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vertically to an expanse of hard-looking
pavement far below, across which armed Groaci
were posted at intervals. Chauncey came over to
peer out past him.
"Forget it," he said. "You clan't cimb down
there. And if you could, the nards would gab
you. But jet's lust see if there's a lonn in here..."
He prowled across to a connecting door, poked
his head inside the bathroom.
"Daypirt," he exclaimed. "The gums boofed
when they esterundimated a Squalian. Thawch
wiss." He extruded a stalked eye, plunged it into
the bowl; yard after yard of pencil-thick filament
followed, paying out smoothly down the drain.
"Oh, boy," Chauncey said happily. "Will
those toobs be bartled when I tit in gutch with
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an out on the palside. All I dot to goo is
reach the plewage sant, gook around for a lie I
know, and " Chauncey went rigid. "Oh-oh," he
said. He planted his feet rather loosely
organized in the absence of shoes and pulled
backward. The extended cable of protoplasm
stretched, but failed to yield.
"Why, the dirty, skousy kinks!" he squalled.
"Way were thaiting! Gray thabbed me and nide
me in another tot! I can't foe any garther, and I
can't bet gack!"
"Tough break," Retief said. "But can't you
just slide the rest of you down the line?"
"Bat, and awondan a sellow-fufferer?"
Chauncey replied indignantly. "Besides, my
integnal internaments gon't woe through the
pipe."
"Looks like they've outthought us again,
Chauncey."
"Indeed, so it appears," an unctuous
whisper issued from a grill above the door,
followed by Shinth's breathy chuckle. "Pity
about the clogged drains; I'll have a chap along
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with a plunger in the morning."
"Hey that posy narker can weir every herd
we say!" the Squalian exclaimed. "A
dreavesopper, yet!"
Retief went to the door and shot the heavy
bolt, securing it from the inside; he caught the
chauffeur's remaining eye and winked. "Looks
like Amassador Shinth wins," he said. "He was
just too smart for us, Chauncey. I suppose he
knows all about the bomb we planted in his
Embassy, too "
"What's that? A bomb? In my Embassy?"
Shinth's voice rasped in sudden alarm. "Where?
I insist you tell me at once!"
"Don't tell him, Chauncey," Retief said
quickly. "It's set to go off in eight minutes; he'll
never find it in time."
There was a sibilant gasp from the intercom,
followed by feeble Groaci shouts. Moments
later, feet clattered in the passage beyond the
door. The latch rattled. Fists pounded. Groaci
voices hissed.
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"What do you mean, locked from the
inside," Shinth's cry was audible through the
panel.
"Seven minutes," Retief called. "Chins up,
Chauncey. It will all be over soon."
"To flee at once!" Captain Thilf's thin tones
squalled. "To leave the dastards here to die!"
"Retief tell me where the bomb is, and I'll
put in a word for you with your chief!" Shinth
called through the door. "I'll explain you
shouldn't be judged too harshly for bungling
your assignment; after all, a mere Terran, pitted
against a mind like mine..."
"That's good of you, Mr. Ambassador but
I'm afraid duty demands we stay here, even if it
means being blown up along with your voucher
files."
"My final offer, Retief! Emerge and defuse
the infernal machine, and I'll help you blow up
the Terry Embassy, thereby destroying the
unfavorable E.R. your shabby role in the present
contretemps will doubtless earn for you!"
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"That's a most undiplomatic suggestion, Mr.
Ambassador."
"Very well, then, self-doomed one! To learn
the meaning of Groaci wrath! To watch as I
evacuate the premises, leaving you and your
toady to your fates!"
Retief and Chauncey listened to the sound
of retreating footsteps. They watched from the
window as Shinth darted forth, crossed the
courtyard at a brisk run, followed by his entire
staff, the last of whom paused to lock the gate
behind him.
"I adfun that was a lot of mit." The Squalian
broke the profound silence that fell after the last
of the Groaci had departed. "But in mix senates
they'll dealize they been ruped. So put's the
woint?"
"The point is that I'll have six undisturbed
minutes inside the Groaci Chancery," Retief said,
unlocking the door. "Fold the hort until I get
back."
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6
It was ten minutes before Retief re-entered the
room, locking the door behind him. Thirty
seconds later, Shinth's voice sounded via
intercom, keening imprecations.
"Thilf! To batter the door down, to take
vengeance on the Soft One for making a jackass
out of me in full view of my underlings!"
"Instead, to hasten to the scene of the
upcoming ceremony, Exalted One," the Guard
Captain caviled. "Otherwise, to miss the big
moment."
"To myself attend the unveiling, whilst you
deal with the evildoers."
"To grasp the implication that I am to take
whatever action seems appropriate to deal with
the interlopers?" Thilf inquired in an unctuous
whisper.
"To ask no foolish questions," Shinth
snapped. "The impossibility of permitting the
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