sales on the planets they have already covered will continue with
diminishing success over the next several years. Actually, your
publishers will continue to put a billion books a year on the market
and expand to new planets at a rate that will balance the loss of
sales on the planets where it has already run its course. Yes,
professor, you will have a good income for life."

"What about my heirs?"

"Heirs?" The Galactic Resident blinked. "I'm afraid I don't quite
follow you."

"My relatives. Anyone who will inherit my property after my death."

The Resident still looked puzzled. "What about them?"

"How long can they go on collecting? When does the copyright run out?"

The Galactic Resident's puzzlement vanished. "Oh my dear professor!
Surely you see that it is impossible to ... er ... inherit money one
hasn't earned! The income stops with your death. Your children or your
wife have done nothing to earn that money. Why should it continue to
be paid out after the earner has died? If you wish to make provisions
for such persons during your lifetime, that is your business, but the
provisions must be made out of money you have already earned."

"Who does get the income, then?" McLeod asked.

The Galactic Resident looked thoughtful. "Well, the best I can explain to
you without going into arduous detail is to say that our ... er ...
government gets it. 'Government' is not really the proper word in this
context, since we have no government as you think of it. Let us merely say
that such monies pass into a common exchequer from which ... er ... public
servants like myself are paid."

McLeod had a vision of a British Crown Officer trying to explain to a
New Guinea tribesman what he meant when he said that taxes go to the
Crown. The tribesman would probably wonder why the Chief of the
English Tribe kept cowrie shells under his hat.

"I see. And if I am imprisoned for crime?" he asked.

"The payments are suspended until the ... er ... rehabilitation is
complete. That is, until you are legally released."

"Is there anything else that can stop the payments?"

"Not unless the publishing company fails--which is highly unlikely. Of
course, a man under hypnotic compulsion or drugs is not considered
legally responsible, so he cannot transact any legal business while he
is in that state, but the checks are merely held for him until that
impediment is removed."

"I see." McLeod nodded.

He knew perfectly well that he no