〃I'll get packed。 I'm ing with you。〃
〃That's my pleasure；〃 said Heller。
Shortly after dawn in Afyon； Turkey； Heller； the Countess Krak and Mister Calico debarked from the Air Force plane and got into the waiting Daimler…Benz。
Having left the Countess and the cat at the villa； Heller was shortly afterward sitting across the desk from Faht Bey in his office。
〃Thank Gods you got here；〃 said Faht Bey。 〃I think we're in for trouble。〃 And he passed to Heller a demand despatch from the Apparatus General Staff。
〃It's the Blixo〃 said Faht Bey。 〃She came in last night。〃
〃But the ship must have left a couple days before I made my call on Voltar；〃 said Heller。 〃Nothing had happened there at the time the Blixo departed。 And she wouldn't have picked up anything in passage。 She's just a freighter。〃
〃Well； Gris had couriers that travelled on the Blixo。 Two catamites that alternated。 This one is Odur： we've got him in detention and he's scared to death。 He had that despatch for Gris： at the time； nobody on Voltar suspected that Gris was no longer here。 You better read it。〃
Heller sighed。 A demand order for information was not much to be alarmed about。 He read it：
APPARATUS GENERAL STAFF
To： Soltan Gris
Secondary Executive Section 451
You are hereby and herewith directed to furnish any and all current information on the defenses of the planet Blito…P3； local name； Earth。
You will diligently pile； at once； without delay； numbers of troops and populations to be slaughtered。
You will give us your estimate of potential pockets of resistance that might form and have to be obliterated。
Your viewpoint for the information required shall be the assumption that only Apparatus forces will be used in the all…out assault； so accuracy is mandatory without any allowance made for reserves or reenforcements from Voltar of Apparatus troops。
Authority for this demand is contained in Chief of Apparatus Order 345…nb…456…Blito…P3 attached。
Captain Maulding
Secretary to the General Staff
OFFICIAL
Heller leafed over to the next sheet：
EXTERIOR DIVISION
CHIEF OF APPARATUS
To： General Staff； Apparatus
345…nb…456…Blito…P3
It has been determined that forces are internally at work on reference planet inimical to our interests。
If at any time the supply of opium； heroin or amphetamines ceases to arrive from reference planet； you are to withdraw all Apparatus forces from the Calabar revolt and proceed forthwith to reference planet Blito…P3 and launch a full…scale Class One assault； destroying its defenses and populations but taking care to preserve only the inhabitants of Afyon； Turkey； and that opium…producing area and the I。 G。 Barben factory plexes in New Jersey； United States。
Ignore the Invasion Schedule。
Plan without cooperation of the Army or Fleet。
This is your highest priority。 Get it in the planning stage at once。
LOMBAR HISST
Chief of Apparatus
OFFICIAL
〃Well；〃 said Heller； 〃you have been holding ining freighters； but as of this moment； since not enough time has elapsed for him to know they will not return； he isn't aware of any curtailment of shipment。 This planning… … 〃
〃You better talk to the man we're holding in the next room； sir。〃 Faht Bey pushed a buzzer。
Captain Bolz was brought in by two guards。 His hairy chest was heaving with indignation。
〃Bolz；〃 said Faht Bey； 〃this is Royal Officer Jettero Heller； a bat engineer of the Fleet operating on his own cognizance and therefore officially。 You had better tell him what you told us。〃
〃I got plenty to say！〃 roared Bolz。 〃As a blasted Royal officer； I know you can have me exterminated； but I'm going to have my say anyway！ I e in here； innocent as a virgin； doing my duty as an Apparatus freighter captain； two days ahead of schedule after a petent passage and what do I find？ A whole base wearing Fleet insignia！ An order putting my ship under detention！ I think you've all gone crazy！〃
〃Quite likely；〃 said Heller。 〃And I am sorry for any inconvenience。 Now； what was this information you had？〃
