There really was no cause for jealousy in the long man. "Coming?" Mac asked.

Kittrell shook his head. "Got to go back to the office for a minute. I'll drop around in about ten minutes, though."

"Okay," said Mac, satisfied, and went out behind the Kiddie.

The Kiddie's dwelling was ugly and cluttered, but moderately clean.

The little asterite, with somewhat the attitude of a man who expects a poke in the face, gestured to Mac to be seated on a hassock-like affair. MacCauley rumbled: "Sure I'll sit down. I'll stay right here until I get my dough back."

The Kiddie seemed to shrug resignedly; probably he just gave that impression from his general demeanor. He slipped away into another room. Mac just had time to think of the possibility that the Kiddie had made a getaway when he was back again, holding MacCauley's billfold.

Mac counted it swiftly. "Where's the rest of it?" he grunted. The bills were there, but there had been about two dollars in change—gone now.

The Kiddie looked scared but shook his head. "Won't tell me, huh?" Mac blustered. "How would you like to be put away for robbery? I swore out a complaint against you today; if I turn you over, it'll be a long time before you get out."

The Kiddie looked more frightened than ever; he was practically trembling. Mac was encouraged, but surprised by the reaction to his threat—it shouldn't have been so great. He lived to regret the fact that he didn't find out just why the Kiddie was so affected by the threat of imprisonment.

"All right," he went on. "Suppose I let you keep the metal. Suppose I pay you well, get you lots more. Gold and silver dollars. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

From the Palladian's sudden attitude of dog-like devotion, it was more than clear that he would.

"Okay," Mac said. "I'll pay you one hundred dollars in silver quarters, if—"

The Kiddie was ablaze with interest. Not taking his eyes off Mac, he scuttled crab-wise over to a tablette, snatched up a notebook and scrawled: "Il do anyhin wat do yu wan."

Mac grinned. "Fine. Listen carefully now. I'm looking for an Earthman. He's somewhere on this planet, but I wouldn't know him if I saw him. He is about two inches taller than me; weighs maybe two hundred 

 Prev. P 12/18 next