the formula for it from an old witch who lives
on the shores of far off Apfelabvidanahyew. He told me it had been in
his family since the coming of Man to L'Bawpfey. He parted with the
formula on condition I make it only for the Kings."

"Will only Their Majesties get to taste this exquisite drink?"
bellowed Mapfarity.

"That depends upon whether it pleases Their Majesties to give some to
their subjects to celebrate the result of the elections."

Archambaud, also planted in the crowd, shrilled, "I suppose if they
do, the big-paunched Amphibs and Giants will get twice as much as us
Humans. They always do, it seems."

There was a mutter from the crowd; approbation from the Amphibs,
protest from the others.

"That will make no difference," said Rastignac, smiling. "The
fascinating thing about this is that an Amphib can drink no more than
a Human. That may be why the old man who revealed his secret to me
called the drink Old Equalizer."

"Ah, you're skinless," scoffed Mapfarity, throwing the most deadly
insult known. "I can out-drink, out-eat, and out-swim any Human here.
Here, Amphib, give me a bottle, and we'll see if I'm bragging."

An Amphib captain pushed himself through the throng, waddling clumsily
on his flippers like an upright seal.

"No, you don't!" he barked. "Those bottles are intended for the Kings.
No commoner touches them, least of all a Human and a Giant."

Rastignac mentally hugged himself. He couldn't have planned a better
intervention himself! "Why can't I?" he replied. "Until I make an
official presentation, these bottles are mine, not the Kings'. I'll do
what I want with them."

"Yeah," said the Amphibs. "That's telling him!"

The Amphib's big brown eyes narrowed and his animal-like face
wrinkled, but he couldn't think of a retort. Rastignac at once handed
a bottle apiece to each of his comrades. They uncorked and drank and
then assumed an ecstatic expression which was a tribute to their
acting, for these three bottles held only fruit juice.

"Look here, captain," said Rastignac, "why don't you try a swig
yourself? Go ahead. There's plenty. And I'm sure Their Majesties would
be pleased to contribute some of it on this joyous occasion. Besides,
I can always make more for the Kings.

"As a matter of fact," he added, winking, "I expect to get a pension
from the courts as the Kings' Old Equalizer-maker."

The crowd laughed. The Amphib, afraid of losing face, took the
bottle--which contai