XII
Hoddan stopped off at Krim by landing grid, to consult his lawyers. Hefelt a certain amount of hope of good results from his raid on Walden,but he was desperate about Nedda. Once she was confident of her safetyunder his protection, she took over the operation of the spaceship. Shedisplayed an overwhelming saccharinity that was appalling. She wassweetness and light among criminals who respectfully did not harm her,and she sweetened and lightened the atmosphere of the space yacht untilHoddan's followers were close to mutiny.
"It ain't that I mind her being a nice girl," one of his mustachioedDarthians explained almost tearfully to Hoddan, "but she wants to make anice girl out of me!"
Hoddan, himself, cringed from her society. He could gladly have put herashore on Krim with ample funds to return to Walden. But she wasprettily, reproachfully helpless. If he did put her ashore, she wouldconfide her kidnaping and the lovely behavior of the pirates untilnobody would believe in them any more--which would be fatal.
He went to his lawyers, brooding. The news astounded him. The emigrantfleet had appeared over Krim on the way to Walden. Before it appeared,Hoddan's affairs had been prosperous enough. Right after his previousvisit, news had come of the daring piratical raid which captured a shipoff Walden. This was the liner Hoddan'd brought in to Krim. Allmerchants and ship owners immediately insured all vessels and goods inspace transit at much higher valuations. The risk-insurance stocksbought on Hoddan's account had multiplied in value. Obeying hisinstructions, his lawyers had sold them out and held a pleasing fortunein trust for Hoddan.
Then came the fleet over Krim, with its letter threatening planetarydestruction if resistance was offered to single ships which would landand loot later on. It seemed that all commerce was at the mercy of spacemarauders. Risk-insurance companies had undertaken to indemnify theowners of ships and freight in emptiness. Now that an unprecedentedpirate fleet ranged and doubtless ravaged the skyways, the insurancecompanies ought to go bankrupt. Owners of stock in them dumped it at anyprice to get rid of it. In accordance with Hoddan's instructions,though, his lawyers had faithfully if distastefully bought it in. To useup the funds available, they had to buy up not only all the stock of allthe risk-insurance companies of Krim, but all stock in all off-planetcompanies owned by investors on Krim.
Then time passed, and ships in space arrived unmolested in port. Cargoeswere delivered intact. Insurers observed that the risk-insurancecompanies had not collapsed and could still pay off if necessary. Theycontinued their insurance. Risk companies appeared financially soundonce more. They had more business than ever, and no more claims thanusual. Suddenly their stocks went up--or rather, what people werewilling to pay for them went up, because Hoddan had forbidden the saleof any stock after the pirate fleet appeared.
Now he asked hopefully if he could reimburse the owners of the ship he'dcaptured off Walden. He could. Could he pay them even the profit they'dhave made between the loss of their ship and the arrival of areplacement? He could. Could he pay off the shippers of Rigellian fursand jewelry from the Cetis stars, and the owners of the bulk _melacynth_that had brought so good a price on Krim? He could. In fact, he had. Theinsurance companies he now owned lock, stock, and barrel had alreadypaid the claims on the ship and its cargo, and it would be ratherofficious to add to that reimbursement.
Hoddan was abruptly appalled. He insisted on a bonus being paid,regardless, which his lawyers had some trouble finding a legal fictionto fit. Then he brooded over his position. He wasn't a business man. Hehadn't expected to make out so well. He'd thought to have to labor foryears, perhaps, to make good the injury he'd done the ship owners andmerchants in order to help the emigrants from Colin. But it was alldone, and here he was with a fortune and the framework of a burgeoningfinancial empire. He didn't like it.
Gloomily, he explained matters to his attorneys. They pointed out thathe had a duty, an obligation, from the nature of his unexpected success.If he let things go, now, the currently thriving business of riskinsurance would return to its former unimportance. His companies hadtaken on extra help. More bookkeepers and accountants worked for himthis week than last. More mail clerks, secretaries, janitors andscrubwomen. Even more vice presidents! He would administer a seriousblow to the economy of Krim if he caused a slackening of employment byletting his companies go to pot. A slackening of employment would causea drop in retail trade, an increase in inventories, a depression inindustry....
Hoddan thought gloomily of his grandfather. He'd written to the oldgentleman and the emigrant fleet would have delivered the letter. Hecouldn't disappoint his grandfather!
