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Even if I started to dig； I did not know which way。 It was one time I could have used Heller's built…in pass brain； but that was no solution either。 The last person I wanted to see at this time and place was Heller。
But one thing was certain。 I was not going to sit here and perish in the snow； even if it was the Swiss custom。 There is a limit to the courtesy one must display in emulating primitive ethnological fixations。
Cunning came to my rescue。 I could locate the runway nearest to me by listening to the planes。 Gods； they were loud enough as they landed and took off。 They must be being landed and sent away by the controllers in the tower。 No wonder nobody had time to notice a new arrival。
Despite rebounding echoes from the walls of the drift； I did make out what I hoped was the landing strips。 That direction I did not want。 bing superjets out of one's clothing is almost as bad as freezing in the snow。
Nothing for it。 I would have to risk a Code break and hope nobody reported it。
I chose my direction。 I got out a blastick。 I took off its safety。 I levelled it。 I closed my eyes and pressed the trigger。
BLOWIE！ SWOOSH！
It sounded like a cannon shot。
I opened my eyes。 There was no snow in a path twenty feet wide and about thirty yards long。 Only water！
I was quite certain guards and everybody else would e tearing out。 It must have made a flash visible for miles even in the fog。
I waited。
Nothing happened。
More jets landed and took off。
I was very； very unwilling to leave this platform。 I could not be sure that those pirates would not have second thoughts and e back and grab it。
The FIE shotgun would not make much impression on that super…blastproof hull！
But at length； when I saw no patrols and no line…jumper responding to the blast； I took the only action I could。 I stepped off the platform into the water which still ran and walked along the new pathway to its end。
I could see nothing and hear nothing。
I didn't want to use another blastick。 I might knock a building down if one was on the other side of the remaining snow barrier。 I decided on caution。 I fished in my pockets and got out the Domestic Police slash gun。 My hands clumsy with their ski gloves； I managed to set it on lowest intensity。
I pointed it。 I depressed the trigger。 I steadied the tendency of my arm to recoil and began to slice away at the remaining wall of snow。
For a few moments it stood there in very neat blocks。 Then it suddenly； under the latent influence of the slash…ray heat； disintegrated into slushy water。
VICTORY！
A building wall。
I had only burned it a little bit。
Looking backwards； I saw that my precious platform was still there； a murky darkness in the swirling fog。
I looked back at the building wall。 I did an 〃eeny…meeny〃 and chose the left direction。 Using the slash gun； I carved a passage down the wall。
A big door with a little door in it。
I put the slash gun away。 I took a grip on my shotgun。 I opened the smaller door。
It was a sort of office。 Several counters。 Some men in caps shuffling packages around。
One looked up incuriously。 A beefy； phlegmatic sort of man； very red of face。
〃Ja？〃 he said。
〃Sprechen Sie Deutsch？〃 I said。
〃Ja；〃 he said。
Well； I didn't； so that was no help。 〃Parla Italiano？〃 I said hopefully。
〃Nein；〃 he said。
〃（Bleep）！〃 I said。 〃How am I going to talk to you people？〃
〃Well；〃 he said； thinking it over； 〃you could talk English like you just did。〃
Thank Gods！ He spoke English！〃Is this the customs freight shed？〃 I said hopefully。
〃Bulk freight only；〃 he said。 〃If you've e in here to clear those weapons； the passenger terminal customs。。。〃
〃He can't clear anything in；〃 said a bigger； beefier man with a redder face； waddling over。 〃You haf to go to Immigrations； yet。 And in your hands I don't see yet any papers。 If customs you vant； den Immigrations iss。。。〃
〃I'm riding shotgun on a gold shipment！〃 I said。 〃It's right outside。〃
〃Gold；〃 said the first man。
〃GOLD！〃 said the bigger man。
〃Well； bring it in；〃 said the first man。
〃I can't；〃 I said。 〃There's twelve and a half tons of it！〃
〃Wait； wait！〃 cried the bigger man。 〃Stand right there！ Don't breathe。 Don't move。 Ve vill handle every…t'ing！〃
Chapter 8
Eight hours later； I was riding shotgun again on a much more valuable package。
In financial and related matters； Switzerland spells service with a capital bow。
It seems that everybody has a relative or friend who has exactly what you want。
They phone ahead。
And they're probably called gnomes because they work at any time； whether it is day or night。
A wonderful place。 Their weather might be cold and their buildings gray； but Switzerland had all looked very rosy to me。
The customs chief had a relative who ran the armored trucks business。 This relative had a brother who ran the Zorich Banking Corporation Gold Department。 And this brother had a cousin who was the bank's assayer。 And none of them minded leaving the opera or mistresses or wives and kiddies； no matter the time of night； to highball me through。
Wonderful。 Nice people。 Best on the planet。
Each time I went to the next place； I was known already and expected。
A whirlwind night。 And it contained some wonderful high points。 Gold； at the evening fix； had been 855。19 an ounce。 The verified and assayed quantity； once the lead decoys were discarded； had e to 301；221 ounces。 This added up to 257；601；186。99。
But that was not all of the good news。
My problem was that money could be robbed off me and my signature could be forged and all these hard…won gains could have been wiped out at any time in the future by a single misstep on my part。 That had all been solved。
The interest； at a nominal 10 percent； on such an amount was 25；760；118。70 every year。 That itself was more than I could even extravagantly spend。 And so the bank had made a deal。
I had sold them the gold； for 515 one…half…million…dollar certificates and 18；527 pocket cash。 Each separate certificate would earn 10 percent per annum until it was cashed。
All I had to do in the future was hand over one of these certificates to a Zorich Banking Corporation correspondent bank in any country and I would be given half a million U。 S。 dollars； plus the interest up to that date on the certificate。 They were actually each a bank IOU for half a million dollars。 They have a fancy name： they are called 〃bank demand debentures。〃 It means simply a bank's IOU。
They were better than the gold。 They were more valuable； because of interest； than the gold。 And even more important to me； I could hide them much more easily。
It was a good deal for the bank as well。 They now owned my gold and could make money with it at far more than 10 percent。 They actually didn't have to pay for it right then。 And it got around the fact that U。 S。 dollars； in banks； usually ride as figures in ledgers； not bills in a cash box。 Had I dema