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wrist。 They made sure the links were solid。 She was chained now with her back to the pillar。
The squad drew back。
The heavy guns of the eight tanks at the boulevard ends trained around on Hightee。
Madison grinned。 What a tableau！ Beauty chained to a pillar。 A vast clear area of pavement。 Eight deadly muzzles； ringing the plaza； poised for destruction。
And then things started to go slightly wrong。 Possibly the crowds…which； despite roadblocks； had gotten into the boulevards…had been in the grip of unreality。 This couldn't possibly be happening： it was too monstrous。 But when the Apparatus general had dared to actually touch Hightee to silence her； a roar and mutter had begun to rise。
There must have been a hundred thousand people in those boulevards。 There were only two or three thousand Apparatus troops forming barricades to block them。
The barricades buckled。
There was a roar of Apparatus stunguns。
Missiles flew from the crowd！
Apparatus troops charged them！
The Domestic Police were conspicuously absent。 The Apparatus knew very little about crowd control。
For twenty minutes there was hand…to…hand fighting。
The crowd in three boulevards managed to break through the barricades。 The tanks at the plaza end had to swivel their turrets about and fire。
Then the boulevards were full of stunned and bleeding bodies； civilians and Apparatus alike。
Two Apparatus relief regiments came in and boxed the mobs in the streets from the far end。
It was not until 10：20 that some kind of order was restored。 But it was not very thorough； for people from the rest of the city were now surging up； and it took three more regiments to hold barricades as far away as a mile in each direction。
Madison had his eye on the big clock in a tower a thousand yards away。 He supposed that Heller would wait until the last minute。 At least he hoped so。 He had no slightest notion that Heller would surrender。 Besides； it would have wrecked his plans。
That clear space out there； a hundred yards in radius from the pillar where Hightee was chained； was ample for someone like Heller to land troops。
Madison did not think his own safety was at risk at all； for he didn't think that Heller would use artillery…it would endanger Hightee。 Madison's greater worry was himself getting into the cameras： accordingly he was wearing a General Services gray uniform and he had altered his features with makeup and masked them with sand glasses。 If any action started； he was going to step through the port of this tank。
The digitals of the distant clock were flashing second changes。 He looked back at the tanks： their muzzles； freed now from crowd control； were pointed back at Hightee。
She was being pulled against the pillar too tightly by the chain。 Her stretched…out arms must be half killing her。 Her ripped gown had slid half off her shoulder。 But she was looking at the sky。
Then Madison heard it。
A sort of booming sound。
IT WAS DIRECTLY OVERHEAD！
Madison looked up。 For an instant； he could see nothing。 Then he glimpsed a blur that was travelling high at some ferocious speed。 What was it？ Some strange kind of racer？
His view was suddenly blocked by a swinging gun。 The tank was pointing at the sky。
A cry rose up from the held…back mobs。
It could only be Heller。 But the high ship was going right on by！
Eight tanks opened up with a bucking； shattering roar。 The odd space…racer had already passed。 They were firing after it。
Their shots were going straight through it！
It must be some sort of an illusion being pushed ahead of a speeding ship！
It was almost gone。 Then suddenly a gun must have detected the actual vessel behind it。
THERE WAS A HUGE EXPLOSION IN THE SKY！
A direct hit from a tank！
Fragments of a ship were black against the blue！
A shrieking moan came from the crowd。 Before their very eyes； the vessel had been shot down！
Madison glanced across the hundred…yard gap at Hightee。 She was weeping。
Somewhere distant； the remains of the ship crashed； apparently into a warehouse； for flames shot skyward。
Madison looked at the tanks。 He felt that his plans for great PR were gone。 He supposed that Heller had been killed。 It would make such brief headlines！
But then he saw a tank officer pointing。 The arm was stretched upward。
A thousand small objects were drifting down out of the blue。 They were above this whole area and made a mile…diameter circle of their own。
They came lower and lower。 A tank suddenly opened up to try to shoot at least some of them out of the sky。
Madison saw a distant one wink。
Then he had a sudden impression that all the world had turned blue。 Painfully； unbearably blue！
He went unconscious。
Only because cameras kept running would he find out what happened then。
It was blueflash。 A thousand of them in antigravity holders set to let them drift down。 They must have been dropped when the high plane went over and were set to explode a thousand to two hundred feet above the pavement。
Almost every person in a mile diameter was knocked unconscious。
Then behind them came a larger bomb。 It went poof about a hundred feet above the pillar。
The whole area was swallowed in dense fog。
Nothing could be seen。
Then there was the pulsing sound of spaceship drives。 That first ship must have been a drone。 Heller's had not been touched。 There was the thump of a landing in the mist。
Then the click of airlock latches。
Heller's voice！ Very softly； 〃Oh； I am so sorry I had to knock you out。〃
Shortly another click of latches。 Then a throb of drives。
Half an hour later； Madison came awake。
The mist was gone。
There was nothing in the plaza but two broken chains。
HIGHTEE HAD VANISHED！
Madison looked at the bare pillar。 No； there was something else there now。 Something hanging from a pin。
Madison groggily stumbled forward。 He got a camera crew on its feet。 He made them go up and shoot the broken chains and then this strange object on the pin。
It was a cheap excursion ticket。 It had been reworked so as to read：
A ONE…WAY TRIP TO HELL NINE
FOR LOMBAR HISST
Madison was ecstatic。 He had his headline：
OUTLAW BROTHER
RESCUES SISTER
HIGHTEE SAVED
JETTERO HELLER
CONSIGNS
DICTATOR OF VOLTAR
TO PERDITION！
Madison had done it。 He had converted Heller into an outlaw that could now be chased by every active unit in the whole Confederacy！
And the incident of Hero Plaza had started his client on the road to immortality。
Chapter 6
〃I can't imagine how it happened；〃 said a stunned Lombar in the safety of his dungeon office at Government City。 〃Heller is still on the loose！〃
〃It's simply that people don't realize yet；〃 said Madison； 〃that you mean business。 They didn't do the job properly。 They let you down。〃
〃That's true；〃 said Hisst。 〃I have been too weak。 I have tolerated the riffraff too long。 Now they are rioting in the streets。〃
〃Things have gotten up to a point of national emergency；〃 said Madison。 〃You need people around you you can trust。〃
〃Trust somebody？〃 said Lombar； for this was a brand…new idea。
〃I admit that someone like that is pretty rare。 But we'll have to do something about these riots before we can get on with our business。 I'll be right back。〃
Madison went into another room。 There were some Army officers the