Bolz lost a lot of his glare。 He looked down at his big feet and shifted them unfortably。 〃Well； these fellows here know well enough that I was carrying contraband Scotch whisky and they probably already told you。 A captain that never gets paid has to have a little profit… … 〃
〃The information；〃 said Heller firmly。
〃Well； I didn't have room for a cargo of I。 G。 Barben amphetamines once I had the whisky aboard； so I left them in the storeroom here。〃
〃And when you arrived on Voltar somebody noticed it？〃 said Heller。
〃The amphetamines were on the manifest；〃 said Bolz； 〃but they weren't aboard。 I happen to know that Hisst always checks the drug shipments against the manifests； because every time I try to pinch a little cargo； he has appeared personally to scream。〃
〃Then there has already been a cessation of shipment；〃 said Heller； looking back at the Apparatus General Staff order。 〃Now； where is this catamite？〃
Faht Bey led the way down the tunnels and they came at length to the detention cell。
There sat Oh Dear； his pretty； made…up face streaked with tears。 He recognized； from Voltar press photos of yesteryear； Jettero Heller。 〃Oh；〃 he sobbed。 〃A Royal officer。 I have one request before you kill me： take the magic mail card back so they don't kill my mother。〃
〃You're not going to be killed；〃 said Heller with a trace of disgust。 〃All I want from you is any other information you might have had for Gris。〃
〃Where is Gris？〃
〃Apparently dead；〃 said Heller。
〃Not really？〃 said Oh Dear。 〃Oh； what utterly marvelous news。 Oh； I just can't wait to tell Too…Too！ We'll have a celebration party！ I'll buy ribbons… … 〃
〃The information；〃 said Heller。
〃That the General Staff despatch was very urgent；〃 said Oh Dear； 〃and that I was to keep Gris up day and night to pile it and that I was to return with it。〃
Faht Bey said to Heller； 〃That means at least three months until they hit。 Six weeks going back； six weeks for the Apparatus invasion fleet to arrive here。 Add the time it takes them to assemble and board。〃
Heller said to Oh Dear； 〃Is that everything you had？〃
〃There was a message that Gris was assured he'd be the next Chief of the Apparatus only if there was no halt in drugs。〃
〃A promotion？〃 said Heller。 〃But Hisst is the Chief of Apparatus。〃
〃Well； you see； the plan is that Hisst will be moving up to Emperor。 Any time now。 And that's all I had； I swear it。〃
He was too shaking…scared not to be believed。
As Heller left he saw the Countess Krak at the end of the corridor。 She was ing out of the cell that still held Utanc…Colonel Gaylov。
〃Dear；〃 said Heller； 〃your woman's intuition seems to have been right。 The Apparatus has a plan on foot to use its own forces to smash this planet。 Hisst is crazy insane。〃
〃Then we've got to get off it right away；〃 said the Countess。 〃We and you…know…who must not be here when they crack it up。〃
〃And waste all the work I've been doing for a year？〃 said Heller。 〃This is a nice planet。〃
〃Opinions differ；〃 said the Countess Krak。 〃Psychology； psychiatry； perversions beyond belief and a population that doesn't even raise its voice when some nut like Rockecenter is ruining it。 It's not worth saving； Jettero。 We'd better get a move on。〃
〃We've got time；〃 said Faht Bey。 〃It will take more than three months for them to make the voyages and hit the place。〃
Heller shook his head。 〃How long ago did you stop the first freighter？〃
〃Oh； that's been about four weeks now；〃 said Faht Bey。
〃Then they will know for sure； within a couple weeks； that it didn't e back。 But it was Bolz that triggered it。 You haven't got three months。 You may not even have five days。〃
〃What are we going to do？〃 said Faht Bey。 〃When they find out we stopped the drugs； they'll slaughter us to a man and go right on with their invasion。 We won't have anything left to stand on even if they miss us。〃
〃Steady； steady；〃 said Heller。 〃I admit this is quite a problem。 We've got to make sure Prahd's patient is secure； we've got to move this base and we've got to safeguard this planet。〃
〃What？〃 said the Countess Krak。 〃Try to stand off the whole Apparatus fighting force？ Please； Jettero； please。 Don't try to save this planet！〃
〃I'll e up with something；〃 said Heller。 〃And make no mistake。