ave a legitimate right to
participate in apportioning Slingshot's benefits.
Refuses to negotiate this point."

##

"Category one message, spunnel to Earth via
Guardian Station 7. Personal to President Camari
from Ram Xindral. Foreign Ministers Roab of
Ganymede and Slega of Europa represented their
governments. At conclusion of meeting they issued
a joint communique. Quote: it is only reasonable and
proper that the governments of the Outer Region not
be excluded from an equitable share of the enormous
financial and material resources being lavished
on the Interstellar Matter Teleport System
(Slingshot). The UIPS can begin to remedy this
injustice by agreeing to pay a transshipment tax
on all materials, manufactured parts, tools and
equipment, and personnel passing through the
separate INOR jurisdictions, space-ways, and
contiguous space generally. Passage fees
for individual vessels in transit also must be
negotiated and included in the agreement. Unquote.

"It is my opinion that the positions taken by
the governments of the Jovian Federation
are orchestrated. I suspect that reports on
my discussions with Heads of State or their
representatives are being passed among them.
I am departing for Titan to meet with Chairman
Stabar. The Chiefs of Staff of the other Saturnian
governments and the governments of the Uranus
and Neptune satellite unions have notified me that
their views are consistent with those of Chairman
Straber. They state nothing is to be gained by
pressing for separate meetings with them."

##

"Category one message, spunnel to Earth via
Guardian Station 9. Personal to President Camari
from Ram Xindral. Chairman Staber's position is the
same as those summarized in my previous reports.
Staber openly proclaims that INOR's intent is to
control the terminal that will receive and store
incoming substance and oversee its distribution.
Insists a formal treaty be negotiated now,
otherwise, the entire Slingshot Program will
be viewed as a threat to the integrity of INOR's
legitimate jurisdictions. I am proceeding to the
Planet Pluto Special Zone and will contact Narval
from inside the Logistics Depot's protective
force field. I will insist on President Narval's
guarantee of safe conduct prior to departing
the depot for Coldfield."

Chapter TWENTY-EIGHT

Ram entered the Log Depot's conventional
communications center and nodded to the young
operator.

"Make the contact," he said, a