"It's just the ends; it'll be gone the next haircut I get. You don't look different—not a day older."
"I've been in trance most of the time; that's why."
"You were?"
"Yes," she said.
"But—I'm afraid—I didn't bring back Tony after all."
"Oh, I didn't do it on Tony's account. I don't care anything about him any more."
"Then—uh—whose?"
"Can't you guess?"
"You mean you—uh—you—"
She nodded. He held out his arms, and the warden, who thought of Anglo-Saxons as cold fish, received a surprising enlightenment.
He brought out the little Krishnan god, which he had been carrying in his pocket for this moment, and gave it to her. Then they sat down holding hands. Hasselborg found that the paralysis of his vocal organs had vanished. They talked at a terrific pace of their past, present, and future until Hasselborg looked at his watch.
"Say," he cried, "I forgot I haven't even got a lawyer yet! Wait a minute, will you, chum?"
He dashed back to the telephone, this time getting Montejo and Durruti, who promised to send him a lawyer forthwith. The lawyer was arranging bail when the warden announced more visitors—a Senor Batruni and a lady.
Batruni practically slobbered over Hasselborg in gratitude. When the investigator finally wormed out of the emotional Levantine's embrace, he introduced Alexandra simply as "my fiancee, Miss Garshin." Then he asked Julnar:
"I thought I asked you to call Montejo and Durruti for me yesterday?"
"I would have, Victor, only—"
"Only what?"
"Well, you see, the stupid taxi driver must have misunderstood me and took me to the wrong place, so we got into an argument, and what with me not speaking any Spanish or Catalan and he not speaking any English or French or Arabic it was simply ghastly—and what with one thing and another, by the time I did get to the Cristobal I'd forgotten the name!"
"Then why didn't you call me at the jail and find out?"
"I didn't think of that."
"Where were you during the evening, and again this morning when I called you?"
"In the evening I went to a movie, and when I got back to my room, Daddy called me by telephone from Aleppo to say he was chartering a special fast plane. So this morning I was so excited I left early to wait for him at the airport."
Hasselborg sighed. Nice girl, but too scatterbrained for his taste.
"Has Daddy told you the news?" she continued. "Of course not; he just arrived. Tell him, Daddy."
"I am going back to Krishna with Julnar," said Batruni.
"Why?" said Hasselborg.
"It is this way. While you were gone, the government socialized my factories. They paid me for them, so I need not starve, but there is no more fun in life. I even offered to act as manager; but they turned it down. They do not trust a wicked capitalist to run them without sabotaging them. There is no pleasure on Earth any more. Everything is too orderly, planned, regulated. You cannot move a meter without tripping over red tape.
"Therefore, if you will give me a letter directing that person who has Anthony in custody to let him go, I will go to Krishna and live with this wild son-in-law of mine in his island kingdom. I shall be a genuine prince, which you cannot be on Earth any more unless you are a Scandinavian."
"Isn't it just too divine?" squealed Julnar. "Now I'm really grateful to you for kidnaping me!"
"Swell," said Hasselborg. "I hope you're satisfied with the way I carried out the assignment, Mr. Batruni."
"Certainly, more than satisfied. In fact I am so pleased that I have an offer to make to you."
"Another job? said Hasselborg in slight alarm.
"Yes, but not the kind you think. In addition to my regular fee I am offering you a lectureship at the University of Beyrut, of which I am a trustee."
Hasselborg paused to let this sink in. "A lectureship in what?"
"Anglo-Saxon law."
"My word! I'd have to think, even if I beat this rap; but my sincerest thanks. I'd have to brush up on my law and my Arabic. Say, how about seeing the sights of Barcelona? I promised Julnar but got pinched before I could deliver. Come on; 'tis a privilege high to have dinner and tea, along with the Red Queen, the White Queen, and me!"
The hearing took place the following morning. In the front row, like Alice between the two queens, sat
Papa Batruni, showing signs of a hangover, with his daughter on one side and Alexandra on the other. The magistrate had just called the case when a bulky Oriental walked down the aisle.
"Chuen!" cried Hasselborg, then to his lawyer: "Senor Agüesar, there's the man we want!"
Chuen shook hands warmly. "I just arrived and learned you were in pokey. I left several days after you, but in faster ship."
"I always get the scows," said Hasselborg, and explained his plight.
When the Viagens officer, Ndombu, had explained the warrant, Agüesar called Chuen to the stand. Chuen, using an interpreter, told what had happened on Krishna, emphasizing the fact that only by a slight infraction of the anti-invention regulation had Hasselborg been able to survive to forestall another and much graver violation.
"Case dismissed," said the magistrate.
Hasselborg asked Chuen: "Could you stay over two days and act as my best man?" At Chuen's quizzical look he added: "Miss Garshin and I are getting married. We got our license yesterday, but they've got a three-day law in Iberia."
"I'm so sorry! I have my ticket for airplane to China; leave this afternoon. If I miss, won't be another seat for a week. Wish I knew sooner."
"Oh. Too bad. When are you going?"
Chuen looked at his watch. "Should start in a few minutes."
"I'll go with you. Can you dear, sweet people excuse me for an hour?"
In the taxi Chuen said: "Glad to get back to civilization?"
"Right! What did you do after I left?"
"Collected evidence for several days. I got those letters from Gois to Dasht of Ruz, for instance. Took doing."
"What happened to Gois?"
"Oh, he got ten years; couple of others who were in with him, shorter terms."
"Was Abreu in on it?"
"No; he's all right. He wouldn't belieye Gois was a crook at first, but when I convinced him he helped me very much. But while I was still in Hershid, the most awful thing happened to me!
"What?"
"Fouri made me marry her on threat of exposing me as Terran spy! Embarrassing, especially since I already got wife and eight children in Gweilin."
"What's the dope on Haste and Fouri? She can't be his niece—"
"No."
"Mistress?"
"Think no. Haste real old ascetic."
"She is a Krishnan?"
"Oh, yes," said Chuen.
"Then how—"
"Haste was a deserter from one of earliest ships to land on Krishna. Pretty old then, over two hundred. Set himself up as holy hermit, lived in cave, became a power in their church in Gozashtand. Then when there was deadlock in election a few years ago, they picked him for high priest as compromise. Not bad man really, but too small for his job. Was owing to his weak leadership the Church was failing, I think, which is after all good thing if you don't believe that astrological nonsense."
"But Fouri?"
"She was young girl from caravan of Gavehona—you know, a wandering tribe, like our Gypsies. Went live with him while he was still hermit; don't know how much for religion, how much for regular meals. When he became high priest, she moved in with him—like father and daughter. Now Haste getting really old, so Fouri start looking for another berth. Fall in love with you; genuine, I think. Made Haste cooperate by threatening to expose him as Earthman.
"Meanwhile Haste is looking for another berth too, since his Established Church is failing, so he entered plot with Fallon. He was going to hail Fallon as Messiah or something like that when Fallon took Hershi'd. We fixed that. But when you escaped, idea of getting married had become an obsession with Fouri. Haste couldn't marry her, obviously, so she picked me; better than nothing, I suppose. Maybe she thought I'd fall in love with her and stay. Hard enough to tell what goes on in Earthwoman's mind."