？〃
The general sagged。 〃They'll court…martial me！〃
Heller shook his head。 〃We don't want to end your career。 We won't say anything if you don't。〃
〃God bless you； Lieutenant！〃 said the general。 〃Just tell me what I can do for you。〃
〃You can have them bring those two men you are holding back into the office。 We weren't finished with them yet。〃
The general sprinted off。
Heller carried the body into the office and laid it on the couch。
Bang…Bang swung the heavy case up and put it on the desk。 Heller came over and put his ear against it； twiddling the bination。 Presently there was a click。 He opened the cover。
The label said it was fireproof and waterproof and it must be true。 The papers inside were all dry。 Heller ruffled them to make sure they were all present。
A dry； rasping voice sounded at the door。 〃I think that you will need me。 I'm a lawyer without a client。〃 Bury！ His head was all swathed in bandages； his prune face very solemn。
Heller stared at him。 〃You aren't dead then。 You were even conscious when he fired you！〃
〃Of course I was conscious。 But you didn't think I was going to go up against you again； did you？ Anybody who can live through J。 Walter Madison is unkillable！〃
〃So you're the one who put him on to me！〃 said Heller。
〃Worse than that；〃 said Bury。 〃I'm the one that relayed Rockecenter's orders to kill you when you were born。〃
〃You criminal！〃 said Heller。
〃Well； let me put it this way； Junior。 I am a Wall Street lawyer。 The client is dead： Long live the heirs。〃
〃You don't keep your word！〃 said Heller。
〃A Wall Street lawyer only keeps his word to his client； Junior。 That's the legal profession。 But you need me。 You need my firm。 The lines are intricate。 For instance； I can handle Faustino。〃
Heller said； 〃He's probably just now passing through Hell Nine unless they let him live。〃
〃Ah；〃 said Bury； 〃then who is the capo di tutti capi？〃
Heller said； 〃Babe Corleone。〃
〃Well； it will sure raise hell with I。 G。 Barben Pharmaceutical。 Mrs。 Corleone is death on drugs。 But we can convert the firm to something legitimate。 Long live Babe Corleone！ Now； on this client thing； what do you say； Junior？〃
〃I could kick your bloody head in！〃 said Heller。
Bury felt his skull。 〃You already did。〃
They suddenly both broke out laughing； Bury with his 〃Heh； heh； heh！〃
Just then Izzy and Twoey walked in。
Izzy couldn't believe his eyes。 〃Oy； what's this？〃
〃Bury knows where all the skeletons are buried；〃 said Heller。 〃I think we just hired the firm of Swindle and Crouch。〃
〃Wait； wait！〃 said Bury。 〃There's a codicil to this。〃
Heller looked at him suspiciously。
Bury said； 〃You have quite a bit of unfinished Rockecenter business hanging around。 But two of them I want free rein with： one is Miss Agnes…known to the world as Dr。 Morelay； a psychiatrist。 The other is Miss Peace。〃
Heller shrugged。 〃I suppose it's all right。〃
〃Even if I take them to see the Snake House in the Bronx Zoo？〃 said Bury。
Twoey spoke up。 〃Zoos is very educational。 Sounds fine to me。〃
Bury said； 〃Oh； good。 White mice are so dear these days！ So that settles it。 My firm and I are retained。〃
Bury walked over to the open case and pulled out handfuls of papers under Heller's watchful eye。 〃Why did you so tamely sign these two quitclaims？〃 he asked Heller。
Izzy was hovering near now。 〃Mr。 Jet owns all the panies anyway。 I just never put his name on anything because of you。〃
Bury shied the two quitclaims at the trash can。 〃If it was your intention for your brother to own everything； it takes quite a different form。 But it would just snarl up probate。 Forget it。〃 He picked up the 49…percent oil…stock transfer to Rockecenter and threw it in the trash can。 〃It would just add to the inheritance tax。 Why transfer it away when it's ing right back to you？〃 He selected out the document which gave Rockecenter 49 percent of the 180 billion being made on the sell options。 He threw that in the trash can。 〃Just more inheritance tax； a thing we must avoid。 And as for all this money breaking the American banking system； you own all the banks now and all the money as well； so there's no rupture of the economy。 Now； as for this patent transfer； forget those； too。 Just keep on owning them and keep them out of probate court。 The trust fund is now yours； so no problem。 The important thing here is the will。 And it is not correct。〃