He morbidly accepted his attorneys' advice, and they arrangedimmediately to take over the forty-first as well as the forty-secondand-third floors of the building their offices were in. Commerce wouldmarch on.
* * * * *
And Hoddan headed for Darth. He had to return his crew, and there wassomething else. Several something elses. He arrived in that solar-systemand put his yacht in a search-orbit, listening for the call-signal thespaceboat should give for him to home on. He found it, deep within thegravity-field of Darth. He maneuvered to come alongside, and there wasblinding light everywhere. Alarms rang. Lights went out. Instrumentsregistered impossibilities, the rockets fired crazily, and the wholeship reeled. Then a voice roared out of the communicator:
"_Stand and deliver! Surrender and y'll be allowed to go to ground. Butif y'even hesitate I'll hull ye and heave ye out to space without aspacesuit!_"
Hoddan winced. Stray sparks had flown about everywhere inside the spaceyacht. A ball lightning bolt, even of only warning size, makes thingsuncomfortable when it strikes. Hoddan's fingers tingled as if they'dbeen asleep. He threw on the transmitter switch and said annoyedly:
"Hello, grandfather. This is Bron. Have you been waiting for me long?"
He heard his grandfather swear disgustedly. Not long later, a badlybattered, blackened, scuffed old spacecraft came rolling up onrocket-impulse and stopped with a billowing of rocket fumes. Hoddanthrew a switch and used the landing grid field he'd used on Walden inanother fashion. The ships came together with fine precision,lifeboat-tube to lifeboat-tube. He heard his grandfather swear inamazement.
"That's a little trick I worked out, grandfather," said Hoddan into thetransmitter. "Come aboard. I'll pass it on."
His grandfather presently appeared, scowling and suspicious. His eyesshrewdly examined everything, including the loot tucked in everyavailable space. He snorted.
"All honestly come by," said Hoddan morbidly. "It seems I've got alicense to steal. I'm not sure what to do with it."
His grandfather stared at a placard on the wall. It said archly:"_Remember! A Lady is Present!_" Nedda had put it up.
"Hm-m-m!" said his grandfather. "What's a woman doing on a pirate ship?That's what your letter talked about!"
"They get on," said Hoddan, wincing, "like mice. You've had mice on aship, haven't you? Come in the control room and I'll explain."
He did explain, up to the point where his arrangements to pay back for aship and cargo he'd given away turned into a runaway success, and now hewas responsible for the employment of innumerable bookkeepers and clerksand such in the insurance companies he'd come to own. There was also thefact that as the emigrant fleet went on, some fifty more planets in allwould require the attention of pirate ships from time to time, or therewould be disillusionment and injury to the economic system.
"Organization," said his grandfather, "does wonders for a tenderconscience like you've got. What else?"
Hoddan explained the matter of his Darthian crew. Don Loris mightaffect to consider them disgraced because they hadn't cut his throat.Hoddan had to take care of the matter. And there was Nedda.... Fani cameinto the story somehow, too. Hoddan's grandfather grunted, at the end.
"We'll go down and talk to this Don Loris," he said pugnaciously. "I'vedealt with his kind before. While we're down, your Cousin Oliver'll takea look at this new grid-field job. We'll p
ut it on my ship. Hm-m-m--howabout the time down below? Never land long after daybreak. Early in themorning, people ain't at their best."
Hoddan looked at Darth, rotating deliberately below him.
"It's not too late, sir," he said. "Will you follow me down?"
His grandfather nodded briskly, took another comprehensive look at theloot from Walden, and crawled back through the tube to his own ship.
* * * * *
So it was not too long after dawn, in that time-zone, when a sentry onthe battlements of Don Loris' castle felt a shadow over his head. Hejumped a foot and stared upward. Then his hair stood up on end andalmost threw his steel helmet off. He stared, unable to move a muscle.
There was a ship above him. It was not a large ship, but he could notjudge of such matters. It was not supported by rockets. It should havebeen falling horribly to smash him under its weight. It wasn't. Instead,it floated on with very fine precision, like a ship being landed bygrid, and settled delicately to the ground some fifty yards from thebase of the castle wall.
Immediately thereafter there was a muttering roar. It grew to a howl--abellow; it became thunder. It increased from that to a noise sostupendous that it ceased altogether to be heard, and was only felt as adeep-toned battering at one's chest. When it ended there was a secondship resting in the middle of a very large scorched place close by thefirst.
