h well, that was a long time ago, cobber. A long time."

He rubbed a pasty hand over his chin, shaking his head and wheezing
heavily. Gordon chuckled. "Well, how--?"

Something banged heavily against the entrance seal, and there was the
sound of a hot argument, followed by a commotion of some sort. Corey
seemed to prick up his ears, and began to waddle rapidly toward the
entrance.

It broke open before he could reach it, the seal snapping back to show a
giant of a man outside holding the two guards from across the street,
while a scar-faced, dark man shoved through briskly. Corey snapped out a
quick word, and the two guards ceased struggling and started back across
the street. The giant pushed in after the smaller thug.

"I'm from the Ajax Householders Protection Group," the dark man
announced officially. "We're selling election protection. And brother,
do you need it, if you're counting on those mugs. We're assessing you--"

"Not long on Mars, are you?" Mother Corey asked. The whine was entirely
missing from his voice now, though his face seemed as expressionless as
ever. "What does your boss Jurgens figure on doing, punk? Taking over
_all_ the rackets for the whole city?"

The dark face snarled, while the giant moved a step forward. Then he
shrugged. "Okay, Fatty. So Jurgens is behind it. So now you know. And
I'm doubling your assessment, right now. To you, it's--"

A heavy hand fell on the man's shoulder, and Mother Corey leaned forward
slightly. Even in Mars' gravity, his bulk made the other buckle at the
knees. The hand that had been reaching for the knife yanked the weapon
out and brought it up sharply.

Gordon started to step in, then, but there was no time. Mother Corey's
free hand came around in an open-palmed slap that lifted the collector
up from the floor and sent him reeling back against a wall. The knife
fell from the crook's hand, and the dark face turned pale. He sagged
down the wall, limply.

The giant opened his mouth, and took half a step forward; but the only
sound he made was a choking gobble. Mother Corey moved without seeming
haste, but before the other could make up his mind. There was a series
of motions that seemed to have no pattern. The giant was spun around,
somehow; one arm was jerked back behind him, then the other was forced
up to it. Mother Corey held the wrists in one hand, put his other under
the giant's crotch, and lifted. Carrying the big figure off the floor,
the old man m