‘Just now.’
‘Mummy, too?’
‘Yes. She’s in the ‘fresher.’
Lowell stood in the doorway, watching them impassively. Roger Stone loosed himself from his daughter and said, ‘Good morning, Buster.’
‘Good morning, Daddy. This is Fuzzy Britches. He’s a Martian. He’s also a flat cat.’
‘Glad to know you, Fuzzy Britches. Did you say “flat cat”?’
‘Yes.’
‘Very well. But it looks more like a wig.’
Dr Stone entered, was subjected to the same treatment by Meade, then turned to Lowell. He permitted her to kiss him, then said, ‘Mama, this is Fuzzy Britches. Say hello to him.’
‘How do you do, Fuzzy Britches? Meade, where are your brothers? And your grandmother?’
Meade looked upset. ‘I was afraid you would get around to that. The twins are in jail again.’
Roger Stone groaned. ‘Oh, no, not again! Edith, we should have stayed on Phobos.’
‘Yes, dear.’
‘Well, let’s face it. What is the charge this time, Meade?’
‘Fraud and conspiring to evade the customs duties.’
‘I feel better. The last time but one, you’ll remember, it was experimenting with atomics inside the city limits and without license. But why aren’t they out on bail? Or is there something worse you haven’t told us?’
‘No, it’s just that the court has tied up their bank account and Hazel wouldn’t get them bond. She said they were safer where they were.’
‘Good for Hazel!’
‘Daddy, if we hurry we can get back downtown for the hearing. I’ll tell you and Mummy about it on the way.’
The ‘fraud’ part of it came from Mr Pappalopoulis; the rest of it came straight from the planetary government. Mars, being in a state of expanding economy, just beginning to be self-supporting and only recently of declared sovereignty, had a strongly selective tariff. Being forced to import much and having comparatively little to export which could not be had cheaper Earthside, all her economic statutes and regulations were bent toward relieving her chronic credit gap; Articles not produced on Mars but needed for her economy came in duty free; articles of luxury or pleasure carried very high rates; articles manufactured on Mars were completely protected by embargo against outside competition.
Bicycles were classed by the Import Conimission as duty free since they were necessary to prospecting — but bicycles used for pleasure became ‘luxury items’. The customs authorities had gotten around to noticing the final disposition of the cargo of the Rolling Stone. ‘Of courss somebody put them up to it,’ continued Meade, ‘but Mr Angelo swears he didn’t do it and I believe him. He’s nice.’
‘That’s clear enough. What’s the fraud angle?’
‘Oh, that!’ The bicycles had at once been impounded for unpaid duty penalties and costs whereupon their new owner had sworn an information charging fraud. ‘He’s getting a civil suit, too, but I think Hazel has it under control. Mr Poppa says he just wants his bicycles back; he’s losing business. He’s not mad at anybody.’
‘I would be,’ Roger Stone answered grimly. ‘I intend to skin those two boys with a dull knife. What makes Hazel think she can square Mr Pappa-et-cetera? Just what, I’d like to know?’
‘She got a temporary court order freeing the bicycles to Mr Poppa pending the outcome of the hearing; she had to put up a delivery bond on the bicycles. So Mr Poppa dropped the fraud matter and is waiting on the civil suit to see if he’s hurt’
‘Hmm — My bank account feels a little better anyway. Well, dear, we might as well go down and get it over with. There doesn’t seem to be anything here that a long check book can’t cover.’
‘Yes, dear.’
‘Remind me to buy a pair of Oregon boots on the way home. Meade, how much is this tariff?’
‘Forty per cent.’
‘Not too bad. They probably made more profit than that’
‘But that’s not all, Daddy. Forty per cent, plus another forty per cent penalty — plus confiscation of the bicycles.’
‘Plus two weeks in pillory, I hope?’
‘Don’t do anything hasty, Daddy. Hazel is arguing the case.’
‘Since when was she admitted to the bar?’
‘I don’t know, but it seems to be all right. She got that court order.’