Neither of these ships was a spaceboat. The silently landed vessel,which was the smaller of the two, was several times the sizes of theonly spacecraft ever seen on Darth outside the spaceport. Its design wassomehow suggestive of a yacht. The other, larger, ship was blunt andsoiled and space-worn, with patches on its plating here and there.
A landing ramp dropped down from the battered craft. It neatly spannedthe scorched and still-smoking patch of soil. A port opened. Men cameout, following a jaunty small figure with belligerent gray whiskers.They dragged an enigmatic object behind them.
Hoddan came out of the yacht. His grandfather said waspishly:
"This the castle?"
He waved at the massive pile of cut gray stone, with walls twenty feetthick and sixty high.
"Yes, sir," said Hoddan.
"Hm-m-m," snorted his grandfather. "Looks flimsy to me!" He waved hishand again. "You remember your cousins."
Familiar, matter-of-fact nods came from the men of the battered ship.Hoddan hadn't seen any of them for years, but they were his kin. Theywore commonplace, workaday garments, but carried weapons slungnegligently over their shoulders. They dragged the cryptic object behindthem without particular formation or apparent discipline, but somehowthey looked capable.
Hoddan and his grandfather strolled to the castle gate, their companionsa little to their rear. They came to the gate. Nothing happened. Nobodychallenged. There was the feel of peevish refusal to associate withpersons who landed in spaceships.
"Shall we hail?" asked Hoddan.
"Nah!" snorted his grandfather. "I know his kind! Make him make theadvances." He waved to his descendents. "Open it up."
Somebody casually pulled back a cover and reached in and threw switches.
"Found a power broadcast unit," grunted Hoddan's grandfather, "on a shipwe took. Hooked it to the ship's space-drive. When y'can't use thespace-drive, you still got power. Your Cousin Oliver whipped this thingup to use it."
The enigmatic object made a spiteful noise. The castle gate shudderedand fell halfway from its hinges. The thing made a second noise. Stonessplintered and began to collapse. Hoddan admired. Three more unpleasingbut not violently loud sounds. Half the wall on either side of the gatewas rubble, collapsing partly inside and partly outside the castle'sproper boundary.
Figures began to wave hysterically from the battlements. Hoddan'sgrandfather yawned slightly.
"I always like to talk to people," he observed, "when they're worryin'about what I'm likely to do to them, instead of what maybe they can doto me."
Figures appeared on the ground level. They'd come out of a sally port toone side. They were even extravagantly cordial when Hoddan's grandfatheradmitted that it might be convenient to talk over his business insidethe castle, where there would be an easy-chair to sit in.
* * * * *
Presently they sat beside the fireplace in the great hall. Don Loris,jittering, shivered next to Hoddan's grandfather. The Lady Faniappeared, icy-cold and defiant. She walked with frigid dignity to aplace beside her father. Hoddan's grandfather regarded her with awicked, estimating gaze.
"Not bad!" he said brightly. "Not bad at all!" Then he turned to Hoddan."Those retainers coming?"
"On the way," said Hoddan. He was not happy. The Lady Fani had passedher eyes over him exactly as if he did not exist.
There was a murmurous noise. The dozen spearmen came marching into thegreat hall. They carried loot. It dripped on the floor and they blandlyignored such things as stray golden coins rolling off away from them.Stay-at-home inhabitants of the castle gazed at them in joyouswonderment.
Nedda came with them. The Lady Fani made a very slight, almostimperceptible movement. Hoddan said desperately:
"Fani, I know you hate me, though I can't guess why. But here's a thingthat ... has to be taken care of! We made a raid on Walden ... that'swhere the loot came from ... and my men kidnaped this girl ... her nameis Nedda ... and brought her on the ship as a present to me ... becauseshe'd admitted that she knew me! Nedda's in an awful fix, Fani! She'salone and friendless, and ... somebody has to take care of her! Herfather'll come for her eventually, no doubt, but somebody's got to takecare of her in the meantime, and I can't do it!" Hoddan felt hystericalat the bare idea. "I can't!"
The Lady Fani looked at Nedda. And Nedda wore the brave look of a girlso determinedly sweet that nobody could possibly bear it.
