The U.S. rubbed his State Department-type face and said, "It is our considered opinion, which we wish to bring to the attention of the media, that it is high time we bowed our heads to the true sources of joy." And he bowed his head but he managed a slight smile toward the girls in the gallery.
U.K. gave his trim military mustache a brush and said, "Her Majesty will wax very wroth if the bill is not passed." He cleared his throat twice in the direction of the Gracious Palms girls in the gallery.
Maysabongo got the floor. "We cannot any longer neglect our members. I move the measure be read once more and put to the vote."
Brazil said, "Seconded!"
A man at the rostrum rose, an imposing scroll in his hands. A breathless hush gripped the hall. In a sonorous voice he read:
UN Resolution 678-546-452.
Hereas and wherewith, it is the wish and will of this, the General Assembly of the United Nations, by all sovereign powers attended, as follows, to wit:
RESOLVED: WOMEN HAVE THE RIGHT NOT TO BE THERMONUCLEAR BOMBED AND NOT TO BE FORCED TO SHUT UP BY SLAPPING OR TORTURE.
In the tense room, before the breathless gallery, the vote was taken, one by one.
As the count progressed, the packed gallery became more and more on the edge of their seats.
Then the president of the General Assembly called out, "One hundred and forty member states in favor! Twenty-six abstentions! I hereby declare the measure PASSED!"
PANDEMONIUM!
Despite the most sacred law that there be no cheering from the gallery, the din was deafening!
It was being led by the wife of the president of the United States!
The whores weren't content with just cheering. They stood up in a row throwing kisses at the delegates!
The delegates were throwing them back!
That staid chamber was being rent by chaos!
In vain the gavel rapped!
In vain the guards raced around trying to say "Sssh!"
And then Heller was helping the girls hurriedly into their furs.
They streamed out of the building with the cheering throng.
The five whores made a circle and forced Heller inside it and they began to dance around and around him in front of the Statue of Peace!
Breathless, they finally slowed down. They gathered in a group.
Beulah said, "We've got to get back and tell all the girls that they won!"
Heller said, "Almost won. It still has to go before the Security Council to become the law of the world."
"Come with us," pleaded Margie, clutching at Heller.
He shook his head. "I can't. And listen, all of you. I forbid you to tell anyone at the Gracious Palms that you saw me. I don't want any of you getting into trouble."
"Not even wan leetle wheesper?" pleaded Minette.
"Not one," said Heller. "I don't want you getting sacked because you were associating with me. Now promise."
"Oh, pretty boy," said Beulah. "At such a glorious time! They miss you, pretty boy. The girls all cry when we speak of you!"
"And I miss you," said Heller. "But go along now with your great news. The world will owe you a great debt if this gets by the Security Council. You did it all on your own."
They kissed him on the cheek. They lingeringly touched his hands. And then they sped away down the Esplanade.
Heller watched them out of sight. And then he slowly turned toward the river.
A seagull was walking near to him. "Well, seagull," he said to it, "with any luck the Security Council will pass it and then you will be safe, too. And Miss Simmons will have to realize I am on her side."
I was shaken right down to the bottom of my boots. Yes, it was very true that if that passed, Miss Simmons would not be just at his side but at his feet! She would even HELP him get his diploma! But although that in itself was very upsetting to me, in that it could cost me a valuable ally, it was not the main reason for my chill.
The raw, naked power of the man! He had used women to get a UN General Assembly Resolution passed! He could use women to do anything he wished! Widow Tayl's impression of him proved it utterly!
Oh, I had not crushed Heller the way he should be crushed! He was still dangerous beyond belief. What women saw in him I could not even begin to imagine —they were just putty in his hands!
He was just plain monopolizing all the women in the world! He was leaving none left over for anyone else!
Oh, I realized right then I had to do more! But what could I do? I paced about. What could I possibly do?
My buzzer rang. I impatiently picked up the base intercom instrument.
Faht Bey. "I'm just calling to remind you that the space freighter Blixo is scheduled in tonight. Captain Bolz always wants to see you, though I can't understand why. So don't go running off and making yourself hard to find again." He hung up.
Beautiful relief flooded through me. The Blixo! Of course! With brilliant forethought, I had already solved the very problem I was now faced with!
With luck, the Countess Krak would be on that ship. She'd slaughter Heller for even glancing at another woman! She'd slow him down to a crawl as she had on Voltar!
I laughed with delirious delight.
I had it all solved!
Smart brains. My Apparatus professors were oh so very right. I had smart brains!
I began to work out exactly how I would meet these incoming people and how to persuade the Countess Krak to let herself be bugged as I had bugged Heller.
It would be very tricky. To tell the honest truth, any contact at all with the Countess Krak compared, in risk value, to walking on the outside hull of a spaceship in flight! With no safety line!
I laid my plans carefully and then, at last, satisfied they were foolproof, I began to get ready.
In the first place, I must look, myself, impressive. This would give the necessary ring of authority to things I said.
Hidden in my secret office, my General Service uniform had gotten pretty wrinkled. I got it washed by using a wash basin and dried it in front of the electric fire. Then I suddenly remembered that my rank locket had long since vanished. I didn't have my old Grade X locket and I couldn't afford to demote myself anyway.
I walked about, thinking. I went into the patio and looked. It was afternoon and sure enough, Utanc's car was gone. I scratched at her door. No answer. Luck! The little boys had gone with her, as they often did these days.
One picked set of locks later, I was in her room. It was much the same as before except that she now had two additional mahogany wardrobes. They were also locked but that was no obstacle. I opened some thin drawers in one. Just as I suspected. Jewelry. Gods knew she had been to Tiffany's often enough!
The emerald locket I had once seen her wear was right there. It was not really a rank locket but it was the right stone and gaudy enough. It would have to do.
I didn't want to stay long, it was too risky. I couldn't find the bug I had put under the rug, too small. I got out of there.
So far so good.
In my room, I buckled on a stungun and put a couple blasticks in my pocket. I put a Knife Section knife back of my neck. I hung the Antimanco control star on my chest. Thus readied, I went down the tunnel into the hangar. It just didn't do to go around these people unarmed.
There didn't seem to be anyone about.
I hadn't been in this place for some time. The two cannon ships were still there. The tug sat on its tail gathering dust. A few odds and ends of vessels and freight.
There was a movement over in one corner. I peered closely. What a strange ship! A sort of a dome like a bell. And there was the Antimanco Captain Stabb in working clothes. He saw me. I went over.
"So you come to see this little beauty," he said. "Greatest pirate vessel ever built!"
It was the line-jumper Stabb had been assembling. And it certainly wasn't little! The Antimancos were on ladders testing the absorbo-coat with beams to detect any possible radar reflectance.