They all stared at him。
Bury looked toward the door。 〃Wills are seldom notarized。 They're witnessed and this lacks two witnesses。 I see two privates over there who came in just as Rockecenter finished signing it。 Is that right； boys？〃
Two of the men who had fetched Izzy and Twoey nodded。 They stepped forward。 Bury held a pen at them。 〃So if you fellows will just put your John Henrys on this document； it's all legal。〃
The two privates signed it。
〃So that's all legal；〃 said Bury。 〃And that's that。〃
〃No； it isn't！〃 said Heller。 〃There's the matter of the war！〃
〃Oh； if you want to get into petty details；〃 said Bury。 He signalled the officer nearby to clear the room。 When that was done； he went to the red phone on the desk and lifted it。 He got put through to the president of the United States。 〃Mr。 President？ This is Bury of Swindle and Crouch。。。。 No； it won't be necessary for you to chase up to Philadelphia to the Swillerberger Conference this evening。 I'm ordering it called off。。。。 Well； yes； Mr。 President； there's been a slight change of plans。 Please cancel the emergency mobilization。。。。 Yes； and also tell Congress they don't have to declare a war。 We've got all the Maysabongo oil already and the refineries will be back in operation in a few days； I understand。。。。 Well； probably Maysabongo is upset； Mr。 President。 Have Congress vote them a few billion in foreign aid。。。。 You will？ That's fine； Mr。 President。。。。 Oh； I'm sorry； sir。 But I can't give your best wishes to Delbert John Rockecenter； Senior。。。。 Well； yes； sir。 Something did happen to him。 He fell in the swimming pool and drowned。。。。 Oh； yes； we've got it all under control； Mr。 President。 His two sons are right here； they're of age and Rockecenter willed them everything。 It's all quite routine。。。。 Yes。 I'm following their orders right now； sir。。。。 Yes； I'll convey to them your best wishes。。。。 No； they won't forget contributions to your reelection campaign。。。。 Well； that's fine； Mr。 President。。。。 Thank you； sir。 But sir； do you mind if I ring off now？ I've got to call IRS and tell them to suspend inheritance taxes in this instance。。。。 Well； I'm sure you will； sir。 Good…bye。〃
Bury called the Internal Revenue Service and then called Philadelphia to cancel the conference。
Heller； on another phone； located Miss Simmons and told her how splendidly she had done and would she please call her antinuclear marchers off around the world； as he had a firm promise from the oil panies to decontaminate the plants。
〃We have won； then！〃 she cried。 〃Oh； I am eternally grateful to you； Wister。 What joy you are bringing to me and all the world！〃
Izzy； on yet another phone； was catching bank presidents and brokers at home and making sure both sets of options would be exercised。
Bury pushed some buzzers； routing out the domestic staff from where they had been in hiding ever since the arrival of the National Guard。
A scared butler came in。 Bury pointed at the body on the couch。 He said； 〃Take that body to the local mortuary。 Tell them to file a death certificate and fix the corpse up。 It'll just be a family funeral。 Nobody will mourn anyway。〃 He turned to Heller。 〃He didn't have a friend in all the world。 Not even me。 All he had was money。〃
Heller looked down at the body。 It was staring fisheyed at the ceiling。 Delbert John Rockecenter； Senior； the man who had wrecked hundreds of millions of lives and had almost wrecked the planet； was very； very dead。 No； nobody would mourn。
Chapter 5
〃If he has also harmed Rockecenter；〃 said Lombar Hisst； 〃I will tear the universe apart to find and kill him！〃 The Royal officer's baton that he held in his hands and inspected was no weapon in itself： it was just a ceremonial rod of the kind presented to Royal officers by families or friends when a top…level Academy graduate was elevated to that coveted status of trust and favor。 This one was bent as though it had