"I'm ... very sorry," said Nedda bravely, "that I've been the cause ofpoor Bron turning pirate and getting into such dreadful trouble. I cryover it every night before I go to sleep. He treated me as if I were hissister, and the other men were so gentle and respectful that I ... Ithink it will break my heart when they are punished. When I think ofthem being executed with all that dreadful, hopeless formality--"
"On Darth," said the Lady Fani practically, "we're not very formal aboutsuch things. Just cutting somebody's throat is usually enough. But hetreated you like a sister, did he? Thal?"
Thal swallowed. He'd been beaming a moment before, with his arms full ofsilver plate, jewelry, laces, and other bits of booty from the town ofEnsfield. But now he said desperately:
"Yes, Lady Fani. But not the way I'd've treated my sister. My sisters,Lady Fani, bit me when they were little, slapped me when they werebigger, and scorned me when I grew up. I'm fond of 'em! But if one of mysisters'd ever lectured me because I wasn't refined, or shook a fingerat me because I wasn't gentlemanly-- Lady Fani, I'd've strangled her!"
There was a certain gleam in the Lady Fani's eye as she said warmly toHoddan:
"Of course I'll take care of the poor thing! I'll let her sleep with mymaids and I'm sure one of them can spare clothes for her to wear, andI'll take care of her until a space liner comes along and she can beshipped back to her family. And you can come to see her whenever youplease, to make sure she's all right!"
Hoddan's eyes tended to grow wild. His grandfather cleared his throatloudly. Hoddan said doggedly:
"You, Fani, asked each of my men if they'd fight for you. They said yes.You sent them to cut my throat. They didn't. But they're not disgraced!I want that clear! They're good men! They're not disgraced for failingto assassinate me!"
"Of course they aren't," conceded the Lady Fani sweetly. "Whoever heardof such a thing?"
Hoddan wiped his forehead. Don Loris opened his mouth fretfully.Hoddan's grandfather forestalled him.
"You've heard about that big pirate fleet that's been floating aroundthese parts? Eh? It's my grandson's. I run a squadron of it for him.Wonderful boy, my grandson! Bloodthirsty crews on those ships, but they
love that boy!"
"Very--" Don Loris caught his breath. "Very interesting."
"He likes your men," confided Hoddan's grandfather. "Used them twice.Says they make nice, well-behaved pirates. He's going to give themstun-pistols and cannon like the one that smashed your gate. Only men onDarth with guns like that! Seize the spaceport and put in powerbroadcast, and make sure nobody else gets stun-weapons. Run the country.Your men'll love it. Love that boy, too! Follow him anywhere. Loot."
Don Loris quivered. It was horribly plausible. He'd had the scheme ofthe only stun-weapon-armed force on Darth, himself. He knew his mentended to revere Hoddan because of the plunder his followers seemedalways to acquire. Don Loris was in a very, very uncomfortablesituation. Bored men from the battered spacecraft stood about his greathall. They were unimpressed. He knew that they, at least, were casuallysure that they could bring his castle down about his ears in minutes ifthey chose.
"But ... if my men--" Don Loris quavered. "What about me?"
"Minor problem," said Hoddan's grandfather blandly. "The usual thingwould be _pfft!_ Cut your throat." He rose. "Decide that later, nodoubt. Yes, Bron?"
"I've brought back my men," growled Hoddan, "and Nedda's taken care of.We're through here."
He headed abruptly for the great hall's farthest door. His grandfatherfollowed him briskly, and the negligent, matter-of-fact armed men whowere mostly Hoddan's first and second cousins came after them. Outsidethe castle, Hoddan said angrily:
"Why did you tell such a preposterous story, grandfather?"
"It's not preposterous," said his grandfather. "Sounds like fun, to me!You're tired now, Bron. Lots of responsibilities and such. Take a rest.You and your Cousin Oliver get together and fix those new gadgets on myship. I'll take the other boys for a run over to this spaceport town.The boys need a run ashore, and there might be some loot. Yourgrandmother's fond of homespun. I'll try to pick some up for her."
Hoddan shrugged. His grandfather was a law unto himself. Hoddan saw hiscousins bringing horses from the castle stables, and a very casual groupwent riding away as if on a pleasure excursion. As a matter of fact, itwas. Thal guided them.
* * * * *
For the rest of that morning and part of the afternoon Hoddan and hisCousin Oliver worked at the battered ship's Lawlor drive. Hoddan waspleased with his cousin's respect for his device. He unfeignedly admiredthe cannon his cousin had designed. Presently they reminisced abouttheir childhood. It was pleasant to renew family ties like this.
