〃We got the old ones running。 Two more have been stopped here。 Five freighters。〃
〃Good。 That's enough。 Disassemble the base and load it and all personnel。 Break your neck and be ready to go as soon as possible。〃
〃It will take days；〃 said Faht Bey。
〃I hope not；〃 said Heller。 〃If we do this right and we are quick； we can save this planet。〃
Chapter 4
There seemed； suddenly； to be a thousand details to what had looked like a simple undertaking。 Family connections who had been unaware of extraterrestrial husbands and domestic connections who had never known who their employers really were had to be cared for somehow； at least decently set up in life。 Faht Bey remarked that the Apparatus would simply have killed them and then hastily said he was just menting； when he saw Heller's look。
The New York office had to be shut down and its personnel hauled back。
Heller found out from Prahd that there was now a lot of trained Earth staff； including doctors； and that made up Heller's mind。 He phoned Mudur Zengin at the Piastre National Bank。
〃Make up papers；〃 Heller said； 〃transferring amounts which have been scheduled for 'pany maintenance； Afyon' over to 'hospital and disease…eradication use。' Make them up so they stay in effect pending any cancellation from me。〃
〃That's an awful lot of money for health；〃 said Zengin。
〃We're earmarking a good chunk of it for drug rehabilitation；〃 said Heller。
〃That's a big job；〃 said Zengin。
〃Right。 Maybe we can undo some of the damage that's been done。 Would it be asking too much to fly the papers down here？〃
〃Not at all；〃 said Zengin。 〃I'll e myself。〃
Krak got hold of Heller。 〃That Russian spy colonel is still sitting there in his cell。 You were holding him in case they needed more when they tried Gris。 Remember？〃
〃Well； he hasn't got a country anymore；〃 said Heller。 〃He can't be very dangerous。 Put a hypnohelmet on him and suppress his memory of the base and let him go。〃
〃It's not that simple；〃 said the Countess。 〃There's the two little boys he corrupted。 They're caving in； nobody can do a thing with them。 I had an idea。 France has been exporting an awful lot of drugs。〃
〃What's that got to do with Colonel Gaylov？〃 said Heller。 〃He was also exporting heroin。 From here。 To keep the international KGB network running。〃
〃Well； those that mit crimes like that；〃 said the Countess Krak； 〃will often turn pletely around and campaign against such deeds。 What I want to do is send Colonel Gaylov to France with the two little boys。〃
〃You must be awfully mad at France。 They'd corrupt the whole nation！〃
〃No； I don't think so；〃 said the Countess。 〃You see； I've been talking to the colonel and he's absolutely spinning with the glory of it。〃
〃Of what？〃
〃To show up in France and use the old KGB network to convince everybody he's the reincarnation of Joan of Arc。 I didn't even touch the helmet。 He's sure he can be the greatest Joan of Arc that ever lived！〃
Heller gave her a sizable draft on the Grabbe…Manhattan Bank in Paris； to be paid out to Gaylov； month by month for years。
When she put him and the two boys on the plane the following morning； there was a holy gleam in ex…Utanc's eye。 Standing there in a silver travelling gown； he/she said； 〃You are an angel and I bless the day I met you。 I can in truth say that I was visited by the Lord of Hosts on high。 France is about to bee the holiest and most drugless place on Earth。〃 And they were gone。
Handling Babe was not quite as happy an occasion for Heller。
He got her on the phone and said； 〃Mrs。 Corleone； I'm terribly sorry to have to cancel out on the wedding you had planned for the cathedral next month。〃
Babe； startled； said； 〃She's left you？〃
〃Oh； no；〃 said Heller。 〃It's just that things got pretty urgent。〃
〃Oh； I get it。 You're going to pull a fast justice of the peace before those nine months and the stork catches up with you。 Well； all right； son； Mama understands。 Just don't forget to name the baby Giuseppe after 'Holy Joe' if it's a boy； or Alma Maria after me if it's a girl。 And get that beautiful countess into bed and resting as soon as you're hitched and you leave her alone until she delivers。 You hear me now； Jerome； and don't interrupt。 You're not doing me out of a grandchild； do you hear？〃
