urprise, the small man he had selected earlier in the day to be his
batman entered from an inner room, also resplendent in the Haer uniform
and obviously happily so.

He helped his superior out of the jacket with an ease that held no
subservience but at the same time was correctly respectful. You'd have
thought him a batman specially trained.

Joe grunted, "Max, isn't it? I'd forgotten about you. Glad you found our
billet all right."

Max said, "Yes, sir. Would the captain like a drink? I picked up a
bottle of applejack. Applejack's the drink around here, sir. Makes a
topnotch highball with ginger ale and a twist of lemon."

Joe Mauser looked at him. Evidently his tapping this man for orderly had
been sheer fortune. Well, Joe Mauser could use some good luck on this
job. He hoped it didn't end with selecting a batman.

Joe said, "An applejack highball sounds wonderful, Max. Got ice?"

"Of course, sir." Max left the small room.

Joe Mauser and his officers were billeted in what had once been a motel
on the old road between Kingston and Woodstock. There was a shower and a
tiny kitchenette in each cottage. That was one advantage in a fracas
held in an area where there were plenty of facilities. Such military
reservations as that of the Little Big Horn in Montana and particularly
some of those in the South West and Mexico, were another thing.

Joe lowered himself into the room's easy-chair and bent down to untie
his laces. He kicked his shoes off. He could use that drink. He began
wondering all over again if his scheme for winning this Vacuum Tube
Transport versus Continental Hovercraft fracas would come off. The more
he saw of Baron Haer's inadequate forces, the more he wondered. He
hadn't expected Vacuum Tube to be in _this_ bad a shape. Baron Haer had
been riding high for so long that one would have thought his reputation
for victory would have lured many a veteran to his colors. Evidently
they hadn't bitten. The word was out all right.

Max Mainz returned with the drink.

Joe said, "You had one yourself?"

"No, sir."

Joe said, "Well, Zen, go get yourself one and come on back and sit down.
Let's get acquainted."

"Well, yessir." Max disappeared back into the kitchenette to return
almost immediately. The little man slid into a chair, drink awkwardly in
hand.

His superior sized him up, all over again. Not much more than a kid,
really. Surprisingly aggressive for a Lower who must have been raised
from chi