this, I'll see that they toss you into solitary
and toss the key away."

"What are you talking about?" But he released his hold.

"Just think about it, Jackson. The Government can't get its hands on
that money unless I permit it. As I said, we'll arrive at an equitable
arrangement. And that will be a damn sight less than ninety-eight
percent of my earnings, believe me."

"If you refuse to pay, we'll--" He stopped suddenly.

"--Throw me in jail?" McLeod shook his head. "You can't get money
while I'm in jail."

"We'll wait," said Jackson firmly. "After a little while in a cell,
you'll listen to reason and will sign those checks."

"You don't think very well, do you, Jackson? To 'sign' a check, I have
to go to the Galactic Resident. As soon as you take me to him, I
authorize a check to buy me a ticket for some nice planet where there
are no income taxes."

Jackson opened his mouth and shut it again, frowning.

"Think about it, Jackson," McLeod continued. "Nobody can get that
money from me without my consent. Now it so happens that I want to
help Earth; I have a certain perverse fondness for the human race,
even though it is inconceivably backward by Galactic standards. We
have about as much chance of ever becoming of any importance on the
Galactic scale as the Australian aborigine has of becoming important
in world politics, but a few thousand years of evolution may bring out
a few individuals who have the ability to do something. I'm not sure.
But I'm damned if I'll let the boneheads run all over me while they
take my money.

"I happen to be, at the moment--and through sheer luck--Earth's only
natural resource as far as the galaxy is concerned. Sure you can put
me in jail. You can kill me if you want. But that won't give you the
money. I am the goose that lays the golden eggs. But I'm not such a
goose that I'm going to let you boot me in the tail while you steal
the gold.

"Earth has no other source of income. None. Tourists are few and far
between and they spend almost nothing. As long as I am alive and in
good health and out of prison, Earth will have a nice steady income of
fifty thousand Galactic credits a year.

"Earth, I said. Not the Government, except indirectly. I intend to see
that my money isn't confiscated." He had a few other plans, too, but
he saw no necessity of mentioning them to Jackson.

"If I don't like the way the Government behaves, I'll simply shut off
the source of supply. Understan