He looked around the room, then got to his feet.
"Tell me, has any progress been made on locating the Waern 'Book ofAncestors'?"
"No, your honor. Records has located and destroyed the last of theevidence here in Oreladar. But the Waern copy has not yet beenlocated."
Stern nodded. "Find out who is responsible for the long delay indiscovering the Waern claim, Lander. That is inexcusable." He frowned.
"Now, to the Waernu. Did anyone see them leave their home?"
The aide shook his head. "Observers say Michaels' flier landed in theWaern courtyard. A few minutes later, it took off and headed toward themountains. The observers were unable to determine how many people werein the flier when it departed. It left too abruptly and traveled toofast. They determined its direction, but were unable to follow it."
"Valuable men! I think we should take careful note of all those peopleup at Riandar. Possibly they should be reassigned to duties more suitedto their abilities. Tell me, did anyone have the elementaryintelligence to have this flier tracked?"
"They tried, your honor. But it disappeared in the canyons, flying verylow. Search fliers have been operating for several hours, but no traceof it has been found."
Stern nodded. "Well, we won't discuss it any further," he decided. "Youknow my feelings on the Riandar people. I should say it would be safeto assume the Waernu are holed up in Michaels' home. Get the exactlocation of that place. Then set up an Enforcement Corps operation." Hefrowned.
"Get some men out to make sure those people don't go into the hillcountry before we can take care of them. You can use the search planesfor that. Then attend to your advance publicity and set up elimination.You'll give that personal supervision, all the way through. Clear?"
The aide nodded.
"Very well. See that you make it simple. I'm not going to tell you howto handle this in detail, but I expect to watch a broadcast showingtheir removal within the next three days. Get started."
"Yes, your honor." The aide backed out of the room.
* * * * *
Stern watched the door close behind the man, then faced around as a dryvoice sounded behind him.
"Real nice, Danny," it said. "You went through it without a stumble.Even came up with something of your own. You're learning, Kid."
Stern glared at the scrawny man.
"I thought you picked those people up at Riandar. I thought you saidthey knew how to do things."
The other shrugged and spread his hands. "Well, Danny," he said, "youknow how it is. Once in a while, we underestimate the opposition, andthey slip one over." He leaned back in his chair, staring at Stern.
"But maybe this way, it's even better," he added. "We get a few in thenet we didn't even suspect existed, you see?" He paused.
"I think you should have a talk with this Masterson yourself," he wenton. "Maybe you should tell him to give us some of this information hehas, eh?"
Stern looked at him in annoyance. "I expect you and the rest of thepeople around here to do some work, Gorham. After all, I'm the regent.Do I have to do everything?"
Gorham got to his feet and brushed some of the dust from his trousers.
"I tell you, Danny," he said seriously, "some of these little things,you have to be doing. Some of these things, only your talent will takecare of, no?" He held up one hand, waggling a finger in the air.
Stern glared at him.
"Gorham," he snapped, "I think I'll have to remind you of your place."He tapped himself on the chest.
"I'm the regent, remember? I'm the kingpin here. You're just a seniorexecutive secretary. You wanted it that way, and that's the way it is.But I expect you to start doing some work. I don't care how you getinformation out of that man, Masterson, but I expect you to get it. Icertainly don't intend to do your work for you. Now get at it!"
Gorham considered him for a moment, then walked slowly across the roomtill he stood before Stern's desk.
"Now, Danny-boy," he said softly, "don't you go trying that funny stuffon old Jake. It don't work so good, remember? Nobody ever tells oldJake he should do things. Nobody!"
He planted his left hand on the desk before Stern and leaned over alittle.
"We got an agreement, you and I, remember? I do the thinking. Me--oldJake Gorham--I'm the brain. You got this talent, see. You tell peoplethey should go do something, they go do it. But not old Jake. No, no.With him, it don't work so good. Everybody else, maybe, but not oldJake." He waved his head to and fro, keeping watchful eyes on Stern.
The younger man slammed his hands to his desk, pushing himself back.
"You listen to me, old man," he snapped. "We had an agreement--once.And you've been using it to ride my back ever since. It's come to anend. Right now." He got to his feet, his deepset eyes seeming to flame.
"From now on, I'm the top man, do you understand?" His lip curled.
"I'm the regent. I'm the law. I tell these people what to do, and theydo it. And I can tell them to take you out and shoot you. Don't forgetthat." His hand started toward a button on his desk.
* * * * *
Jake Gorham's hand blurred into motion and a small weapon was suddenlyin it. He pointed it at Stern.
"Sit down, Danny-boy," he ordered menacingly. "Sit down. And listen.Listen real good." He spread his legs a little.
"Like I said, I'm the brains here. I do the thinking. Remember back inTonar City? Remember what happened, you tried once to run things foryourself? Remember who came along and pulled you out just in time?" Helaughed shortly.
"Yeah, you need old Jake. You gotta have him. You think you just tellthese people--they should do anything you want. Oh sure. That lasts fora while, maybe, but they get tired. Just like on Konelree, remember?And what do you do when a whole mob moves in on you? Eh? What do youdo? You ain't got the moxie to handle no mobs, remember?
"But old Jake, he thinks of things, and we both get along real good.Yeah, Danny-boy, you need old Jake." He glanced down at his weapon,then waved it from side to side.
"But you know something else? Old Jake, he don't need you so much. Oh,sure, it's nice here. I like it real good. But I got along real nicefor a long time before I picked you up, you see what I mean. You didn'tdo no good at all. Talent, you got. But brains? No, them they didn'tgive you. And they didn't give you much guts, either, Danny-boy. Them,I got.
"And you know something else, Danny-boy? I got all kinds evidence. Youdone some pretty bad things here, remember?" He smiled, exposing yellowteeth.
"Real bad things, they wouldn't like them at all. And I can prove allthem things. Me, I ain't got no responsibility. I'm just a poor, littleold guy you keep around for laughs, remember?" He chuckled.
"You tell them to take me out and shoot me? I should laugh. You reachfor that button. Go ahead. Stick your finger out. Then this thing here,it sings you a little song. And I go get some papers I got somewherearound here. And I go get some recordings. And maybe a few pictures.And then Old Jake's a public hero. And he takes a lot of money and goesaway from here, he should spend his old age some place where he likesit better." He waved the weapon again.
"Still want to play?"
Stern's face was bloodless. He dropped into his chair, then put hishead in his hands.
"I'm sorry, Jake," he said. "Sorry. I guess I'm just a little tiredright now. Forget it, will you?"
"Sure, Danny-boy. Sure. We forget all about it. Now suppose we quit forthe night, eh? Then in the morning, we get this Masterson fellow inhere. And you find out from him just who he is and why he comes here.And you can let him tell us what he's been doing and who he's beenworking with, eh?" Gorham smiled and stuck the weapon back in hissleeve.
"We ain't doing so bad," he went on. "We ain't doing bad at all." Hereached out to stir the papers on Stern's desk with a forefinger.
"These people up at Riandar, they don't do so good maybe on that Waernkid. But they don't do so bad all the time. They get this Masterson,see? Right
away, they're on him, soon as this guy Rayson gets himselfkilled off."
Stern nodded. "Yes," he admitted, "at least, they did have the sense topick up Masterson--after he'd done plenty of damage. They were prettyslow. And they missed the Michaels boy entirely. So now, the Waern boyis out of easy reach." He frowned.
"We had things set up for an elimination on him, you know."
Gorham wagged his head. "Makes very little. Him, we can get. Him, theytake care of in a