old. And I
never thought of that; why, of course it would. Where are you now, with
the Company, by the way?"

"Out, but I couldn't care less. I have enough in the bank for the trip
back to Terra, not counting what I can raise on my boat and some other
things. Xeno-naturalists don't need to worry about finding jobs. There's
Ben's outfit, for instance. And, brother, when I get back to Terra, what
I'll spill about this deal!"

"If you get back. If you don't have an accident before you get on the
ship." He thought for a moment. "Know anything about geology?"

"Why, some; I have to work with fossils. I'm as much a paleontologist as a
zoologist. Why?"

"How'd you like to stay here with me and hunt fossil jellyfish for a
while? We won't make twice as much, together, as I'm making now, but you
can look one way while I'm looking the other, and we may both stay alive
longer that way."

"You mean that, Jack?"

"I said it, didn't I?"

Van Riebeek rose and held out his hand; Jack came around the table and
shook it. Then he reached back and picked up his belt, putting it on.

"Better put yours on, too, partner. Borch is probably the only one we'll
need a gun for, but--"

Van Riebeek buckled on his belt, then drew his pistol and worked the slide
to load the chamber. "What are we going to do?" he asked.

"Well, we're going to try to handle it legally. Fact is, I'm even going to
call the cops."

He punched out a combination on the communication screen. It lighted and
opened a window into the constabulary post. The sergeant who looked out of
it recognized him and grinned.

"Hi, Jack. How's the family?" he asked. "I'm coming up, one of these
evenings, to see them."

"You can see some now." Ko-Ko and Goldilocks and Cinderella were coming
out of the hall from the bedroom; he gathered them up and put them on the
table. The sergeant was fascinated. Then he must have noticed that both
Jack and Gerd were wearing their guns in the house. His eyes narrowed
slightly.

"You got problems, Jack?" he asked.

"Little ones; they may grow, though. I have some guests here who have
outstayed their welcome. For the record, better make it that I have
squatters I want evicted. If there were a couple of blue uniforms around,
maybe it might save me the price of a few cartridges."

"I read you. George was mentioning that you might regret inviting that
gang to camp on you." He picked up a handphone. "Calderon to Car Three,"
he said. "Do you