The Company man looked troubled . "Jack , you haven't been having trouble with Dr. Kellogg , have you ? " he asked . "He's a big man with the Company . "
"That's what he tells me . You'll still have to come and get that stuff , though . "
He blanked the screen. "You know," he said, " I think it would be no more than fair to let Kellogg in on this . What's his screen combination ?”
Gerd supplied it, and he punched it out . One of those tricky special Company combinations . Kurt Borch appeared in the screen immediately .
"I want to talk to Kellogg ."
"Doctor Kellogg is very busy , at present ."
"He's going to be a damned sight busier ; this is moving day . The whole gang of you have till eighteen hundred to get off my grant."
Borch was shoved aside , and Kellogg appeared . "What's this nonsense ? " he demanded angrily .
"You're ordered to move . You want to know why? I can let Gerd van Riebeek talk to you ; I think there are a few things he's forgotten to call you . "
"You can't order us out like this . Why, you gave us permission- "
"Permission cancelled . I've called Mike Hennen in Red Hill ; he's sending his scows back for the stuff he brought here . Lieutenant Lunt will have a couple of troopers here , too . I'll expect you to have your personal things aboard your air- boat when they arrive . "
He blanked the screen while Kellogg was trying to tell him that it was all a misunderstanding .
"I think that's everything . It's quite a while till sundown , " he added , " but I move for a suspension of rules while we pour a small libation to sprinkle our new partnership . Then we can go outside and observe the enemy ."
There was no observable enemy action when they went out and sat down on the bench by the kitchen door . Kellogg would be screening Mike Hennen and the constabulary post for verification , and there would be a lot of gathering up and packing to do . Finally , Kurt Borch emerged with a con- tragravity lifter piled with boxes and luggage , and Jimenez walking beside to steady the load . Jimenez climbed up onto the airboat and Borch floated the load up to him and then
74
74
