The man swivelled the chair around。 He picked up Madison's identoplate and looked at it。 He fixed Madison with a wintry eye。
〃So you're a friend of Soltan Gris。 Well； well。 I am Lord Turn。 You can speak freely here。〃
Madison took it that they must be alone but he heard a clank behind him。 The officer was standing against the far wall； keeping an eye on him。
〃I just wanted to make sure he was all right；〃 said Madison； lamely。 〃I want to see him。〃
〃Do you have a Royal order？〃
〃No；〃 said Madison。
〃Then how could you possibly expect to be able to see a prisoner here？〃
〃I am very dose to Lombar Hisst； Spokesman to His Majesty。〃
〃Hmm；〃 said Lord Turn。 〃Tell me。。。 Madison？ Do you know anything of the crimes of Gris？〃
〃Well； sir； I did not e here to testify。 He may… … 〃
〃No； no。 This is not a court you're standing in。 You couldn't testify anyway unless a court was in session。 Let me put this another way。 Do you know Royal Officer Jettero Heller？〃
〃Well； yes； Your Honor… … 〃
〃Your Lordship；〃 corrected the officer fifty feet away。
〃。。。 Your Lordship；〃 said Madison。 〃I do know Jettero Heller。〃
〃Do you know where he is？〃
〃Well； no； Your Hon…Your Lordship。〃
〃Blast！〃 said Lord Turn。
〃I know there's a general warrant out for him；〃 said Madison； 〃and I would be happy to… … 〃
〃General warrant； piffle；〃 said Lord Turn。 〃I am holding his prisoner here。 And I am quite sure that Jettero has a very good reason to put this Soltan Gris in Royal custody。 But I DO wish the lad had given me a note or something to say what Gris has DONE！〃
The conversation had gone all sixes and sevens for Madison。 He realized he could not now say that Gris was a criminal to end all criminals； as he had already said he was his friend； thinking they would let him have visitors。 Maybe they could get him for contempt or lying to a judge。 The cold chill of this stately place was gnawing into him。
〃I'm looking everywhere for Heller myself！〃 he said in a desperate effort to appear helpful。
〃And you haven't found him？〃
〃No； Your Lordship； but I have lines out。〃
Lord Turn looked at him and then barked a short； dry laugh。 He punched a couple of buttons on his desk and a court clerk appeared first； being just next door。
Lord Turn said； 〃This is a man named Madison。 I see what this is all about now。 It's just another crude attempt by Lombar Hisst to bypass all normal procedures。 For some reason； Hisst does not want to produce a Royal warrant or even a Royal pass。 He's sent another man in here to see Gris。〃 He turned to the guard officer。 〃Did you find any poison on this Madison here？〃
〃No； Your Lordship。〃
〃Oh； heavens；〃 said Madison； 〃I wasn't sent here by Hisst！〃
〃You just said you were；〃 said Turn。
〃I just wanted to make sure my friend Gris was all right！〃 wailed Madison。
A warder had e in in response to Turn's second buzz。 He rattled his opening plates。
〃Is the prisoner Gris all right？〃 said Lord Turn to him。
〃Chipper as a songbird； Your Lordship。 Just sitting there all day and half the night dictating his confession。 He's on his third roll of vocoscriber paper。 Singing like a songbird； too； Your Lordship。〃
〃Well； maybe someday we'll know what this is all about；〃 said Turn。 〃That's all； Warder。 Now； Clerk； look at this identoplate。 Stamp it on something。 And leave an order at the gate that this Madison is to be let in if he ever finds where that dear boy Jettero has gotten to。〃
Mistaking this for kindness； Madison said； 〃Could I see Gris for just a moment？〃
〃And；〃 said Lord Turn to his clerk； 〃issue another order for Gris not to be permitted to stand near windows。 I think Hisst is trying to assassinate him。〃 He turned to Madison。 〃Now； as for you； if I find out that you have found out where Jettero Heller is and have NOT told me； I will have you picked up on a judge's order and thrown into a detention cell until you tell me why you withheld the information。〃 He turned to the guard officer。 〃Throw him out！〃
Chapter 4
Madison picked himself up off the pavement； wishing the guards had not taken the order so literally。
Flick kept out of sight until he was sure the gate was closed and then he ran out and； acpanying the limping Madison； tried to brush him off。
