to the Bank's offices, and he
had been fairly sure of their purpose when he had received the
information. He had not known the sum would be quite so large.

"A quarter of a million, just to take the job?" he asked. "And what if I
don't catch him?"

"We have faith in you, Mr. Martin," Nguma said. "We know your
reputation. We know what you've done in the past. The Government police
haven't been able to do anything. They're completely baffled, and have
been for ten years. They will continue to be so. This alien's mind is
too devilishly sharp for the kind of men in Government service. We know
that when you take this job the finest brain in the Solar System will be
searching for that horror. If you can't find him ..." He spread his
hands in a gesture that was partly a dismissal of all hope and partly an
appeal to the man whose services he wanted so desperately.

The detective put the certificate down on the desk top and pushed it
toward Nguma. "That's very flattering, sir. Really. And I wish there
were some more diplomatic way of saying no--but that's all I can say."

"There will be a like sum deposited to your account as soon as you
either kill or capture the Nipe, or, discovering his hideout, enable the
Government officials to kill or capture him," said Nguma.

"That's half a million in all," Gerrol put in. "We've worked hard to
raise that money, Mr. Martin. It should be enough."

The detective kept his temper under icy control, allowing just enough of
his anger to show to make his point. "Mr. Gerrol ... it is not a
question of money. Your offer is more than generous."

"It's our final offer," Gerrol said flatly.

"I hope it is, Mr. Gerrol," the detective said coldly. "I sincerely hope
it is. For the past six months, you and your organization have been
trying to get me to take this job. I appreciate the sincerity of your
efforts, believe me. And, as I said, I am honored and flattered that you
should think so highly of me. On the other hand, your method of going
about it is hardly flattering. I turned down your first offer of twenty
thousand six months ago. Since then, you have been going up and up and
up until you have finally reached twenty-five times the original
amount. You seem to think I have been holding out for more money. I have
attempted to disabuse you of that notion, but you would not read what I
put down in my communications, evidently. If I had wanted more money
than you offered at first, I would have