The riders came back about sunset. There were extra horses, with loads.There were cheerful shoutings. His grandfather came into Hoddan's ship.
"Brought back some company," he said. "Spaceliner landed while we werethere. Friend of yours on it. Congenial fellow, Bron. Thinks well ofyou, too!"
A large figure followed his grandfather in. A large figure withsnow-white hair. The amiable and relaxed Interstellar Ambassador toWalden.
"Hard-gaited horses, Hoddan," he said wryly. "I want a chair and adrink. I traveled a good many light-years to see you, and it wasn'tnecessary after all. I've been talking to your grandfather."
"Glad to see you, sir," said Hoddan reservedly.
His Cousin Oliver brought glasses, and the Ambassador buried his nose inhis and said in satisfaction:
"A-a-ah! That's good! Capable man, your grandfather. I watched him lootthat town. Beautifully professional job! He got some homespun sheets foryour grandmother. But about you."
Hoddan sat down. His grandfather puffed and was silent. His cousinseffaced themselves. The Ambassador waved a hand.
"I started here," he observed, "because it looked to me like you wererunning wild. That spacefleet, now ... I know something of your ability.I thought you'd contrived some way to fake it. I knew there couldn't besuch a fleet. Not really! That was a sound job you did with theemigrants, by the way. Most praiseworthy! And the point was that if youran hogwild with a faked fleet, sooner or later the Space Patrol wouldhave to cut you down to size. And you were doing much too good work tobe stopped!"
Hoddan blinked.
"Satisfaction," said the Ambassador, "is well enough. But satiety isdeath. Walden was dying on its feet. Nobody could imagine a greatersatisfaction than curling up with a good tranquilizer! You've endedthat! I left Walden the day after your Ensfield raid. Young men werealready trying to grow mustaches. The textile mills were making coloredfelt for garments. Jewelers were turning out stun-gun pins forornaments, Darthian knives for brooches, and the song writers had eightnew tunes on the air about pirate lovers, pirate queens, and dark shipsthat roam the lanes of night. Three new vision-play series were to startthat same night with space-piracy as their theme, and one of themclaimed to be based on your life. Better make them pay for that, Hoddan!In short, Walden had rediscovered the pleasure to be had by taking painsto make a fool of one's self. People who watched that raid onvisionscreens had thrills they'd never swap for tranquilizers! And theones who actually mixed in with the pirate raiders-- You deserve well ofthe republic, Hoddan!"
Hoddan said, "Hm-m-m," because there was nothing else to be said.
"Now, your grandfather and I have canvassed the situation thoroughly!This good work must be continued. Diplomatic Service has been worriedall along the line. Now we've something to work up. Your grandfatherwill expand his facilities and snatch ships, land and loot, and keeppiracy flying. Your job is to carry on the insurance business. The shipsthat will be snatched will be your ships, of course. No interferencewith legitimate commerce. The landing-raids will be paid for by theinterplanetary piracy-risk insurance companies--you. In time you'llprobably have to get writers to do scripts for them, but not right away.You'll continue to get rich, but there's no harm in that so long as youre-introduce romance and adventure and derring-do to a galaxy headed fordecline. Savages will not invent themselves if there are plenty ofheroic characters--of your making!--to slap them down!"
Hoddan said painfully:
"I like working on electronic gadgets. My cousin Oliver and I have somethings we want to work on together."
His grandfather snorted. One of the cousins came in from outside theyacht. Thal followed him, glowing. He'd reported the looting of thespaceport town, and Don Loris had gone into a tantrum of despair becausenobody seemed able to make headway against these strangers. Now he'dturned about and issued a belated invitation to Hoddan and hisgrandfather and their guest the Interstellar Ambassador--of whom he'dlearned from Thal--to dinner at the castle. They could bring their ownguards.
* * * * *
Hoddan would have refused, but the Ambassador and his grandfather wereinsistent. Ultimately he found himself seated drearily at a long tablein a stone-walled room lighted by very smoky torches. Don Loris,jittering, displayed a sort of professional conversational charm. He wasmaking an urgent effort to overcome the bad effect of past actions byconversational brilliance. The Lady Fani sat quietly with jewels at herthroat. She looked most often at her plate. The talk of the oldstersbecame profound. They talked administration. They talked practicalpolitics. They talked economics.
