Manning said soothingly. "Say, do you have a visiscreen here?"

"Of course, I do. Do you think I'm a primitive? I'm tired of your questions, Terran. Go away. But don't forget to tell your Regulusian friends what I've said. Not a single act of aggression will go unanswered. Any attack on me, or my staff, will mean war."

"I'll tell them," Manning said. He turned and walked back across the garden.

"Be sure the door locks after you," the Achernarian called after him. "These Regulusian hoodlums would love to find me vulnerable."

Manning nodded and continued on his way without answering. He knew from experience that there was no point in arguing with an Achernarian. Once one of them got an idea, it took more than words to change it.

Out on the street again, he climbed into the car and asked the driver to take him to the spot where he and Xelia had come below the surface on the day before.

Again he had the driver wait and he took the elevator up to the kiosk. A moment later, he was in his ship.

First, he put through a visicall to his office on Terra. After finding out that business was going on as usual, he told his secretary some things he wanted her to send him immediately by carrier-jet. He turned on the receiver-beam in his ship and then put through a call to J. Barnaby Cruikshank over a tight-beam.

"Well, Manning, my boy," J. Barnaby said when the connection was made. "Everything all settled, eh? I knew you—"

"Everything isn't all settled," Manning interrupted. He quickly sketched in what he had learned, leaving out his guesses. He also left out any mention of Velmar Shonda.

"Then why are you wasting time calling me?" demanded J. Barnaby. "Don't you realize that tomorrow is election day? Get on the ball, boy."

"I want you on it with me," Manning said dryly. "There are a couple of little things I want you to do."

"What?"

"I suppose you want this Acruxian handled with soft gloves?"

"Absolutely," J. Barnaby said. "I don't care what you do to him, you understand, as long as nothing can be proved against us. But it's imperative that the government not be involved."

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