Stranger in a Strange Land

girls guarded night and day-and even then you would not rest, because you would never be sure that those very guards were not tempted. Look at the records of the last hundred or so kidnappings in this country and note how many of them involved a trusted employee - - and note, too, how few victims escaped alive. Then ask yourself: is there any luxury wealth can buy which is worth having your daughters' pretty necks always in a noose?"
                Van Tromp looked thoughtful. "No. I guess I'll keep my mortgaged house-it's more my speed. Those girls are all I've got, Jubal."
                "Amen. I was appalled at the prospect. Wealth holds no charm for me. All I want is to live my own lazy, useless life, sleep in my own bed- and not be bothered! Yet I thought I was going to be forced to spend my last few years sitting in an office, barricaded by buffers, and working long hours as Mike's man of business.
                "Then I had an inspiration. Douglas already lived behind such barricades, already had such a staff. Since I was forced to surrender the power of that money to Douglas merely to ensure Mike's continued health and freedom, why not make the beggar pay for it by assuming all the headaches, too? I was not afraid that Douglas would steal from Mike; only pipsqueak, second-rate politicians are money hungry-and Douglas, whatever his faults, is no pipsqueak. Quit scowling, Ben, and hope that he never dumps the load on you.
                "So I dumped the whole load on Douglas-and now I can go back to my garden. But, as I have said, the money was relatively simple, once I figured it out. It was the Larkin Decision that fretted me."
                Caxton said, "I thought you had lost your wits on that one, Jubal. That silly business of letting them give Mike sovereign 'honors.' Honors indeed! For God's sake, Jubal, you should simply have had Mike sign over all right, title, and interest, if any, under that ridiculous Larkin theory. You knew Douglas wanted him to-Jill told you."
                "Ben m'boy," Jubal said gently, "as a reporter you are hard-working and sometimes readable."
                "Gee, thanks! My fan."
                "But your concepts of strategy are Neanderthal."
                Caxton sighed. "I feel better, Jubal. For a moment there I thought you had become softly sentimental in your old age."
                "When I do, please shoot me. Captain, how many men did you leave on Mars?"
                "Twenty-three."
                "And what is their status, under the Larkin Decision?"
                Van Tromp looked troubled. "I'm not supposed to talk."
                "Then don't," Jubal reassured him. "I can deduce it, and so can Ben."
                Dr. Nelson said, "Skipper, both Stinky and I are civilians again. I shall talk where and how I please-"
                "And shall I," agreed Mahmoud.
                "-and if they want to make trouble for me, they know what they can do with my reserve commission. What business has the government, telling us we can't talk? Those chair-warmers didn't go to Mars. We did."
                "Stow it, Sven. I intended to talk-these are our water brothers. But, Ben, I would rather not see this in your column. I would like to command a space ship again."
                "Captain, I know the meaning of 'off the record.' But if you'll feel easier, I'll join Mike and the girls for a while-I want to see Jill anyhow."
                "Please don't leave. But ... this is among water brothers. The government is in a stew about that nominal colony we left behind. Every man in it joined in signing away his so-called Larkin rights-assigned them to the government-before we left Earth. Mike's presence when we got to Mars confused things enormously. I'm no lawyer, but I understood that, if Mike did waive his rights, whatever they might be, that would put the administration in the driver's seat when it came to parceling out things of value."
                "What things of value?" demanded Caxton. "Other than pure science, I mean. Look, Skipper, I'm not running down your achievement, but from all I've seen and heard, Mars isn't exactly valuable real estate for human beings. Or are there assets that are still classified 'drop dead before reading'?"
                Van Tromp shook his