p looking at my hair--it won't tell you anything beyond the fact
that I've been using Hair-haste. Shoulder-length hair was the rage in
more eras than one."

Perfidion smiled warmly, and clapped Mallory on the back. "I'm not
trying to ferret out your secret, Tom. I know better than that.
Lifting is your line, fencing mine. You bring me the Grail, I'll sell
it, take my cut, and everything will be fine. You know me, Tom."

"I sure do," Mallory said, taking the stereophoto out of the projector
and returning it to his breast pocket.

Perfidion snapped his fingers. "A happy thought just occurred to me!
I've got a golp date with Rowley of Puriproducts, so why don't you
join us, Tom? You play a pretty good game, as I recall."

Mollified, Mallory said, "I'll have to borrow a set of your
jetsticks."

"I'll get them for you on the way down. Come on, Tom."

Mallory accompanied him across the room. "Keep mum about this to
Rowley now," Perfidion said confidentially. "He's a potential
customer, but we don't want to let the cat out of the bag yet, do we?
Or should I say 'the Grail'." He took time out to grin at his little
joke, then, "By the way, Tom, I take it you're all set as regards
costume, equipment and the like."

"I've got the sweetest little suit of armor you ever laid eyes on,"
Mallory said.

"Fine--no need for me to offer any advice in that respect then."
Perfidion opened the lift door. "After you, Tom."

They plummeted down the tube together.

* * * * *

It had been a good game of golp--from Mallory's standpoint, anyway. He
had trounced Rowley roundly, and he would have inflicted similar
ignominy upon Perfidion had not the latter been called away in the
middle of the game and been unable to return till it was nearly over.
Oh well, Mallory thought, encephalo-guiding his rohorse through the
ancient forest, there'll be other chances. Aloud, he said, "Step
lively now, Easy Money, and let's get this caper over with so we can
return to civilization and start feeling what it's like to be rich."

In response to the encephalo-waves that had accompanied his words,
Easy Money increased its pace, the infra-red rays of its eye units
illumining its way. In places, light from the rising moon seeped
through the foliage, but otherwise darkness was the rule. The air was
cool and damp--the sea was not far distant--and the sound of frogs and
insects was omnipresent and now and then there was the ru