Magnus Ridolph bent his head, became interested in the heatgun he had extricated from his pocket. "Another one of Kanditter's treasures - you were saying?"

"I'm a reasonable man," stuttered Mellish, halting.

"Then you will agree that five hundred thousand munits is a fair value to set on the telex concession. And I'd like a small royalty also - one percent of the gross yield is not exorbitant. Do you agree?"

Mellish swayed. He rubbed his hand across his face.

"In addition," said Magnus Ridolph, "you owe me a hundred thousand for looting my property on Ophir and fifty thousand on our wager."

"I won't let you get away with this!" cried Mellish.

"You have two minutes to make up your mind," said Magnus Ridolph. "After that time I will send an ulrad message filing the concession in my own name and ordering equipment."

Mellish sagged. "King of thieves - king of bloodsuckers-extortioners - that's a better name for you! Very well, I'll meet your terms."

"Write me a check," suggested Magnus Ridolph. "Also a contract stipulating the terms of the agreement. As soon as the check is deposited and a satisfactory entry made in my credit book the required information will be divulged."

Mellish began to protest against the unexpected harshness of Magnus Ridolph's tactics - but, meeting the mild blue eyes, he halted in mid-sentence. He looked over his shoulder.

"Tomko! Where are you, Tomko?"

"Right here, sir."

"My checkbook."

Tomko hesitated.

^Well?"

"It has been stolen, sir."

Magnus Ridolph held up a hand. "Hush, Mr. Mellish, if you please. Don't rail at your subaltern. If I'm not mistaken I believe I have that particular checkbook among my effects."

Night had fallen in Challa and the village was quiet. A few fires still smouldered and cast red flickers along the network of stilts supporting the huts.

A pair of shadows moved along the leaf-carpeted lane. The bulkiest of these stepped to the side, silently swung open a door.

Crackle! Snap! "Ouch!" brayed Mellish. "Hoo!"

His lunges and thrashing broke the circuit. The current died and Mellish stood gasping hoarsely.

"Yes?" came a mild voice. "What is it?"

Mellish took a quick step forward, turned his hand-lamp on the blinking Magnus Ridolph.

"Be so good as to turn the light elsewhere," protested the latter. "After all, I am King of Thieves, and entitled to some small courtesy."

"Sure," said Mellish, with sardonic emphasis. "Certainly, Your Majesty. Tomko - fix the light."

Tomko set the light on the table, diffused the beam so as to illuminate the entire room.

"This is a late hour for a visit," observed Magnus Ridolph. He reached under his pillow.

"No you don't," barked Mellish, producing a nuclear pistol. "You move and I'll plug you."

Magnus Ridolph shrugged. "What do you wish?"

Mellish settled himself comfortably in a chair. "First I want that check and the contract. Second I want the location of that lode. Third I want that crown. Seems like the only way to get what you want around here is to be king. So I intend to be it." He jerked his head. "Tomko!"

"Yes, sir?"

"Take this gun. Shoot him if he moves."

Tomko gingerly took the gun.

Mellish leaned back, lit a cigar. "Just how did you get to be king, Ridolph? What's all this talk about ghosts?"

"I'd prefer to keep that information to myself."

"You talk!" said Mellish grimly. "I'd just as soon shoot you as not."

Magnus Ridolph eyed Tomko steadying the nuclear gun with both hands. "As you wish. Are you familiar with the planet Archaemandryx?"

"I've heard of it - somewhere in Argo."

"I have never visited Archaemandryx myself," said Magnus Ridolph. "However, a friend describes it as peculiar in many respects. It is a world of metals - mountain ranges of metallic silicon - "

"Cut the guff," snapped Mellish. "Get on with it!"

Magnus Ridolph sighed reproachfully. "Among the types of life native to this planet are the near-gaseous creatures which you call ghosts. They live in colonies, each centered on a nucleus. The nucleus serves as the energizer for the colony. The ghosts bring it fuel, it broadcasts energy on a convenient wavelength. The fuel is uranium and any uranium compound is eagerly conveyed to the nucleus.

"My friend thought to see commercial possibilities in this property - namely the looting of the Starport Bank. He accordingly brought a colony to New Acquitain, where he daubed a number of hundred-Munit notes with an aromatic uranium compound, deposited them at the bank. Then he opened the box and merely waited till the ghosts returned with millions in uranium-permeated banknotes.

"I chanced to be nearby when he was apprehended. In fact" - and Magnus Ridolph smoothed the front of his blue and white nightshirt - "I played a small part in the event. However, when the authorities thought to ask how he had perpetrated the theft the entire colony had disappeared."

Mellish nodded appreciatively. "I see. You just got the king to daub everything he owned with uranium and then let the things loose."

"Correct."

Mellish blew out a plume of smoke. "Now I want directions to get to the lode."

Magnus Ridolph shook his head. "That information will be given to you only when I have deposited your check."

Mellish grinned wolfishly. "You'll tell me alive - on I'll find out from Kanditter tomorrow with you dead. You have ten seconds to make up your mind."

Magnus Ridolph raised his eyebrows. "Murder?" He glanced at Tomko, who stood with beaded forehead holding the nuclear pistol.

"Call it that," said Mellish. "Eight - nine - ten! Are you going to talk?"

"I can hardly see my way clear to - "

Mellish looked at Tomko. "Shoot him."

Tomko's teeth chattered; his hand shook like a twig in a strong wind.

"Shoot him!" barked Mellish.

Tomko squeezed shut his eyes, pulled the trigger. Click!

"Perhaps I should have mentioned," said Magnus Ridolph, "that among the first of the loot my ghosts brought me was the ammunition of your pistol which as you know is uranium." He produced his own heat-gun. "Now, goodnight, gentlemen. It is late and tomorrow will be more convenient for levying the fifty-thousand munit fine your offenses call for."

"What offenses?" blustered Mellish. "You can't prove a thing."

"Disturbing the rest of the King of Thieves is a serious crime," Magnus Ridolph assured him. "However, if you wish to escape, the trail overland back to Gollabolla begins at the end of this lane. You would not be pursued."

"You're crazy. Why, we'd die in the jungle."

"Suit yourself," was Magnus Ridolph's equable reply. In any event, good night."