Oh Dear stared at it； unwilling to touch it。 He was stunned at this irregularity。 Something from Royal Officer Heller to Hisst who was his bitterest enemy？
〃Take it；〃 said Heller。 〃Do not tamper with the seals or he will suspect you have opened it。 And if he suspects that； he may very well kill you when he reads it。〃
〃Oh； no！〃 shivered Oh Dear。 〃I don't want to take it if it's that dangerous！〃
〃Well；〃 said Heller； 〃I'm very afraid that you would find it very dangerous not to take it。 If Hisst found out you had it and didn't deliver it； then he certainly would kill you。〃
Oh Dear let out a small scream。 But he took hold of the packet； holding it like it was burning his fingers。
Heller pointed up to where Prahd was carefully getting the fluid tub into the tug airlock。 〃Also； you and
Bolz should both notice the fact that a sick person is being put aboard the Prince Caucalsia with a doctor in attendance。〃
The significance of it did not register with either one。 But they dutifully noted it。
The Countess Krak came out of the tunnel from the villa； pushing mounds of luggage and boxes on a cart。 The hangar crew who had been handling the fluid container with Prahd assisted her in loading them。
Heller； going over to give her a hand up the ladder； suddenly stopped。 〃What's that yowling？〃
〃I don't hear anything；〃 said the Countess Krak。
〃Lady； what are you up to？〃 said Heller。
〃It's just the cat。〃
〃We've only got one cat。 It can't be making that much noise。〃
〃Jettero； you are cruel。 You expected poor Mister Calico to go all the way off to Voltar and leave Earth forever without a lady friend。〃
Heller looked at the boxes now being swung into the airlock。 〃A lady friend？ But that sounds like more than two cats。〃
〃Lady friends； then。 It just accidentally happened that Mudur Zengin brought down half a dozen female calico cats yesterday。 There's also a couple of males。 You wouldn't want them getting inbred； would you？ But if you don't like the yowling； maybe I can teach them to sing。 Good。 I knew you would agree。〃 And she went on up the ladder。
Heller shook his head over the cargo he was carrying。 An Emperor； a cellologist and nine cats。
He walked across the jammed spaceship hangar： made for five freighters； it now held six and the tug。 A knot of officers that carefully excluded Bolz was waiting for him。 They were the captains of the five ships and Faht Bey。
Heller motioned for them to bring their heads in close。 〃Your rendezvous point is coordinates 678…N/567B/ 978R。 Write it down。 678…N/567B/978R。〃 He watched while they did so。 〃It is a seven…week voyage。 I will be five days on the way so I will land and make arrangements and then e out to the rendezvous point in space and guide you in。〃
〃Sir；〃 said one of the captains； 〃these coordinates are on the edge of the star Glar。 I have to inform you that there is war in that area。〃
〃I know；〃 said Heller。 〃That is where we are going。 The Confederacy is under the control of Lombar Hisst； the safest place we can go is to take sanctuary under Prince Mortiiy on Calabar。〃
A shock went through them。
〃We will be wele； I think；〃 said Heller； 〃because we carry repair tools； technicians and men。 Mortiiy has managed to hold out for five years。 The Apparatus is the only force pressing the attack there。 Calabar is an awfully big planet。〃
〃Sir；〃 said another captain； 〃there must be some other reason。〃
〃Well； yes there is；〃 said Heller。 〃I have reason to believe that if Lombar Hisst knows I have gone there； he will mit all his forces to the attack of Calabar。〃
〃Is there some benefit in this？〃 said Faht Bey。
〃Yes；〃 said Heller。 〃He will not then attack Earth。 You have a right to know that the reason we are going there is to save this planet。〃
They looked at him doubtfully。 Then one said； 〃Maybe you figure he will whittle down all his forces throwing them against Calabar。〃
〃That he will；〃 said Heller。 〃Unless something happens to sour my relations with the Fleet and Army； neither one will cooperate in what they will consider to be an insanity…full…scale war just to get hold of me。 But I don't want to seem to have such a grandiose idea of my own importance。 I happen to have something Hisst wants very badly。 He'll e for us； all right； and unless by some fluke he gets Fleet and Army help； he'll shatter himself against the hundred…thousand…foot peaks of Calabar。〃
