t on the wooden bar.
"Double!" He was served a glass of the harsh bluish liquid, paid his
credits, and downed the drink. Then he turned slowly and glanced around
the half-filled room. Almost immediately he spotted a small wizened man
limping toward him.

"Been waiting for you," said the man.

"Well," demanded Loring, "did'ja get anything set up, Shinny?"

"_Mr._ Shinny!" growled the little man, with surprising vigor. "I'm old
enough to be your father!"

"Awright--awright--_Mr._ Shinny!" sneered Loring. "Did'ja get it?"

The little man shook his head. "Nothing on the market, Billy boy." He
paused and aimed a stream of tobacco juice at a near-by cuspidor.

Loring looked relieved. "Just as well. I've got something else lined up,
anyway."

Shinny's eyes sharpened. "You must have a pretty big strike, Billy boy,
if you're so hot to buy a spaceship!"

"Only want to take a little ride upstairs, _Mr._ Shinny," said Loring.

"Don't hand me that space gas!" snapped Shinny. "A man who's lost his
space papers ain't going to take a chance at getting caught by the Solar
Guard, busting the void with a rocket ship and no papers." He stopped,
and his small gray eyes twinkled. "_Unless_," he added, "you've got
quite a strike lined up!"

"Hey, Loring!" yelled Mason, entering the cafe. He carried two
spaceman's traveling bags, small black plastic containers with glass
zippers.

"So you've got Al Mason in with you," mused Shinny. "Pretty good man,
Al. Let's see now, I saw you two just before you blasted off for Tara!"
He paused. "Couldn't be that you've got anything lined up in deep space,
now could it?"

"You're an old fool!" snarled Loring.

"Heh--heh--heh," chuckled Shinny. A toothless smile spread across his
wrinkled face. "Coming close, am I?"

Al Mason looked at Shinny and back at Loring. "Say! What is this?" he
demanded.

"O.K., O.K.," said Loring between clenched teeth. "So we've got a strike
out in the deep, but one word outta line from you and I'll blast you
with my heater!"

"Not a word," said Shinny, "not a word. I'll only charge you a little to
keep your secret."

Mason looked at Loring. "How much?" he demanded.

"A twentieth of the take," said Shinny. "And that's dirt cheap."

"It's robbery," said Loring, "but O.K. We've got no choice!"

"Loring, wait a minute!" objected Mason. "One twentieth! Why, that could
add up to a million credits!"

Shinny's eyes opened wide. "Twenty million! Hey, there hasn't