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Bis held his face in his hands。 〃Now I know why a bat engineer has such short life expectancy。 What are you going to do？〃
〃The less you know about that； the less you can tell the torturers。 Get me a false identoplate along with it。 You've got lots of time。 Shall we say fifteen minutes at the back door？〃
Bis stared at him numbly。
Two hours later； Heller landed the Apparatus…marked airbus on the landing target at Camp Kill。 The rain had not reached over the mountains into the Great Desert but the airbus bore signs of it： it was suspiciously clean for an Apparatus vehicle。
The guard officer came into the glaring target lights。 He looked at the smudgy identoplate that said 〃Captain Fal。〃
〃I won't be here long；〃 said Heller。 〃I've e to pay a gambling debt to Captain Snelz。〃
〃Pickings in town must be good lately；〃 said the guard officer。
〃Couldn't be better；〃 said Heller。
〃Thanks for the tip that he'll have money。 He's in those dugouts back under the hill。〃
Heller got out。 He was wearing big sand goggles。 He walked at a leisurely pace through the dusty； cluttered camp。
A sentry stood outside a dugout door。 Before he could challenge； Heller yelled； 〃Hey； Snelz； you got any thudder dice for sale？〃
There was an instant flurry inside。 Then a white face； just a blur in the night； peered out of the low dug…out entrance。
Heller walked boldly past the sentry and entered。
In a hoarse whisper； Snelz said； 〃My Gods； Jet！ Don't you know there's a general warrant out for your arrest？〃
〃You know；〃 said Heller； in a loud voice； 〃if people keep telling me； sooner or later I'll believe it。〃
Snelz shuddered。 He turned and made a gesture at a prostitute who lay naked on a far bunk。 She grabbed her clothes and scuttled out。
Snelz was tucking his shirt in his pants and trying to drop the door curtain at the same time。
〃Heller；〃 he said； 〃you're crazy。〃
〃No； I'm thirsty。〃
Snelz； both his shirt collar and his hair standing up； tried to find something that hadn't been emptied in the debris on the table and； after upsetting several bottles and canisters； got some sparklewater poured。 Heller sat down and sipped it。
The ex…Fleet marine sat nervously across from him。 〃Jet； there's a whisper out that Hisst will pay a hundred thousand credits cash for clues as to where you are。〃
〃Cheap；〃 said Heller。 〃The man always was cheap。〃
〃Why are you HERE of all places？〃
Heller reached into his Apparatus tunic and pulled out an envelope。 He laid it before Snelz。 〃This；〃 he said； 〃has got to be delivered to Lombar Hisst。〃
〃I haven't got access to him；〃 said Snelz。 〃I'm only a captain。〃
〃Well； I wouldn't think it would be healthy to give it to him；〃 said Heller。 〃If he received it and those seals were disturbed； my guess is that he would very likely execute the bearer just to be sure his mouth stayed shut。〃
Snelz looked at the outer cover。 It said：
TO LOMBAR HISST
FROM JETTERO HELLER
Private。 Personal。 Secret。
Snelz's hand began to shake。 〃This could get me killed just looking at it！ Heart failure！〃
Heller laid down a five…hundred…credit note。 〃Just so you don't feel too bad being deprived of that hundred thousand。〃
Snelz was shocked。 〃I wouldn't ever turn you in。 You're my friend！ You don't have to pay me anything either！〃
〃Well； I told the landing guard officer I was here to pay a gambling debt； so he'll be on to you for drinks； so I don't want this to cost you anything personally。 Now think； do you know of a way to get this into Hisst's hand？〃
Snelz thought about it。 Then he suddenly smiled brightly。 〃Yes； I think I can do that。 And without a hitch。〃
〃It's very important that he get it。 No slips。〃
〃No slips；〃 said Snelz。
〃Good；〃 said Heller。 〃That pletes my business。 Would you like to indulge in a few passes with the dice？〃
〃Oh； Jet； please to the Gods； get out of here。 You have both our bodies halfway down into that chasm right this minute。 Don't you realize that Hisst es to the tower office up there almost every day？ He might be in this camp right now！〃
