Battlefield Earth

Jo

"I’m no diplomat!” said Sir Robert. "I proved that! And I’m no lawyer and I’m no banker! 'Tis a thin chance, but I’ll do what you say.”

That was all Jo

In midafternoon they went to the conference room. Sir Robert was in his regimentals, Jo

The emissaries had drawn up the treaty Jo

It was a sort of parade. Dries Gloton and Fowljopan were the only ones who stood at the table.

Sir Robert sat and fumed about wasting time, but he did so only in a very low voice and only to Jo

Earth was the last signature, and Sir Robert went up and put down his name, got a match and melted some wax, and then smashed his big seal ring onto it. Dries drew a bank trace around it and held it up.

“I hereby certify,” said Dries, “that the Galactic Bank has attested the authenticity of this Treaty of Kariba, Earth. It is complete. May I suggest that immediate copies of it be transmitted to all ships concerned.” He spread the treaty out, pulled a small picto-tracer from his breast pocket, and sca

Jo

The lord of the Hawvins stood up. “I have received word that all prisoners were put down at the designated place and signed for by the Earth representative there.”

Dries looked at Jo

“Our officer attests we have the prisoners back,” said Jo

The emissaries who had ships in orbit then passed their orders to their respective commanders.

There was a wait. Then Du

The whole group went outside and Angus fired a spitting, naked, and chained Schleim to the slave market in Creeth. [3] The emissaries came back to the conference room.

Sir Robert thought that was all. He was sitting in the front row, grumbling.

Dries Gloton smiled. He walked over to Sir Robert and he drew a thick paper from his pocket.

“My lords,” said Dries to the assemblage, “are witnesses to the fact that there is no further dispute over the ownership of Earth. The government of the planet is intact. The king is recovering. The Earth representative here is legally empowered to act for the government.

“The title to the planet is clear!” he said triumphantly. “Emissary of Earth! I hereby serve you with a notice of delinquency of payments! If, after a discussion, but in no case later than one week, this mortgage remains unhandled or unpaid, it will result in foreclosure on the planet and all its assets and peoples.”

He dropped the paper in Sir Robert's lap. “Consider yourself legally served with due process!”

Sir Robert sat there, staring at the paper.

Dries Gloton smiled a shark-like smile at Jo

He went over to a chair and picked up a foot-high stack of large booklets. He returned to the platform and addressed the assembled emissaries.

“Honored lords,” said Dries, “the primary business of this conference-to clear the title of Earth– is complete. However, I know each one of you has full authority to acquire territories for your state. There are other means than war.”

The lords shrugged. War was the surer method, said one. The mental health of the people depended upon war, said another. How was a state to demonstrate its power without war? said Browl. The Galactic Bank would have a hard time surviving without making war loans, quipped Dom. Rulers only became famous when they prosecuted war, laughed another. They were all in a jovial mood.

Jo

“Get on with it, Your Excellency,” chuckled Fowljopan. “We all know what you're going to say.”

Dries smiled and began to hand out the booklets. “Here are some brochures I made up while waiting for a clear title. You will find data like mass, surface area, weather, numbers of seas, heights of mountains, and you will also find some scenic views. It is a very pretty planet, really. It would support several billion people, providing they could breathe air. But most of you have air-breathing colonies that even now are overcrowded.”

He finished handing the brochures about and the lords began to scan through the colored pictures. “You have collateral and credit and, many of you, cash. It would take a minimum mercenary force to occupy it for, as you know, its defenses are quite antiquated and it has minimum perso

“Therefore, should you care to linger, there will be an auction of this planet as a bank foreclosure and repossession in the next seven days unless suitable arrangements for payments of its debts are made-which hardly seems likely for they are without other adequate cash or collateral or credit. Thank you, my

lords.”

They were all chattering to one another and examining the brochure and seemed quite in a holiday mood. It was obvious they would stay around, even those from distant universes.

Jo

Dries smiled. “We have not the slightest feeling of hostility toward you. Banking is banking and business is business. One must pay one's obligations. Any child knows that.”

The banker turned to Sir Robert, “Arrange a meeting for negotiations as soon as possible, will you? Then we can get this thing over with and done.”

Sir Robert and Jo