head toward a curb wastebox with a flat
top. "Should we sit?"

Johnson smiled agreeably and they walked over to the box and sat down.

"When this colony was first founded," Johnson began without preamble,
"the administrative body was a governor, and a council of twelve. Their
successors were to be elected biennially. At first they were. Then
things changed. We haven't had an election now in the last twenty-three
years. St. Martin's is beginning to prosper. Yet the only ones receiving
the benefits are the rulers. The citizens work twelve hours a day. They
are poorly housed, poorly fed, poorly clothed. They ..."

Zarwell found himself not listening as Johnson's voice went on. The
story was always the same. But why did they always try to drag him into
their troubles?

Why hadn't he chosen some other world on which to hide?

The last question prompted a new thought. Just why had he chosen St.
Martin's? Was it only a coincidence? Or had he, subconsciously at least,
picked this particular world? He had always considered himself the
unwilling subject of glib persuaders ... but mightn't some inner
compulsion of his own have put the monkey on his back?

"... and we need your help." Johnson had finished his speech.

Zarwell gazed up at the bright sky. He pulled in a long breath, and let
it out in a sigh.

"What are your plans so far?" he asked wearily.

--CHARLES V. DE VET

[Illustration]

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Monkey On His Back, by Charles V. De Vet

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MONKEY ON HIS BACK ***

***** This file should be named 26569.txt or 26569.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www.gutenberg.org/2/6/5/6/26569/

Produced by Greg Weeks, David Wilson and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
will be renamed.

Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules,
set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project
Gutenberg is a registered trademark, an