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〃Ah；〃 he said。 But he looked a little worried。 〃That will only be two…thirds of a million。〃 I had seen he had a huge catalogue on his desk。 With his gracious permission I took it。 I got out a pen。 I started going through it； checking off everything of interest that I saw and writing quantities： electric surgical knives； instant heat flasks； seven varieties of anesthetic applicators； stainproof coats 。 。 。 on and on。
He was quite patient。
I ran out。 I got the major list back and quadrupled the usable； expendable items on it like chemicals and power packs。 It was enough to patch up an army or two。
I was very interested that he had been keeping a little wrist puter going。 He must have very good eyes or he knew where the items were on the pages I had gone over。
〃That's only four hundred and sixty thousand； before doubling；〃 he plained。
〃Well； I tell you what you do；〃 I said。 〃You probably have several items that are exotic and not advertised。
Throw those in。 Then get the actual price up to four hundred and ninety thousand credits。〃
〃Why not half a million？〃 he said。
〃Because；〃 I said； 〃you are going to pad the price of some of the items to make it e out to half a million but you are going to hand me ten thousand in cash。〃 Oh； he could do that。 He got permission to turn his desk back on and in seconds we had an office absolutely jammed with junior executives； accountants； stock clerks； shipping clerks and people to hold things for them while they ran off bills and orders and instructions。 A beautiful display of utter efficiency。
I sat with lordly mien； puffing on an oversized puff…stick the while。 And soon they were all cleared out。 They had left some paper on his desk。 He was waiting expectantly for me to produce my identoplate and start stamping。 I opened a fresh chank…pop instead。
〃There's one more thing；〃 I said。 〃Take a little scrap of paper…that blue blank there will do…and write on it； 'Officer Gris： I consider your request for personal mission outrageous and refuse it。 We only do business on proper channels and with total legality。' And sign it。〃 He did all that and gave me the paper。
〃Now；〃 I said； 〃the ten thousand！〃 Some clerk had already brought it in。 It was in a fabric wraparound case。 He handed it over。 I did not bother to count it。 We big tycoons of business have to trust one another。
I began to stamp。 Every time my identoplate hit a piece of paper； his grin appeared broader by half an inch。 His head was practically split in half when I had finished。 He was too satisfied。 He was going to put in inferior goods or chemicals。
〃As Inspector General Overlord for the project；〃 I said； 〃I must warn you that I will catch all shorts and any spoiled chemicals or any faults in packing。〃 A little bit of his smile faded。
〃And if Lombar Hisst ever hears about this ten thousand； I will say all the goods arrived damaged and the chemicals spoiled。〃 He looked at me for a moment。 Then he jumped up and pumped my hand。 〃I appreciate a careful client； Officer Gris。〃 And he laughed。 〃We understand each other pletely。〃
〃I will stop by your shipping department and tell them where the two different shipments are sent。 I will also want fifty spare shipping labels just in case some fall off。〃 He handed me the fabric wraparound case。 I put it and the blue handwritten note into an old lunch sack I had； folded； in my pocket。 He saw me out clear through the bustling shipping department and to my airbus。 He even waved as I took off。
〃Am I rich yet？〃 Ske badgered at me。
I handed him ten credits。 〃You're rich；〃 I said。
Actually； I had a glow inside me like a gallon of bubblebrew。
I suddenly wasn't poor！ I could even buy some hot jolt and a bun！
〃There was somebody watching this airbus；〃 said Ske。 He didn't seem as happy as I was。 〃I think you're being shadowed。〃
〃Nonsense；〃 I said。 〃Who would be interested in a perfectly legal government transaction？ There's a jolt joint down there。 Land so I can have some breakfast。〃 Nothing was going to spoil this marvelous day！
Heavens help you now； Heller； I said to myself as I ravenously chomped down on a sweetbun。 A clever Gris might not be enough。 But a clever Gris and a rich Gris are an unbeatable bination！ You're sunk！
PART TEN
Chapter 1
I was on my way to getting even richer； but first I had to cover some tracks。 Be neat has always been my motto。
Still sucking crumbs out of my teeth； I stepped into a streetside message center and started dropping hundredths…of…a…credit tokens in the slots。 I got a greetings envelope； a fancy note sheet used for sending presents and a pen。 Using the little desk； I wrote： Know All Lombar： Happy going away present。 H。 was adamant to buy these supplies but I got in real quick to protect your interests。 I hope I did right。
Your alert subordinate； Soltan For a hundredth of a credit； you can get a facsimile of something。 I took the million…credit Zanco bill； copied it and on the duplicate drew a huge circle around the total； put an arithmetical division sign on it and the figure 〃2〃。
Then I drew an arrow and wrote Lombar。 He would certainly get the idea。 We are used to using informal codes in the Apparatus。
On the greetings envelope； I wrote： To a Great Chief Then I took the blue paper that Zanco had written； refusing to give me a mission。 I held it up to the glass and dropped in another hundredth credit to get a copy。 I took the duplicate and diagonally across the bottom wrote： Please can you lift this restriction a little bit？
That done； I splurged and bought a two…hundredths…credit cover envelope； put it all inside and addressed it formally…and top secret…to Lombar Hisst as Chief of the Coordinated Information Apparatus。
Of course I didn't put it in the regular post。 I walked a little way up the street to a place I knew was a cover operation for the Apparatus…a women's underwear shop…and gave it to the agent in the back office for immediate transmission。
It made me feel very virtuous。 I could hear Lombar purr when he got that！ He might even say； 〃Ah； that Gris： a perfect subordinate。〃 Lombar never turns down money！
I had breakfasted rather well。 I had bought five huge sweetbuns and had only been able to eat four and a half。 As a benign philanthropist； I handed the leftover half to Ske。 He just glanced at the teeth marks in it and put it down on the seat。 Ungrateful。
Nothing could dampen my euphoria。 〃Power City！〃 I manded in a lordly fashion。 〃Boulevard of the Metal Markets！〃 My driver made muttering noises。 It is natural。 Nobody likes to fly over Power City if he can help it。 I was shortly looking down upon it。 That is to say； trying to。
The air over the place is a violent yellow。 It is not smoke： it is the effect of huge induction fields on the surrounding atmosphere； it does things to molecules； whether gaseous or colloidally suspended solids。 These induction fields e from the huge conversion energy generators that hum and roar away； furnishing the bulk of the power for this side of the planet and providing at the same time； most of its rarer metals。 The conversion of one element to another delivers both the metals and the power。 It is very neat； really。