The Lady Fani looked very bored as the talk went on after the meal wasover. Don Loris said brightly, to her:
"My dear we must be tedious! Young Hoddan looks uninterested, too. Whydon't you two walk on the battlements and talk about such things aspersons your age find interesting?"
Hoddan rose, gloomily. The Lady Fani, with a sigh of polite resignation,rose to accompany him. The Ambassador said suddenly:
"Hoddan! I forgot to tell you! They found out what killed that manoutside the power station!" When Hoddan showed no comprehension, theAmbassador explained, "The man your friend Derec thought was killed bydeathrays. It develops that he'd gotten a terrific load on--drunk, youknow--and climbed a tree to escape the pink, purple, and green _duryas_he thought were chasing him to gore him. He climbed too high, a branchbroke, and he fell and was killed. I'll take it up with the court when Iget back to Walden. No rea
son to lock you up any more, you know. Youmight even sell the Power Board on using your receptor, now!"
"Thanks," said Hoddan politely. He added, "Don Loris has that Derec anda cop from Walden here now. Tell them that and they may go home."
He accompanied the Lady Fani to the battlements. The stars were verybright. They strolled. Remembering his Darthians, he felt veryunpopular.
"What was that the Ambassador told you?" she asked.
He explained without zest. He added morbidly that it didn't matter. Hecould go back to Walden now, and if the Ambassador was right he couldeven accomplish things in electronics there. But he wasn't interested.It was odd that he'd once thought such things would make him happy.
"I thought," said the Lady Fani, in gentle melancholy, "that I would behappier with you dead. You had made me very angry. No, no matter how!But I found it was not so."
Hoddan fumbled for her meaning. It wasn't quite an apology for trying toget him killed. But at least it was a disclaimer of future intentions inthat direction.
"And speaking of happiness," she added in a different tone, "thisNedda...." He shuddered, and she said: "I talked to her. So then I sentfor Ghek. We're on perfectly good terms again, you know. I introducedhim to Nedda. She was vanilla ice cream with meringue and maple syrup onit. He loved it! She gazed at him with pretty sadness and told him howterrible it was of him to kidnap me. He said humbly that he'd never hadher ennobling influence nor dreamed that she existed. And she lovedthat! They go together like strawberries and cream! I had to leave, orstop being a lady. I think I made a match."
Then she said tranquilly:
"But seriously, you ought to be perfectly happy. You've everything youever said you wanted, except a delightful girl to marry."
Hoddan squirmed.
"We're old friends," said Fani kindly, "and you did me a great favoronce. I'll return it. I'll round up some really delightful girls for youto look over."
"I'm leaving," said Hoddan, alarmed.
"The only thing is-- I don't know what type you like. Nedda isn't it."
Hoddan shuddered.
"Nor I," said Fani. "What type would you say I was?"
"Delightful," said Hoddan hoarsely.
The Lady Fani stopped and looked up at him. She said approvingly:
"I hoped that word would occur to you one day. Er ... what does a manusually do when he discovers a girl is delightful?"
Hoddan thought it over. He started. He put his arms around her withsingularly little skill. He kissed her, at first as if amazed athimself, and then with enthusiasm.
There were scraping sounds on the stone nearby. Footsteps. Don Lorisappeared, gazing uncertainly about.
"Fani!" he said plaintively. "Hoddan? Our guests are going to thespaceships. I want to speak privately to Hoddan."
"Yes?" said Hoddan. Don Loris peered blindly about. He kissed Faniagain.
"I've been thinking," said Don Loris fretfully. "I've made somemistakes, my dear boy, and I've given you excellent reason to dislikeme, but at bottom I've always thought a great deal of you.And ... ah ... there seems to be only one way in which I can properlyexpress how much I admire you. Ah-- How would you like to marry mydaughter?"
Hoddan looked down at Fani. She did not try to move away.
"What do you think of the idea, Fani?" he asked. "How about marrying metomorrow morning?"
"Of course not!" said Fani indignantly. "I wouldn't think of such athing! I couldn't possibly get married before tomorrow afternoon!"
THE END
Transcriber's Notes:
This etext was produced from Astounding Science Fiction February, March and April 1959. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
Spelling and typography have been normalized.
The Pirates of Ersatz Page 12
