one with a thin, saturnine face--were looking expectantly at Lunt.
Rainsford and van Riebeek were on their feet. Gus Brannhard leaned over to
refill his glass, but did not rise.

"Let me have the papers," Lunt said to the beefy stranger.

The other took a folded document and handed it over.

"Jack, this isn't my idea," Lunt said. "I don't want to do it, but I have
to. I wouldn't want to shoot you, either, but you make any resistance and
I will. I'm no Kurt Borch; I know you, and I won't take any chances."

"If you're going to serve that paper, serve it," the bigger of the two
strangers said. "Don't stand yakking all night."

"Jack," Lunt said uncomfortably, "this is a court order to impound your
Fuzzies as evidence in the Kellogg case. These men are deputy marshals
from Central Courts; they've been ordered to bring the Fuzzies into
Mallorysport."

"Let me see the order, Jack," Brannhard said, still remaining seated.

Lunt handed it to Jack, and he handed it across to Brannhard. Gus had been
drinking steadily all evening; maybe he was afraid he'd show it if he
stood up. He looked at it briefly and nodded.

"Court order, all right, signed by the Chief Justice." He handed it back.
"They have to take the Fuzzies, and that's all there is to it. Keep that
order, though, and make them give you a signed and thumbprinted receipt.
Type it up for them now, Jack."

Gus wanted to busy him with something, so he wouldn't have to watch what
was going on. The smaller of the two deputies had dropped the bundle from
under his arm. It was a number of canvas sacks. He sat down at the
typewriter, closing his ears to the noises in the room, and wrote the
receipt, naming the Fuzzies and describing them, and specifying that they
were in good health and uninjured. One of them tried to climb to his lap,
yeeking frantically; it clutched his shirt, but it was snatched away. He
was finished with his work before the invaders were with theirs. They had
three Fuzzies already in sacks. Khadra was catching Cinderella. Ko-Ko and
Little Fuzzy had run for the little door in the outside wall, but Lunt was
standing with his heels against it, holding it shut; when they saw that,
both of them began burrowing in the bedding. The third trooper and the
smaller of the two deputies dragged them out and stuffed them into sacks.

He got to his feet, still stunned and only half comprehending, and took
the receipt out of the typewriter. There was an argument a