〃Yes； Mrs。 Corleone。〃
〃And can this 'Mrs。 Corleone' stuff。 You can't soft…soap your own mother。 Get that girl to the justice of the peace quick； you hear me？〃
〃Yes； ma'am。〃
〃All right； then。 And e back when the coast is clear and she can be seen in public again。 You're a dear
boy； Jerome； but you sure as hell take a lot of guidance。 Keep your nose clean； kid。〃 There was an audible sniff。 〃I got to run off now； something's in my eyes。 Bye…bye； son。〃
Heller's own eyes； as he hung up； were wet。 He doubted that he would ever see her again。
Chapter 5
Regulations required that an installation on a foreign planet could not be abandoned without being destroyed。 There were many reasons for this： included amongst them was the misuse of such a base for piracy and smuggling。
Jettero Heller； as a petent bat engineer； did a petent job of setting it up。 He used metal…disintegrator mines。 These； inserted near connection boxes and along conduits； would cause an atomic shift of heavier metals to silica： with a surge of enormous heat from the converted atoms； every piece of metal that prised the hangar area would bee sand。 This meant that the tension…beam boxes would go and the twist and stresses in the rocks that had been restrained through a thousand earthquakes would no longer be braked。 The result would be a furious flash of fire and then a wall collapse。 It would simply appear that an earthquake had caused the mountain to collapse into an unsuspected fissure。
He attached the fuses to a central firing box and this he triggered to a remote control。
〃Bolz；〃 he said to the captain of the Blixo； 〃I am going to have to trust you。 You will not join the Fleet。 Your cargo will not arrive until the day after we are gone。 When you have loaded and exited spaceward； your last act must be to push this button。〃 And he gave him the very small box。
〃What will happen？〃 said Bolz。
〃Well； don't experiment；〃 said Heller。 〃The Blixo had better be up there a couple miles when you do it。 Every piece of metal in this hangar will disintegrate。 A human body contains a lot of iron and anybody standing around will also bee sand。 So don't leave anybody in here。〃
Bolz looked at the remote。 〃It doesn't have a safety catch。〃
〃Why should it？〃 said Heller。 〃You'll find it pretty hard to push。 It won't go off by accident。 But my order to you is don't delay in having here。 And when you do； push it。〃
Bolz smiled quietly to himself： not only would it not go off by accident； it would not go off at all。 Contrabanding was too lucrative； he was being rich； he could buy an old space tub； retire from the Apparatus and smuggle to his heart's content。 〃All right；〃 he said； 〃I'll be glad to do you this favor in return for my liberty and life。 You have my word on it； Officer Heller。〃 And he put the remote in his pocket。
They were almost ready now。 The freighters were loaded with every piece of repair equipment and supplies they could salvage。 They had even dismantled the line…jumper and stowed it in a hold。 The thousand details were ing to an end。 It was the evening of the third day。
Heller called Izzy； Bang…Bang and Twoey and told them guardedly that he had to take a trip and rang off quickly so that they would not suspect this 〃little trip〃 was forever。
According to arrangements with Prahd； an ambulance brought Cling the Lofty in the fluid container with all connections active。 The Emperor was still unconscious。 The tub was masked by an opaque cover and no one could see who was in it。
The tug was in the deepest recess of the overcrowded hangar。
Heller got hold of Bolz and Oh Dear。 Without seeming to do so； he positioned them so they could see the fluid container with an unidentified being in it being loaded aboard the tug。
〃Odur；〃 said Heller to the catamite； 〃you are a courier。 I have something for you that must arrive in no other hands than those of Lombar Hisst。〃 He produced a triple…sealed packet。
Oh Dear stared at it； unwilling to touch it。 He was stunned at this irregularity。 So