Bemmelman lowered his head like a bull. "I haven't the men to spare to
guard you, even if I could trust them. I was too good a friend of your
father's, Mia, to leave you here with those three murderers roaming in
the neighborhood. You're coming with me."
Cosmo, observing quietly, frowned to himself. What was the planter
trying to pull?
"I'm not," said Mia indignantly. "Really this is preposterous. It's...."
Bemmelman glared at her, seized her arm. "Girl, don't be a fool. If
those runaways show up here, they'd chop you to pieces. Come along."
Unceremoniously, he began to drag her toward his plane.
"Cosmo!" Mia's gray eyes snapped open like saucers.
Cosmo's hand fell on Bemmelman's shoulder, spun him around.
"You heard Miss MacIver." Two rouge-like spots sprang out on Cosmo's
high cheek bones. His green eyes were opaque.
"Get your dirty paws off me!" Bemmelman roared in surprise. He almost
choked with rage. "By Jupiter! I'll teach you a lesson you won't soon
forget! Yes sir!"
With a growl, the red-faced planter lashed out with his fist. The blow
struck Cosmo on his right cheek bone, snapped back his head.
"You shouldn't have done that," said Cosmo. He turned loose Bemmelman's
shoulder.
The planter swung again wildly. Cosmo slipped the blow. With a straight
left, he knocked Bemmelman down.
The planter shook his head. There was a surprised look on his beefy red
features. Sinking his head in his bull neck, he scrambled to his feet.
Cosmo knocked him down again.
Bemmelman turned his brown pig-like eyes up to Cosmo. He tried to rise.
Cosmo knocked him down for the third time.
He said: "Bemmelman, get out of here. If you ever lay hands to me
again, I'll kill you."
The planter heaved himself to his feet, lip drooling blood. He crossed
to his surface plane, scrambled inside. Then he shook his fist at
Cosmo.
"I'll get you for this, Horn. You haven't MacIver to protect you now.
I'll get you."
Cosmo took a step toward the plane.
Bemmelman hastily slammed the door. The vehicle swooped from the
ground, sped away like a silver bullet.
"He will," said Mia in a small voice. "You shouldn't have done that,
Cosmo. He's powerful. He controls the Council of Land Owners."
"He struck me." Cosmo's lean features were like clay. "If he does it
again, I'll kill him."