〃Well； we've all wanted to get out of the Apparatus and be free men again；〃 said another captain； 〃and we're willing to work for the chance。 But how will Hisst know that you have gone to Calabar？〃
〃That's why we didn't seize the Blixo；〃 said Heller。 〃I just gave the courier on it a letter to Lombar Hisst。 I told him what I have。 And I told him we would be waiting for him on Calabar。 He'll go crazy and throw in everything he's got。 And； without help from the other services； that will be the end of Lombar Hisst。〃
They grinned suddenly。 They rushed off to their ships。
One by one Heller watched them as the spaceships shot up into the night。
Heller waved a hand to the captain of the Blixo； 〃Be sure you have a good passage to Voltar！〃 he shouted。 He went into the tug's airlock； closed it and sent the Prince Caucalsia spaceward ho！
Chapter 6
Captain Bolz smiled and scratched his hairy chest。 The hangar and base； empty now of everything except the Blixo； had ceased to exist as an extension of Apparatus authority。 He had his own plans。
In his cabin he got dressed in Western clothes。 He put a wad of Turkish lira in his wallet。 A frightened Oh Dear stared at him。
〃We're supposed to wait for our cargo and go；〃 said Oh Dear。 〃I'm certain Officer Heller is right。 If I don't deliver this and Hisst finds I have not； I'll be dead。〃
〃To Hells with Officer Heller；〃 said Bolz。 〃They left that Daimler…Benz in the yard of the villa。 Even that old driver with the funny laugh is still hanging around。 I'm going out there； stop him from stealing the car and go on up to Istanbul and see my friend the widow。〃
Bolz stopped to give his mate orders to pick up the cargo when it arrived by air and load it and then； with a jaunty air despite his bulk； went out and found Ters who； for a consideration； was shortly rolling him in luxury through the night to Istanbul。
Throughout the entirety of the next day； a frightened Oh Dear waited。 He hardly concerned himself with the arrival of the cargo when it was brought in by the mate and crew from the airport in the afternoon。 Oh Dear conceived that Bolz might be deserting and this would leave him captainless and unable to get back to Voltar。 He didn't speak a single Earth language： he saw himself stranded。
Dusk came； the light vanishing above the electronic illusion。 No Bolz。 If he had been there； they could leave in an hour。
The upper hole in the mountain went black。 The hours dragged。 Oh Dear began to be afraid of the hangar。 It was so empty that his footfalls as he paced scared him with their echoes。 He began to get the idea that the place was peopled now with ghosts。
Midnight came and went。 One o'clock took forever to arrive。 The digitals of his watch seemed to be motionless and refusing to move onward toward two。 Then it became two and then two…thirty。
A loud sound somewhere made Oh Dear scream。
It was Bolz。
He had brought a truckload of counterfeit Scotch。 He got his crew out and they got it aboard。
Bolz was himself pretty drunk and considerably smeared with lipstick。
It was three o'clock in the morning when the captain finally began to mount the ladder to the airlock as the last one aboard。
There was an abrupt roar overhead。
Wonderingly； thinking a freighter might have e back； Bolz got down off the ladder and stared up at the hole through the mountaintop。
He froze。
The black tail of a warship was sliding in！
Plain upon it was the symbol that looked like a fanged snake。 And some letters！
THE 243RD DEATH BATTALION！
The hulk； too big for this hangar； came down with bristling guns。 It hit the floor with a thud。
A hundred black…uniformed men poured out of the six locks； blastrifles ready！
Bolz； too shocked to move； was instantly seized。
A squad raced into the Blixo。
Shortly the whole crew of the freighter and Oh Dear were being prodded down the ladder to the hangar floor。
Bolz couldn't register wh