ed; it figured.

He went straight to the Hotel Gandyll, making sure that his tail didn't
lose him. Not until they were in the lobby did he make any attempt to
shake the man who was following him. He went into the bar, ordered a
drink, and took a sip. He left his change and the drink on the bar and
headed out the door in the direction of the men's room. Whoever was
following him wouldn't realize for a minute or two that he was leaving
for good. A man doesn't usually leave change and an unfinished drink in
a bar.

Drake took the lift tube up to his room, attended to some unfinished
business, and waited.

* * * * *

Less than three minutes later, the door was opened. In walked Viron
Belgezad and his lieutenant, Jomis Dobigel. Both of them looked
triumphant, and they were surrounded by a squad of Royal Police.

"There he is," said Dobigel. "Arrest him!"

A police officer stepped forward. "Anson Drake, I arrest you in the name
of the Shan," he said.

Drake grinned. "On what charge?"

"The theft of the Necklace of Algol."

Drake looked directly at Belgezad. "Did old Fatface here say I took it?"

"You can't talk that way," Dobigel snarled, stepping forward.

"Who says so, Ugly?"

At that, Dobigel stepped forward and threw a hard punch from his
shoulder--straight at Drake's face.

It never landed. Drake side-stepped it and brought a smashing uppercut
up from his knees. It lifted Dobigel off his feet and sent him crashing
back against old Belgezad, toppling them both to the floor.

The policemen had all drawn their guns, but Drake was standing placidly
in the middle of the room, his hands high above his head regarding the
scene calmly.

"I'll go quietly," he said. "I've got no quarrel with the police."

One of the officers led him out into the hall while the others searched
his room. Belgezad was sputtering incoherently. Another policeman was
trying to wake up Dobigel.

"If you're looking for the Necklace of Algol," Drake said, "you won't
find it there."

The captain of the police squad said: "We know that, Mr. Drake. We are
merely looking for other evidence. We already have the necklace." He
reached in his belt pouch and took out a small plastic box. He opened
it, disclosing a glittering rope of jewels. "You were seen depositing
this in a baggage locker at the spaceship terminal. We have witnesses
who saw you, and we had it removed under police supervision."

Viron Belgeza