ded for passenger service. When we get ships
built ... and the extras...." The money-man went into a financial revel
of his own.

"Lots of extras," Banks agreed. "And oh, _brother_, what a
public-relations dream of heaven!"

"Maybe I'm dumb," Garlock broke in, "but just what are you going to use
for money to get started?"

"The minute we confirm any part of the story, the credit of the Galaxian
Society will jump from X-O to AA-A1."

"Oh. So Belle and I will have to lose our _Pleiades_ for a while. I
don't like that, but we do need the money ... but we can have her for
this coming week?"

"Of course."

"So maybe we'd better break the story now, instead of letting it leak."

"Can you, after what you just told them?"

"Sure I can." He set his mind and searched. "Bundy, this is Garlock...."

"So what am I supposed to do--burst into tears of joy?"

"Save it. I changed my mind. You can break it as fast and as hard as you
like. I'll play along."

* * *

"Yeah? Why the switch? What's the angle?"

"Strictly commercial. Get it from Banks."

"And you'll--personally--go on my hour with it?"

"Yes. Also, we'll demonstrate--take you to any star-system in the
galaxy. You and all the rest of the newshawks who were here and any
fifty VIP's you want to invite. Tomorrow morning all right with you?"

"You, personally, in the _Pleiades_?" Bundy insisted.

"Better than that. The other two starships, too. You've got
them--particularly those four Primes--clearly in mind?"

"Not exactly, there was so much of it. Spread it on me now, huh?"
Garlock did so. "Thanks, pal, for the scoop. I'll crash it right now,
and follow up with Banks. 'Bye!"

"Think you can deliver on that, Clee?" Banks asked.

"Sure. Both Deggi and Alsyne will need a lot of extra money, fast.
They'll play along."

They did; and that three-starship tour--which visited twenty solar
systems instead of one--was the most sensational thing old Earth had
ever spawned.

Belle and Garlock did not spend that week end on Earth. "We go," they
said, as soon as the _Pleiades_ was empty of pressmen, and they took
James and Lola along. "If we _never_ see another such brawl as this is
going to be," Belle told Banks, who was basking in glory and entreating
them to stay on for the show, "it will be exactly twenty minutes too
soon."

Thus it came about that Earth's first four deep-spacemen were completely
out of reach when unexpected develo