rimitsu, with investigative equipment, and find out what's
tying up Car Three."

Mallin had opened the first-aid kit by now; Gerd, on seeing the
constabulary, had holstered his pistol. Kellogg, still holding the sodden
tissues to his nose, was wanting to know what there was to investigate.

"There's the murderer; you have him red-handed. Why don't you arrest him?"

"Jack, let's get over where we can watch these people without having to
listen to them," Lunt said. He glanced toward the body of Goldilocks.
"That happen first?"

"Watch out, Lieutenant! He still has his pistol!" Mallin shouted
warningly.

They went over and sat down on the contragravity-field generator housing
one of the rented airjeeps. Jack started with Gerd van Riebeek's visit
immediately after noon.

"Yes, I thought of that angle myself," Lunt said disgustedly. "I didn't
think of it till this morning, though, and I didn't think things would
blow up as fast as this. Hell, I just didn't think! Well, go on."

He interrupted a little later to ask: "Kellogg was stamping on the Fuzzy
when you hit him. You were trying to stop him?"

"That's right. You can veridicate me on that if you want to."

"I will; I'll veridicate this whole damn gang. And this guy Borch had his
heater out when you turned around? Nothing to it, Jack. We'll have to have
some kind of a hearing, but it's just plain self-defense. Think any of
this gang will tell the truth here, without taking them in and putting
them under veridication?"

"Ruth Ortheris will, I think."

"Send her over here, will you."

She was still with the Fuzzies, and Ben Rainsford was standing beside her,
his camera ready. The Fuzzies were still swaying and yeeking plaintively.
She nodded and rose without speaking, going over to where Lunt waited.

"Just what did happen, Jack?" Rainsford wanted to know. "And whose side is
he on?" He nodded toward van Riebeek, standing guard over Kellogg and
Mallin, his thumbs in his pistol belt.

"Ours. He's quit the Company."

Just as he was finishing, Car Three put in an appearance; he had to tell
the same story over again. The area in front of the Kellogg camp was
getting congested; he hoped Mike Hennen's labor gang would stay away for a
while. Lunt talked to van Riebeek when he had finished with Ruth, and then
with Jimenez and Mallin and Kellogg. Then he and one of the men from Car
Three came over to where Jack and Rainsford were standing. Gerd van
Riebeek joined the