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.He flopped it open on the desk before Lombar."These stories are just trial balloons.I wrote every one.They'll print anything I issue.All I have to do isuse the media, and the Army and the Fleet will be in your hands!"Lombar was staring at the book, leafing through it."They are publishing what you say?""I control the media of the Confederacy.It's just a tool.I can use it to whip up a storm that will give youall the support you will ever need for anything you want to do.I can mold public opinion like it was clay!And that is the key to all your projects.""Miraculous!" said Lombar, still staring at the book."Crobe? A hero?" Yet here were touched-uppictures of Crobe, front page! Laudatory! Paper after paper!"There, you see? And that's just an exercise to try my muscle.A nothing.""Madison, if you can make them think that that demented old criminal is a hero, then it should be nodifficulty at all to make a deserving, preselected man like me.""An emperor," Madison finished for him.Hisst's yellow eyes grew round and then began to glow.He stood up, towering over Madison a foot.Hetook one of Madison's hands in his and stroked it.Then he turned and bawled toward the door, "CHIEFCLERK! GIVE THIS MAN MADISON EVERYTHING HE WANTS! EVERYTHING, YOUUNDERSTAND, OR I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD!"Chapter 4Outside the sun had almost set.The square was nearly deserted and the Model 99 looked lonely in therubble.Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlMadison handed Cun an enormous stack of printouts, gave Flick an address card and got in."You had us worried," said Flick as he got the Model 99 moving."Cun was talking to the driver of thatgeneral's tank beside us: he said that was the whole Apparatus General Staff in there planning a full-scaleinvasion.When he said 'Blito-P3' we flipped! Ain't that the planet you're from?"Madison was lost in thought and did not reply."Now, I'm from Calabar," said Flick."All that war over there worries me.They slaughter whole towns,butcher the kids, rape the women, burn the lot.I should think your hair was standing on end thinking ofthe Apparatus invading your planet.""Oh, war is just war," said Madison in a bored voice."I'm a PR man.Most wars are started by PRs.Sowhat's there to be excited about?""Listen to that, Cun," said Flick."What a cool one! But I guess that kind of attitude goes along withbeing a murderer.And speaking of murder, get your stinger out, Cun.This neighborhood we're movinginto is a perfect 'X marks the spot.'"They pulled up before a place that was more fallen down than standing: the reek of garbage assailedtheir noses.Madison walked up some steps at the risk of a broken ankle and banged on a door.A man with two tufts of gray hair standing out on either side of his head poked his nose out."Go away.I've just this minute gotten home.I'm entitled to a little peace.""Is your name Bawtch?" said Madison.Bawtch tried to close the door but Madison's foot was in it."I've come to you for information about aman named Gris.""GRIS! Get out of here!""He's in the Royal prison," said Madison, "laughing at you all.I'm trying to get him brought to trial.""Come in!" said Bawtch.For a revelatory half an hour, Madison, in Bawtch's best chair, listened entranced."So then," he finallysaid, "I could count on you as a character witness.""I'd walk across the Great Desert just for a chance to testify," said Bawtch."And if I asked you to give a lecture on him, you'd talk?" said Madison."Indeed I would," said Bawtch."Now, thinking this over, I can give you a couple names.They're justdown the street." He wrote an address and handed it across.At the door, Bawtch shook him emotionally by the hand."Count on me, Madison."They rolled around the corner and down a hill.They halted before a very decayed boarding house-ForGentlemen Officers, it said on a twisted sign.Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlA harsh-faced woman came to the door.Madison had learned his lesson: "I'm here to get you to helpme hang Gris.I presume your name is Meeley.You were once his landlady.""To help you hang." She whirled suddenly and yelled in the direction of the kitchen."SKE! COMEOUT HERE! WE'RE IN LUCK! SOMEBODY WANTS TO HANG GRIS!"Madison found himself in a parlor, drinking hot jolt.He listened while Ske, Gris's old driver, poured outhis tale of woe, interrupted with curses and tales of woe of her own by Meeley.He gathered that Grishad given them both counterfeit bills and had they tried to pass them they would have been executed.But, knowing Gris, instead they had gone straight to the Finance Police with complaints of their own.Their bitterness against Gris had bound them close together.Oh, yes, they'd testify at any trial.Gladly, gladly, gladly! At a lecture? Well, they were not really verypresentable but they'd be only too glad to say anything Madison wanted.Smiling like a toother that was all set to snap up his prey, Madison returned to the townhouse in JoyCity.He ignored dinner.There was no time for that.He called his whole staff together.He stood upon the platform in the briefing room.He stood very tall."Loyal and hard working staff," he said, "this is a milestone.At times PR finds itself on a pinnacle.Weare about to influence the courses of empires.We are about to direct the very destiny of the stars.Nowlisten closely."Chapter 5Two days later, a very select audience of ninety women sat in the lecture hall on the eightieth floor of thetownhouse, conscious that they were being especially favored by an invitation to this highly educationallecture by the famous Doctor Crobe.They were also conscious, but this was never mentioned, that if they didn't cooperate, they would neveragain get another chance to "get cured" at Relax Island.Also-although this, too, was never even hintedat-if they weren't agreeable, somebody might forget to renew their free supply of pot.What was discussed amongst themselves and to others quite freely was that, as members of high society,they had a positive duty to use their positions-and their husbands-to do good.It didn't have a spokenname but they were all members of a very exclusive club made up entirely of those fortunate enough tohave been "enlightened" at Relax Island.Madison had had a little trouble with Crobe.He had sneaked an extra dose of LSD into himself outsidehis rationing and two roustabouts had had to stand him up in alternate hot and cold showers to bring himaround [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]