And Then the Town Took Off Part 19

A. ENTIRELY

Q. HOW

A. IMPOSSIBLE TO EXPLAIN WITH THESE

Q. WHERE IS SUPERIOR GOING

A. EAST FOR NOW

Q. AND LATER

A. NO SPECIFIC COMMENT

Q. 3000 LIVES ARE IN YOUR HANDS

A. GIZLS HAVE NO MALEVOLENT DESIGNS

Q. THANKS. YOU SAID FRIENDs.h.i.+P BROUGHT YOU. WHAT ELSE.

A. TRADE. CULTURAL EXCHANGE

Q. WHAT HAVE YOU TO TRADE

A. WILL DISCUSS THIS LATER WITH DULY CONSt.i.tUTED AUTHORITY

Q. WHO. KING HECTOR

A. TERMINATING INTERVIEW WITH GOOD WILL a.s.sURANCES

"Wait," Alis said. "I haven't had a chance to talk to him." She formed letters into words. "I don't think he's being very frank with us but I have a few random questions."

Q. HOW MANY s.e.xES HAVE GIZLS

A. THREE

Q. MALE FEMALE AND

A. NEUTER

Q. ARE THERE BABIES AMONG YOU

A. BABIES ARE NEUTER AND DEVELOP ACCORDING TO NEED

Q. CONFIDENTIALLY WHAT DO YOU THINK OF FATHERS SCIENCE

A. UNFATHOMABLE OUR MEAGER KNOWLEDGE

Q. FLATTERER

A. ENDING CONVERSATION WITH PLEASANT REGARD

Q. LIKEWISE

Gizl slid back his chair and got up. King Hector stood and bowed as Gizl, who had nodded politely to each in turn, walked manlike, without hopping, to a corner of the room which then sank out of sight.

"He's quite a guy, that Gizl," Hector said, taking off his crown and putting it on the table. "Makes me sweat," he said, wiping his forehead.

"Are you the duly const.i.tuted authority?" Bendy asked him.

"Who else? Somebody's got to be in charge till we get Superior back to Earth."

"Sure," Bendy said, "but you don't have to rig yourself up in ermine. I also have a sneaking suspicion that you aren't exactly anxious to get Superior down in a hurry."

"I'll overlook that remark for old time's sake. But I defend the kings.h.i.+p. A show of force was necessary to prevent crime from running rampant."

"Maybe," Bendy said. "Anyhow I appreciate your frankness in introducing us to Gizl and what he modestly describes as his meager knowledge. Since you've already admitted that he's the one who provided the big feed, will you ease Alis's mind now and a.s.sure her that what she was eating wasn't Negusburger?"

"Negusburger?" The king laughed. "Is that what you thought, Alis?"

"Not really," she said. "But I couldn't help wondering where all the food came from all of a sudden."

"Over here." The king led them to the corner where Gizl had sunk from sight. The top of the elevator, now level with the floor, blended exactly with the linoleum tile. "I don't know how it works, but Gizl and his people have their headquarters down there somewhere. All I have to do is place the order and up comes food or whatever I need. Would you like to try it?"

"Love to," Bendy said. "What shall I ask for?"

"Anything."

"Anything?"

"Anything at all."

"Well." Bendy looked impressed. "This will take a moment of thought. How about a gallon--no, as long as I'm asking I might as well ask for a keg--of rum, 151 proof."

Up it came, complete with spigot and tankard.

"Fabulous!" Bendy said. He rolled it out of the elevator and the elevator went down again.

"Let me try!" Alis said. "If Doc can get a keg, I ought to be able to have--oh, say a pint of Channel No. 5. Would that be too extravagant?"

"A simple variation in formula, I should think," the king said.

What came up for Alis didn't look in the least like an expensive Paris perfume. In fact, it looked like a lard pail with a quant.i.ty of liquid slos.h.i.+ng lazily in it. But its aroma belied its looks.

"Oh, heaven!" Alis said. "Smell it!" She lifted it by its handle, stuck a finger in it and rubbed behind each ear.

"It's a bit overpowering by the pint," Bendy said. He'd drained off part of a tankard of rum and looked quite at peace with the world. "You'd better get yourself a chaperone, Alis, if you're going to carry that around with you."

"I'll admit they're not very good in the packaging department, but that's just a quibble. Could I have--how many ounces in a pint?--sixteen one-ounce stoppered bottles? And a little funnel?"