〃Then it will be very easy to get the message to him； won't it？〃 said Heller。 〃Well； you seem to have lost your gambling fever； so I guess I'll run along。 I'll stop by the canteen。。。。〃
〃Jet；〃 said Snelz in a tight and urgent voice； 〃you get。。。 get out of here。 Honest； my heart won't start again until you've left this camp！〃
〃The day you're that scared； Snelz；〃 laughed Heller； 〃that will be the day。 e on and walk with me to the canteen。〃
Snelz convulsively was climbing into his uniform tunic。
Firmly but carefully looking very casual； he walked Heller straight back to the landing target area and got him into his airbus。
Heller took off。
Two hours later； at Emergency Fleet Reserve； Heller plimented old Atty for restocking the tug； shook hands with a worried mander Crup and； exhibiting the ship identoplate of the cruiser Happy Return； was spaceward ho for Calabar。
Chapter 8
One cannot help but wonder； dear reader； what the course of history might have been if Captain Snelz had not thought of the man he did when asked to design a way to get the message into Lombar's hands。 If he had only told Heller the name that had popped into his mind； the fate of Earth might well have been quite different。
For the man Snelz had thought of was J。 Walter Madison！
As he stood on the landing target watching Heller's airbus leave； Snelz was putting through his mind exactly how to do this。
Lately Lombar Hisst had been ing to Spiteos almost every day for a brief period； usually in the morning。 He was doing something strange down in the storerooms with that weird powder。 Snelz himself had escorted in several truckloads of strange things marked Lactose； Epsom Salts； Quinine； Baking Powder； Photo Developer； Insecticide and Strychnine。 Hisst had several technicians who would take something called amphetamine out of its original capsules； mix the powder with these other things and then； using new capsules； expand the original batch enormously。 According to one of the technicians； Hisst seemed to take a lot of pleasure in this strange exercise： he called it 〃cutting〃 and seemed to think nobody else could do it as expertly as he。
And Snelz had noted that the Earthman Madison was never kept informed as to where he could find Hisst： that was no real mystery； as Hisst always had the idea that anywhere he went； an assassin would be waiting for him。 So； at odd times of the day or night； Madison would show up at Spiteos。
It had bee so well known now that Madison was a close creature of Hisst that Madison could e and go as he pleased。 The very distinctive Model 99 with its four flying angels was never even challenged in the air。 Once landed； Madison had carte blanche。 He needed no escort； he didn't even show his plate； he simply trotted over to the zipbuses； went through the tunnel； up the elevator and into the north tower。 Often； nowadays； there weren't even clerks up there。
Knowing Madison for a fake and no friend of Heller's； Snelz selected him for a messenger whose message； it seemed； could end in somebody's death。
Accordingly Snelz； despite the hour； paraded his pany。 He went down the line； looking very closely at his men。 Suddenly he stopped and pointed his baton。
〃You there。 You have just volunteered。 Lieutenant； dismiss everyone but this man and Timyjo。〃
Snelz took the two men aside。 Timyjo was the pany's best thief。 〃Timyjo； go into town and get an expensive suit of gray shimmercloth and all those conservative things that go with it。 The stores at this hour should be easy to rob。 Make sure they fit this man。 Be back before dawn。〃
Snelz whiled away the time by buying the guard officer some drinks and shooting a little dice。 He even had an hour for a nap。
Timyjo returned laden。 In his dugout； Snelz dressed the volunteer。 He stepped back admiringly。 Same height； same build； same hair coloring。 To all intents and purposes； unless one knew him well； one was looking at Madison。
Not to take any chances； Snelz put a pair of sand goggles on him； a thing he had lately seen Madison wear。
He gave the fellow the envelope。 He said； 〃Now； don't talk to anybody。 Just get on a zipbus； go up in the elevator； walk through the clerk's room； enter the office of Lombar Hisst and lay this squarely in the middle of his desk。 Then walk out and e back here。〃
