Страница 241 из 281
DRIES GLOTON
Branch Manager
_______________________
(Signed and sealed)
THE GALACTIC BANK
Balor, Batafor System
Head Offices of Sector 4
Universe Sixteen
Jo
“Oh” said Dries Gloton easily, “a payment of five trillion at once and some arrangement like five hundred billion a month would do. You see, legally, a whole loan becomes due and payable instantly if payments are missed. So you will really find the bank very easy to do business with, for we could require the whole amount instantly! We really are your friends, you know. We always pride ourselves, not just on our total honesty and integrity, but on our customer relations.”
Five trillion! thought Jo
Dries saw through his fairly well-hidden consternation. “You'd have a whole week! It is very liberal.”
“And as soon as this conference decides the fate of Schleim," said Jo
“And the relationship to the other combatants-”
“Why, the planet will have a clear title!” said Dries triumphantly. “And you can arrange the meeting for us. And we can serve this paper and the whole thing will be handled!”
“The wi
“You couldn't lend it to us?” said Jo
“Oh, dear no. It 's already been lent.”
“And who might buy this planet?” said Jo
“Why, any one of the combatants would be glad to have it. They, unlike you here, have industry and credit and collateral.”
“So after we win this war, if we win it, then we might lose it totally, even to the Tolneps!" said Jo
“Well,” said Dries Gloton with an expressive hand gesture, “banking is banking. Business is business.”
Chapter 6
Stormalong, folded across a desk in the ops room, was jolted out of the sleep of exhaustion. Groggy from days of directing battle, it was with alarm that he saw Jo
“Wake up!” Jo
“What's the matter?” Stormalong surged up. “Have they started attacking again?”
“Worse!” said Jo
Jo
Ti
“What's up?” said Stormalong. Jo
Jo
It made no sense at all to Stormalong but he went over to the disc duplicator and ran them off.
Ti
"If you're calling Luxembourg,” said Stormalong, “they're all gone.” Then he realized Jo
It's Russia,” said Stormalong. “The Singapore people got there and they can't get near the place. It 's all on fire.”
Jo
“You've been there,” said Stormalong. “I don't know why but they had some material, some black stuff, inflammable, outside the main entrances. Do you know what it was?”
Coal! The Russian base had been piling coal up for the winter. “It’s coal,” said Jo
“Well, whoever built that base built it next to or on or under a mine of this stuff and in the fighting it must have ignited. The Singapore team couldn't get near the base. They were very few and they didn't take any mine pumps, and even if they had there was no water near there. They yelled for help. They had to get the fire out to get near the base. Luxembourg was the only defense area that was never hit and they had flying tankers there. About two hours ago they filled those tankers and flew to Russia. We have no further reports on the fate of the Russian base. And there's no defense team left in Luxembourg.”
“Surely the Earth Planetary Bank had a radio!” said Jo
“Yes,” said Stormalong doubtfully, “but at this hour of the night, I don't think it would be ma
"I’ve got to go then,” said Jo
“What planes are left-'
“Whoa!” said Stormalong. “I had direct orders from Sir Robert that you stay here!”
“But MacAdam can't fly down here if there are no pilots. Not even one pilot left in Luxembourg?”
“Not one.”
Jo
“Not a chance,” said Stormalong. “They're arrived there and it's a screaming mess. The whole tu
“Do you have a plane here?”
“Of course I’ve got a plane here. I’ve got five planes here! But you are not leaving!”
The woman turned from the mike. “It is dead. There is no one answering from the Luxembourg mine site or the bank. And after all, it is two in the morning there.”
"I’m going,” said Jo
“You're not!” shouted Stormalong.
“Then you are!” shouted Jo
Stormalong blinked. After all, he had had about two hours worth of catnaps.
“You'll have to handle anything here by yourself,” he said. “Be in the air and at that mike at the same time if you have to fly defense.”
"I’d take Ti
Stormalong shrugged and then nodded.
“All right,” said Jo
“A debt?” said Stormalong.
“Yes, a debt. And if we don't pay or handle it, we've lost this whole war!
Even if we win it!”