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robberies。 I'd be a changed man！〃
〃Good；〃 said Madison。 〃It's a bargain； then。 If I see that you meet her in person； the crimes we do from here on out are only the ones that I order。 Agreed？〃
Flick nodded numbly； not daring to hope。
〃All right；〃 said Madison。 〃Get up and get dressed。 We've got work to do！〃
Madison rushed out； ecstatic with his plan。
Oh； he was really on his way now！ The smell of eventual victory was in the very air！ He could REALLY get on with his job with Heller！
Chapter 6
The first thing Madison did was get from Flick the name of a certain type of crooked jeweler。
Flick and his footwoman got into the Model 99。 Madison sprang into the back。
They flashed out of the hangar and sped across the sky； Slum City a vast smudge and sprawl in the distance； growing larger。
〃I know this fellow personally；〃 said Flick as he drove。 〃He's from Calabar like me。 But we ain't never been in the same line really。 He's rich； I'm poor。 I robbed houses。 He received the goods from thieves who looted tombs。 The world thinks he's respectable and I know what they think of me： I got caught and wound up in the Apparatus。 He married a jeweler's daughter and wound up owning a 'legitimate business。'〃
Shortly Flick pointed out a square which looked to Madison like an island in the middle of a ghetto sea。
They landed and the Model 99 in all its glitter instantly attracted a swarm of tough…looking； hooting kids。 Suddenly Madison was aware that this footwoman had other uses than being felt up。 She was out of the car like a tiger。 She had somehow gotten hold of a stinger。 Her target was the biggest boy and he got the weapon in the teeth with a shower of sparks。 He didn't get a chance to recoil more than a foot when the footwoman had him by the arm。 In a sort of a whirling motion； she swung him…his feet left the ground…and like a scythe； used him to take out the whole front rank of hooters。
There was the departing rush of hasty feet。 Into the dying echo of the screams； the footwoman thrust the stinger in the belt of her violet uniform and stepped to the door。 She opened it with a bow。 〃Watch your step； sir。 There's garbage。〃
If he hadn't seen the killer look when she sprang out of the airbus or heard the wild animal snarl of satisfaction when she used the stinger； he would have been pletely taken in by the sweet and demure smile she now exhibited。 She appeared to be the mildest and kindest person you would ever want to meet。 Ah； he thought with pleasure； he had quite a crew！ Totally deceptive！
Madison； immaculately attired； stepped around the garbage…which happened to be the unconscious body of the one she had used as a weapon…and； with Flick； made his way to the jewelry store。
And that is exactly what it seemed to be： a store that sold the cheap gewgaws displayed behind bulletproof； steel…barred windows。
An old man in a black cloth cap that had a light and an examination magnifier on it directed them through the back of the store and shortly they were in an opulent office quite at variance with the rest of the establishment。
A very greasy； overfed man came forward from an ivory table to greet them。 His head was a squashed oval like Flick's： maybe the heavy gravity of Calabar did this to them！
〃Flick； my cousin； I am so glad to see you are still out of jail。 My； look at the violet uniform！ Are you in the Palace Guards？〃
〃Cousin Baub；〃 said Flick； 〃you got to meet my new chief； Madison。 We're still in the Apparatus； but there's a difference。〃
〃Well； Cousin Flick； I did hear the Apparatus had taken over the guarding of Palace City。 But is your friend here safe？〃
〃He's a full…fledged criminal in disguise；〃 said Flick。 〃I vouch for him。〃
〃Well； all right。 Sit down； my friends。 But I must warn you that we're very too full stocked up； so if you've stolen something from the palaces； I can't give you much price。〃
〃That's very good news；〃 said Madison； and he took a seat。 〃You see； Baub； we are buyers； not sellers。〃
〃Ho； ho； Cousin Flick。 We HAVE moved up in the world！〃 said Baub。
〃Mister Baub；〃 said Madison； 〃I am sure that when you receive stolen gems； you recut them and remount them so they will not be quickly recognized。〃
〃Yes； that's true。 But good stones are of such size that their refraction indexes are known and we have to be very careful。〃
〃Mister Baub；〃 said Madison； 〃I know you are a man of discretion。 I want an absolutely stunning stone in an absolutely stunning setting the like of which has never been seen before and WON'T be recognized。〃
〃Aha！〃 said Baub。 〃You're talking about the 'Eye of the Goddess'！〃
〃If it has a name；〃 said Madison； 〃it must have been known。〃
〃Nope；〃 said Baub。 〃It can't be known。 Because I just this minute invented it。〃
Madison laughed with delight。 Here was somebody he could do business with； almost in his own line。
〃A few years ago；〃 said Baub； 〃over on Calabar； where everything is very big； some thieves got into a very ancient； pre…Voltarian tomb。 Up to that time the tomb had been unknown； but the thieves were not。 Police were on their trail and caught them and the tomb contents were inventoried and added to the National Treasury。 They had rounded up the thieves and had sent them en route to an interrogation center； but the air…coach crashed in an updraft that slammed it into a hundred…thousand…foot mountain range…things are big on Calabar…and that was that。 One thief； however； right at the tomb； got away。 The police never knew he existed。〃 He looked at Flick。 〃That thief was me。〃
Baub sat back； nostalgia taking over。 〃Oh； them were the days。 I had a whole bag of stones。 They had never been recorded nor listed。 One by one I spent them and had myself a marvelous misspent youth。〃 He sighed。 〃But that was seventy years ago and youth has fled。〃
He got up and went into another room which seemed to have a plex array of vaults and returned carrying a small bag of silk which he laid on his desk； and resumed his seat。
〃In that haul； there was one stone I never could get rid of。 I never even dared show it。 I couldn't say I had found it in a stream bed because it was already cut。 And I warn you that the moment it appears on the market； questions will be asked； because it is too remarkable。 If it fits your purposes； here it is。〃
He opened the bag by laying out its sides and there； blazing on the silk； was a jewel the size of an egg。 Madison moved closer。 He could not credit what he saw。 He blinked。
〃I don't know how the ancients did it；〃 said Baub。 〃And I don't know if it is natural or artificial。 But you are looking at an emerald totally enclosed in a diamond。 The emerald is top color and has only one flaw。 The diamond is a perfect blue…white。 And I can't sell you this unless you can absolutely guarantee that where it came from can be totally explained by you。〃
〃I can guarantee that；〃 said Madison。 〃How would you mount it？〃
〃It's too big to be anything but a crown jewel or a pendant。 Following my suddenly invented name； I'd say one might put it in an oval setting； the stone held in gold like open eyelids with strings of little diamond chips to look like eyelashes above and below； and we hang it on a broad chain of gold net。 It's heavy； you know。 Feel it。〃
Madison said； 〃Can you put it o