawa told him. "You brought out all you could. If y

I added. "You and Tom and Oscar

hen we saw the lights of a lorry coming from uptown at ceiling level. A moment late

entlemen wish t

lin," Joe sa

s, but if they catch you and Tom, they'll shoot you and call it self-defense, or take you in and beat both of

e mate, Llewellyn, said. "We'll borrow some weapons from Patel the Pawnbroker and then circulate

ole pillar-building to ourselves;

the Second Level and let down. Ramón Llewellyn and the others got out. Then we went up to Main Cit

g at the pilot's seat in perplexity and apprehension. I think he expected

heets for teleprinting. I gave him a quick rundown on what had happened that he hadn't gotten from my radio. Dad cluc

make a circuit of my diocese, and see what can be learned from my de

r, stumbling on the way and making an unepiscopa

ing to drink after

about five cu

without liquor, and he was walking as unsteadily as when I'd first seen him a

Joe and Tom and Oscar and I went to the living room on the

to come for us?"

d had dinner with us. He called a few people from here, and found out about the fake riot and polic

at his so

et him see-

I asked. "He won't blab about that. He doesn'

ot a lot of tips from him, but nothing we give him gets out." He got his pipe lit again. "What about that

price, and always has been, and that's what

n't get any more wax, period," I said. "

bwire worm had crawled onto Joe

h is the Galaxy's silliest question to ask

'd talked to him, I wondered why Tom was so anxious to get aboard with me. He didn't know we'd arranged to put Murell up here; he was going to take him to see that wax, and then take him to the Javelin. You we

Tom in consternation, and Oscar in derision of both of them. I was feeling

d to have been in Afghanistan. That was one thing Sherlock H. Boyd hadn't

?" Joe was asking sarcastically. The sar

g not to sound too proud, "has a v

, sending his daughter to school on Terra. School wasn't the only thing she went for. We got a letter from her, the last time the Cape Canaveral was in

I advised. "If Steve Ravick gets to

would really harm

just trying to comfort hims

a pound will be the starting price. I'm not spending the money till I get it, but I wouldn't be su

. Ravick would do anything to prevent that." He thought for a moment. "Joe, you were using the wrong strategy. You should have let Ravi

"Why, then the Co-op woul

drop out of the Co-operative and reclaim their wax, even the captains who

alph; I've been in the Co-operative all my life, since before Steve Ravick

ou let Steve Ravick take it away from you

et. The only thing you can do with this organization is smas

d the other old hunters had organized, and that getting rid of Ravick was simply a matter of voting him out. He was be

s in the hospital at the spaceport, he's safe, but as soon as he gets

ing anything. Now h

in the Javelin," he said. "That was while we were still pretending he

us," his father said. "I doubt if Exotic Orga

g them and explain in the evening edition. And before he goes, we can have him make an audiovisual for the 'cast, telling everybody who he

Steve Ravick wouldn't dare do if you gave me a hundred to one. Ravick had been in power too long, and he was drunke

kept that a pretty close secret. Joe and I knew about him, and so did

into radio range," Joe Kivelson said. "Then I only to

ame into the conning tower while

and I went and put it on. It was Bish

en Ravick reconvened the meeting, with nobody but his gang. They were very careful to make sure they had enough f

f," Joe Kivelson said. "Did

for you and your son. As far as I know, they aren't interested in anybody else." He glanced hastily over his should

n. "The Ravick Co-op's stuck with the price cut. The only thing le

d. "I wonder, though if Ravick

th Murell for six months. Well, call it three; everything speeds up about double in hyp

t know what's suspicious, t

rell are both in the wax business. I'll bet h

Tom said. "Get him aboard as fast as we can, and get out

pening aboard the Javelin, and a lot happening here in Port Sandor. Dad had the same idea, only he was one hundred per cent for my going with Murell.