〃Listen；〃 said Hightee； glancing at her locket watch； 〃I've got to run。 I have a show to do this afternoon。 I'll walk you to your car； Madison。 Somebody tell my maid to bring me a jacket and tell my driver to run out an airbus。〃
Madison walked with her out of the music practice room。 He had no clue as to whether he had won or lost。 An awful lot depended on getting this image built so he could fit Heller to it。
Hightee seemed to be a bit thoughtful。 They came to the landing target。 She stopped suddenly； 〃A MODEL 99！ Good Heavens！ I didn't think they ever would sell one！〃
Madison had forgotten all about Flick。 Suddenly he decided he could at least use this meeting to prevent further robberies。 He said； 〃My driver will be delighted to show it to you。〃
Flick； scarlet…faced； trying to go down on his knees but too frozen to even make them bend； just stood there。
Madison said； 〃Flick is trying to ask you if you'd honor him by letting him drive you to the studio。〃
〃That would be an adventure。 I've heard these ride like a cloud。〃 Her maid was hurrying up with her things and she turned to her。 〃Send Tink and the others in my car。 I'm going to take a ride in this Model 99。〃
Flick managed to get himself unglued enough to open the door for her。 When she and Madison were in； Flick； beet…red and gasping； slid under the controls。
They flew to Joy City and Flick managed it without ever taking his eyes off the mirrors which showed him Hightee in the rear seat。
They landed on a target marked Hightee which jutted out of the huge dome。 Attendants rushed forward。 One yelled back over his shoulder； 〃Hey！ Here's Hightee in a Model 99！〃
Flick had a sudden； obscured fight with the attendants and opened the door himself。 Although he seemed to be having great trouble breathing； he stood there； straight as a rod； waiting to help her out and bow。
But Hightee did not get out。 She turned to Madison。 〃You know； Madison； you're a nice fellow。 But any friend of Jettero's would be。 I'm absolutely bowled over by that…what's its name？ Piano beat？ You get the writer to do the rest of the book and I'll do the show。〃
When she had disappeared inside the dome； Flick said； 〃You're an absolute wonder； Chief。 I actually drove her in the car！ I'm a totally changed and reformed man！〃
Madison didn't even hear him。 As they took off； he was grinning from ear to ear。
He had a stage image being manufactured by the most popular star on Voltar； the guy's own sister！ And he would soon； with other media； fit Heller to it。
He would soon put an end to this mediocre hero worship Heller now experienced and push Heller's name to the heights of true immortality。
And he began to hug himself。 He had a bonus！ When the musical had been aired and when she had found Heller for him； he would have another headline。 It would run：
HELLER BURNS TEMPLE
KILLS THOUSANDS
OF PRIESTS
ROBS SACRED IDOL
OF PRICELESS EYE
TO GIVE PRESENT
TO HIS SISTER
Sure…fire！ She would even have shown the evidence on Homeview。 He could use the story on an off day when he didn't have more exciting news to print about Heller。
He was REALLY making progress now！
Chapter 3
They were nearly home when Flick turned around。 〃Chief； I just thought of something。 When you were busy with Hightee Heller； you got a viewer…phone call from Queen Teenie。〃
Madison was jolted out of his euphoria。 All his influence rested on Teenie Whopper； who was busily misrepresenting herself as royalty and holding her position through making page boys into catamites。 It was； however； to Madison； the equivalent of a Royal mand。
〃Go up and hover！〃 he manded nervously。 〃If she gave you a connection； call it back at once！〃 He was very jittery： apparently； due to time lag； it was difficult to call from Palace City。 Was Teenie in town？
A piece of upholstery unfolded and a viewer…phone was staring him in the face。
Teenie's face appeared。 She looked provoked。 〃I've been waiting out here in the desert beside this God （bleeped） message center for an hour！ It's going to ruin my plexion！〃
〃Oh； I'm sorry！〃 said Madison。
〃Why didn't you call back？〃 she snarled。