〃And if I don't？〃
〃Then we throw you in the chasm and forget about it。〃
It was well after dawn。 A sleepy camp was recovering from hangovers。
The volunteer； feeling very nervous； pleaded at least for a canister of tup。 Then； fortified； he walked out； got on a zipbus； got off； got in the elevator； went up to tower level and entered the clerk's outer room。 He froze。 The old criminal chief clerk was sitting there； back to the door。
With no choice but the chasm if he did and the chasm if he didn't； the volunteer walked boldly across the room。
The old chief clerk glanced up。 〃He isn't here；〃 he muttered and went back to his work。
The volunteer pretended he had not heard。 He walked to Hisst's office door and went in。 The place impressed him very unfavorably： one whole wall was glass； a throne chair that looked like tomb…loot was behind the desk。 But the volunteer wasted no time。
He took the envelope out of his coat。 He laid it on the desk and propped it up with a stinger。 Anybody who sat down would be hit with the address。
The volunteer walked out。
The chief clerk muttered； 〃I told you he wasn't here。〃
The volunteer got into the hall。
Meanwhile Snelz was experiencing shock and heart failure。 The volunteer had no more than gotten on the zipbus when the feeling of being smart and clever turned； in Snelz； to horror。
THE MODEL 99 LANDED！
In a state of acute paralysis he watched Madison get out； walk through the dust to the barricade before the zip…bus。 Snelz didn't dare breathe。 Would the officer on duty notice he was logging Madison in TWICE？
Action was the answer to everything with Snelz。 He drew a hand blastgun； fired at the top of a pole and shattered the light。 He ducked。
As glass showered down； the guards raced for cover。 Madison put into action his own method of escape。 He swung aboard a zipbus quickly and looked back as it sped away into the tunnel。
Not daring to think what would happen when Madison ran into 〃Madison〃 in the elevator or hall； he did something he almost never did： he prayed。
The volunteer； meanwhile； was waiting in the hall for an elevator shaft to signal it was clear。 Somebody was ing up！
Not wanting anything like a confrontation； possibly even with Lombar； the volunteer looked hastily around。 There was a big box of fresh puter paper in the hall。 It was only four feet high but he quickly dived behind it。 Peering out； he was horrified to see the real Madison step out of the shaft！
The instant the hall was clear； the volunteer dived headfirst into the shaft to get out of there。
The real Madison walked into the clerk's office。
〃What'd you do？〃 the chief clerk said； after an indifferent glance。 〃Forget something？〃
Madison walked on into Lombar's office； saying； 〃I'll wait。〃
He had the newest clippings from the press。 They gave a lot of juicy speeches about Hisst wanting law and order and raging about anyone trying to defame the honor of Apparatus officers； and he knew these shots of his angry face would delight Lombar no end。 He wanted to make a nice display of them on the desk。
A stinger was propping up a big envelope and he accidentally knocked it down。 He set it up once more。 But it was in the way of his clipping spread。 He decided it should be put further back。 He took hold of it once more and moved the stinger and； then； with a double take； suddenly registered what was in his hand。
He stared； stunned。
TO LOMBAR HISST
FROM JETTERO HELLER
Private。 Personal。 Secret。
How had that gotten there？
It was still sealed。
Lombar hadn't seen it yet。
Not knowing anything about Heller's admonition to Snelz that Lombar would have the messenger killed； particularly if the seals were broken； Madison quivered with greed to know。
What was this？ Some secret munication line？
And as it was from the only reason he was doing all he was doing； he could hardly resist。
He broke the seals。
It was all quiet in the outer office。
Madison swiftly read：
Hisst；
Greetings and salutations and all that son of thing； none of them sincere：
You have known