"A little longer," Magnan said.

"That"s the best speed I ever seen on the Slam ball," someone said. "How much longer can he hold it?"

Magnan looked at Retief"s knuckles. They showed white against the grip.

The globe tilted farther, swung around, then down; two chips fell out, clattered down a chute and into a box.

"We"re ahead," Magnan said. "Let"s quit."

Retief shook his head. The globe rotated, dipped again; three chips fell.

"She"s ready," someone called.

"It"s bound to hit soon," another voice added excitedly. "Come on, Mister!"

"Slow down," Magnan said. "So it won"t move past too quickly."

"Speed it up, before that lead block gets you," someone called.

The hole swung high, over the top, then down the side. Chips rained out of the hole, six, eight....

"Next pa.s.s," a voice called.

The white light flooded the cage. The globe whirled; the hole slid over the top, down, down.... A chip fell, two more....

Retief half rose, clamped his jaw and crushed the grip. Sparks flew. The globe slowed, chips spewing. It stopped, swung back, weighted by the ma.s.s of chips at the bottom, and stopped again with the hole centered.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Chips cascaded down the chute, filled the box before Retief, spilled on the floor. The crowd yelled.

Retief released the grip and withdrew his arm at the same instant that the lead block slammed down.

"Good lord," Magnan said. "I felt that through the floor."

Retief turned to the broad-shouldered man.

"This game"s all right for beginners," he said. "But I"d like to talk a really big gamble. Why don"t we go to your office, Mr. Zorn?"

"Your proposition interests me," Zorn said, grinding out the stump of his dope stick in a bra.s.s ashtray. "But there"s some angles to this I haven"t mentioned yet."

"You"re a gambler, Zorn, not a suicide," Retief said. "Take what I"ve offered. The other idea was fancier, I agree, but it won"t work."

"How do I know you birds aren"t lying?" Zorn snarled. He stood up, strode up and down the room. "You walk in here and tell me I"ll have a task force on my neck, that the Corps won"t recognize my regime. Maybe you"re right. But I"ve got other contacts. They say different." He whirled, stared at Retief.

"I have pretty good a.s.surance that once I put it over, the Corps will have to recognize me as the legal government of Petreac. They won"t meddle in internal affairs."

"Nonsense," Magnan spoke up. "The Corps will never deal with a pack of criminals calling themselves--"

"Watch your language, you!" Zorn rasped.

"I"ll admit Mr. Magnan"s point is a little weak," Retief said. "But you"re overlooking something. You plan to murder a dozen or so officers of the Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne along with the local wheels. The corps won"t overlook that. It can"t."

"Their tough luck they"re in the middle," Zorn muttered.

"Our offer is extremely generous, Mr. Zorn," Magnan said. "The post you"ll get will pay you very well indeed. As against the certain failure of your planned coup, the choice should be simple."

Zorn eyed Magnan. "Offering me a job--it sounds phony as h.e.l.l. I thought you birds were goody-goody diplomats."

"It"s time you knew," Retief said. "There"s no phonier business in the Galaxy than diplomacy."

"You"d better take it, Mr. Zorn," Magnan said.

"Don"t push me, Junior!" Zorn said. "You two walk into my headquarters empty-handed and big-mouthed. I don"t know what I"m talking to you for.

The answer is no. N-I-X, no!"

"Who are you afraid of?" Retief said softly.

Zorn glared at him.

"Where do you get that "afraid" routine? I"m top man here!"

"Don"t kid around, Zorn. Somebody"s got you under their thumb. I can see you squirming from here."

"What if I let your boys alone?" Zorn said suddenly. "The Corps won"t have anything to say then, huh?"

"The Corps has plans for Petreac, Zorn. You aren"t part of them. A revolution right now isn"t part of them. Having the Potentate and the whole Nenni caste slaughtered isn"t part of them. Do I make myself clear?"

"Listen," Zorn said urgently, pulling a chair around. "I"ll tell you guys a few things. You ever heard of a world they call Rotune?"

"Certainly," Magnan said. "It"s a near neighbor of yours. Another backward--that is, emergent--"

"Okay," Zorn said. "You guys think I"m a piker, do you? Well, let me wise you up. The Federal Junta on Rotune is backing my play. I"ll be recognized by Rotune, and the Rotune fleet will stand by in case I need any help. I"ll present the CDT with what you call a _fait accompli_."

"What does Rotune get out of this? I thought they were your traditional enemies."

"Don"t get me wrong. I"ve got no use for Rotune; but our interests happen to coincide right now."

"Do they?" Retief smiled grimly. "You can spot a sucker as soon as he comes through that door out there--but you go for a deal like this!"

"What do you mean?" Zorn looked angrily at Retief. "It"s fool-proof."

"After you get in power, you"ll be fast friends with Rotune, is that it?"

"Friends, h.e.l.l! Just give me time to get set, and I"ll square a few things with that--"