〃I told you not to go near that place；〃 said Flick。
Madison didn't like this decline of image。 〃I shouldn't have gone for the guard's saber。 I should have aimed for his windpipe。〃
〃ets！ Well； at least they threw you out instead of in。 Even His Majesty is careful how he orders that lot around。〃
As Madison climbed into the airbus he noticed the sun was almost set。 He had Flick go up a few thousand feet。 He thought hard for a few moments and then suddenly a plan came to him。
He straightened up his clothes； put on a reassuring face and called Teenie。
She answered instantly。 〃That's better！〃 she said。 〃I'm sure；〃 and there was a threatening edge in her voice； 〃that you have good news。 Did you see the （bleepard）？〃
〃Oh； yes；〃 said Madison。 〃And Teenie…I mean； Your Majesty…you would be absolutely boiled over。 I spoke of you and he gave the most insulting laugh I have ever heard。〃
〃WHAT？〃
〃And he leaned back； idly eating grapes…he's getting fat as a pig…and he said； 'Madison； when you see her； give her my best： up her （bleep）！'〃
〃Oh； the （bleepard）。〃
〃Yes； I thought so； too。 They've got him writing his memoirs and he showed me some of them； what he thought were funny passages about you。 He absolutely rolled on the floor with laughter over his own jokes！ Oh； I could have killed him； but the warders were right there and they'd taken away my knife。 Such a crass exhibition of unfeeling callousness； I have never before witnessed in my life。〃
She had gone white as a sheet。
〃He's bragging；〃 continued Madison； 〃of how he led you on just for the pleasure of casting you aside。〃
She was grinding her teeth。 She suddenly snapped； 〃That settles it！〃
Madison went into sudden alarm。 He had overshot his mark。 He had not intended for her to do anything。 His plan was very simple： he would simply begin to try Gris in the press and push it to such a public pitch that the Emperor would have no choice but to issue a Royal order for a trial。 Then； under that guise； he would get Gris to start testifying all sorts of accusations against Heller and he could make these into headlines that would shake the universe。
It was a very good plan。 Just plain straight PR； Earth style； done all the time。 But it required preparation and work and time。 It didn't need any sudden interventions。
Teenie had not gone on speaking。 Madison said； 〃What settles what？〃
〃They're not even going to try him； are they？〃
〃Well； they will if I work on it hard enough。〃
〃Yah？ Well； Madison； you be out here at dawn tomorrow。 I see back of you on this viewer…phone； you've got a new car。 Fuel it up。 We're going to take a trip。〃
Before he could say a word； she had hung up。 It left him in quite a quandary。
That was the trouble with amateurs。 They got ideas。 And ideas from an amateur PR were mostly useless and ideas from Teenie might be very deadly。
He very well recalled the chaos Gris caused。 Everything had been running along well until Gris tried to muscle in on the PR business。 Amateurs just didn't understand the smooth nuances of it。
Madison scanned over his plan again。 It was quite standard and flawless。 Create a public storm around Gris； using the media； and then get the trial itself to create a public storm around Heller。 And even if His Majesty； for some reason； illness or otherwise； didn't stamp an order for the trial； public pressure would make it vital that Lord Turn change his mind。 It would work。
What in Heaven's name was Teenie planning？ It could well wreck everything！ He had only intended to keep her interested！ Not throw her into a stampede of senseless activity！
Oh； he mustn't let this gorgeous victory elude him just when it was beckoning。
He thought of the sad plight of Heller； shivering unknown in some lonely hideout； waiting for Madison to rescue him for posterity。 What a waste of material！
Knowing how to handle Gris and Heller in PR terms was easy。 Handling an almost…woman like Teenie might be quite something else！ What a potential obstruction！
〃Eighteen point；〃 he said； 〃quote Madison on Edge of Cliff。〃
〃What？〃 said Fli