"When I do, you'll fall," said Hale, in a voice like chilled steel.
"You and I have made a deal. I get that Dachboden for you, and you pay
me half a million stellors. That's all there is to it."
The Portfolio of State was not a man to be pushed around easily, but
he also had sense enough to know when he was up against a stronger
opponent than himself.
Shortly after the original announcement about the time capsule had
come from Grosstat, Leland Hale had come to Fonshliezen to offer his
services. If Hale stole the Dachboden original, and gave it to Hinrik
Fonshliezen, then Sudapfahl could steal the glory from its northern
neighbor by claiming that a second capsule had been found. When the
northern capsule was discovered to have no statue in it, the pride of
Nordapfahl would suffer a serious blow.
But now Fonshliezen was worried.
"But how can you get it now?" he asked. "The planet is full of
Interstellar Police agents; the time capsule is tightly guarded. If
only the secret of Dr. Dale's identity hadn't leaked out!"
Hale chuckled and settled himself back into the chair.
"Hinrik, old toad, do you know how the I.P. learned about the bogus Dr.
Dale?"
The Portfolio had stepped over to a highboy to mix himself a stiff
drink. "No," he said, glancing at Hale. "Do you?"
"I do. They got an anonymous message. Of course, they traced it; they
know that it was actually sent by an acquaintance of mine on Vandemar,
a chap who might have good reason to inform on me."
"How do you know all this?"