“Boss?” Greenberg began.
“Eh? Yes, Sergei. What the deuce are you, looking upset about?”
“Because I’m wondering how I’m going to like it as a private in the Outer Legion.”
“Quit trying to break it gently. What happened?”
“The bird has flown.”
“Flown? Where?”
“I wish I knew. The most likely place is a forest preserve west of here.”
“Then why are you wasting time telling me? Get in there and find it.”
Greenberg sighed. “I knew you would say that. Look, boss, this haystack has over ten million acres in it, tall trees, tall mountains, and no roads. And the local police chief is there ahead of me, with all his own men and half the sheriffs deputies in the state. He’s ordered them to kill on sight and has posted a reward for the ship making the kill.”
“What?”
“Just what I said. Your authorization to carry out the judgment of the court came through; the cancellation of it got lost. . . how, I don’t know. But the acting chief is an old relic with the soul of a file clerk; he points to the order and won’t budge. . . he won’t even let me call them on police frequency. With our intervention withdrawn I haven’t an ounce of authority to force him.”
“You are accepting that, I suppose?” Mr. Kiku said bitterly. “Just waiting for it to blow up in your face?”
“Just about. I’ve got a call in for the mayor-he’s out of town. Another for the governor-he’s in a closed grand jury session. And another for the chief forest ranger-I think he’s out after the reward. As soon as I, switch off I’m going to twist the arm of the acting chief until he sees the light and. . .”
“You should be doing that now.”
“I won’t dally. I called to suggest that you turn on heat from back there. I need help.”
“You’ll get it”
“Not just to reach the governor, not just to start a fresh intervention. Even after we reach this wild police chief and persuade him to call off his dogs I’ll still need help. Ten million acres of mountains, boss. . . it means men and ships, lots of men, lots of ships. It’s no job for one man with a brief case. Besides, I’m going to join the Outer Legion.”
“We’ll both join,” Kiku said glumly. “All right, get on it. Move.”
“It’s been nice knowing you.”
Mr. Kiku switched off, then moved very fast, initiating a fresh departmental intervention, sending an emergency-priority message to the state governor, another to the mayor of Westville, another to the Westville district court. Formal action completed, he sat for a few seconds, bracing himself for what he must do next. . . then went in to tell the Secretary that they must ask for help from the military authorities of the Federation.
X. The Cygnus Decision
When John Thomas woke up he had trouble remembering where he was. The sleeping bag was toasty warm, he felt good, rested but lazy. Gradually the picture of where he was and why he was there built up and he poked his head out. The sun was high and it was pleasantly warm. Lummox was nearby. “Hi, Lummie.
“Hi, Johnnie. You slept a long time. You were noisy, too.”
“Was I?” He crawled out and pulled his clothes on, switched off the sleeping bag. He folded it and turned to Lummox-and started. “What’s that?”
Near Lummox’s head, lying squashed out as if it had been stepped on, was a very dead grizzly bear. . . about a six-hundred-pound male. Blood had gushed from mouth and nostrils, then dried. Lummox glanced at it. “Breakfast,” he explained.
John Thomas looked at it with distaste. “Not for me, it’s not. Where did you get it?”
“I catched it,” Lummox answered and simpered.
“Not ‘catched it’. . . ‘caught it.'”
“But I did catch it. It tried to get in with you and I catched it.”
“Well, all right. Thanks.” John Thomas looked at the bear again, turned away and opened his food bag. He selected a can of ham and eggs, twisted off the top, and waited for it to heat.