〃Oh； I've been meaning to call you。 But I got tied up。〃
〃Tied up with Hightee Heller！ You owe me a progress report on Gris！〃
〃Well； actually；〃 said Madison； 〃I've been working up to that。〃
〃Listen； Madison。 This 'all promise and no delivery' is just the way PRs work。 I know！ You get busy； you lunkhead。 I'll e back to this message center at sunset and if you don't have something to report on Gris by then； I'll have your cotton…picking head！〃 She hung up violently。
Women！ Oh； his mother had taught him well。 They were trouble！
He thought fast。 He glanced at his Omega watch and saw that he only had about two hours left of the day。 He thought faster。 Suddenly； he said； 〃Fly me to Government City； Royal Courts and Prison！〃
〃What the blazes？ Chief； are you all right？ Did High…tee run you out of your head？〃
〃It's another woman。 An almost…woman。〃
〃Look； Chief； we were just lucky getting in and out of the Domestic Confederacy Prison。 You get near a Royal Prison and that's that！〃
〃Fly！〃 said Madison。
They flashed above the traffic lanes and lanced along toward Government City。
Madison soon saw the forbidding structure。 It was perched upon a craggy hill； a fortress disdainful and aloof from the mundane matters of the worlds。
Flick didn't land in any courtyard： that was forbidden to anyone except the Emperor。 Instead he landed on the sloping road outside its gates。 He wouldn't move any nearer than a steep one hundred yards。
〃Good…bye； Chief〃 said Flick。 〃It was great while it lasted。〃
〃Shut up；〃 said Madison。 He got out and toiled up the pavement。 It was heavy going for him； due to the increased gravity。
Above him loomed the towering pillars of the outer gate。 As it was still daylight； guards were standing there； stiff as statues； on the other side of the heavy grill。
〃I want to see somebody；〃 said Madison to the nearest guard。
The man just kept on standing there。 Madison was not as much as a fly。
Madison got out his identoplate and showed it。 The guard didn't even look at it。
An officer was ing up； electric saber clanking。 〃What's this unseemly disturbance out here？〃
〃It's no disturbance；〃 said Madison。 〃I've got to see somebody in here。〃
〃Well； that's informative；〃 said the officer。 〃All it lacks is his name； your business and what plot you are involved in to subvert the machinery of state。 Be off。〃
〃Look；〃 pleaded Madison； 〃this is a matter of life and death。〃
〃There's plenty of both in here；〃 said the officer。 〃They're doing life； most of them； and we have assorted brands of death。 Now get out of here！〃
〃Please； please；〃 said Madison。 〃It's my life I'm talking about。〃
〃Talk away；〃 said the officer。 〃In living memory； no one has had the nerve to walk up this road to this gate and ask to get in。。。。〃
The statue guard said； without moving his mouth； 〃Correction； sir。 Gris did。〃
〃Gris！〃 said Madison。 〃That's it。 I am his dearest friend。 I must see him！〃
The officer bent his head way forward and looked at Madison through the bars。 He suddenly walked off and Madison fidgeted nervously。 He could see the officer talking into a courtyard call box。
The officer came back and gave a signal to open the gates wide enough for Madison to slip through。 Then he gave another signal。 The gates clanged shut and two guards ceased to be statues and abruptly took Madison by the arms； one on each side； and marched him forward saying； 〃Hup！ Hup！ Hup！〃 the same way Madison had heard his criminals chant。 Was he under arrest？
They followed the officer into the main entrance and through the vast echoey halls。 The officer opened a door and they were in a courtroom。 They walked Madison straight across it and stopped him in front of a door。
The officer frisked him； appropriated his identoplate and went through the door。 He came back and held it open。
The two guards catapulted Madison into a room。 It was a stone…walled chamber but it had a rich rug on the floor。 A huge block of stone； like a desk； had another rich hanging thrown over it。 An old man； dressed in black； was in a chair behind the desk staring out the window。
The man swivelled the chair around。 He picked up Madison's identoplat