gs. Nobody!"

He planted his left hand on the desk before Stern and leaned over a
little.

"We got an agreement, you and I, remember? I do the thinking. Me--old
Jake Gorham--I'm the brain. You got this talent, see. You tell people
they should go do something, they go do it. But not old Jake. No, no.
With him, it don't work so good. Everybody else, maybe, but not old
Jake." He waved his head to and fro, keeping watchful eyes on Stern.

The younger man slammed his hands to his desk, pushing himself back.

"You listen to me, old man," he snapped. "We had an agreement--once.
And you've been using it to ride my back ever since. It's come to an
end. Right now." He got to his feet, his deepset eyes seeming to flame.

"From now on, I'm the top man, do you understand?" His lip curled.

"I'm the regent. I'm the law. I tell these people what to do, and they
do it. And I can tell them to take you out and shoot you. Don't forget
that." His hand started toward a button on his desk.

* * * * *

Jake Gorham's hand blurred into motion and a small weapon was suddenly
in it. He pointed it at Stern.

"Sit down, Danny-boy," he ordered menacingly. "Sit down. And listen.
Listen real good." He spread his legs a little.

"Like I said, I'm the brains here. I do the thinking. Remember back in
Tonar City? Remember what happened, you tried once to run things for
yourself? Remember who came along and pulled you out just in time?" He
laughed shortly.

"Yeah, you need old Jake. You gotta have him. You think you just tell
these people--they should do anything you want. Oh sure. That lasts for
a while, maybe, but they get tired. Just like on Konelree, remember?
And what do you do when a whole mob moves in on you? Eh? What do you
do? You ain't got the moxie to handle no mobs, remember?

"But old Jake, he thinks of things, and we both get along real good.
Yeah, Danny-boy, you need old Jake." He glanced down at his weapon,
then waved it from side to side.

"But you know something else? Old Jake, he don't need you so much. Oh,
sure, it's nice here. I like it real good. But I got along real nice
for a long time before I picked you up, you see what I mean. You didn't
do no good at all. Talent, you got. But brains? No, them they didn't
give you. And they didn't give you much guts, either, Danny-boy. Them,
I got.

"And you know something else, Danny-boy? I got all kinds evidence. You
done some pretty bad