Starport. George Martin R.R.

RIGHT,

      GENTLEMEN, SETTLE

      DOWN. WE’RE GOING

      TO TAKE YOU UP ONE

      AT A TIME AND BOOK

      YOU. YOU GET ONE

      PHONE CALL

      APIECE.

      LISTEN,

      IF I COULD JUST

      SEE CAPTAIN SWOBODA

      FOR A MINUTE...

      YOU FIRST,

      PRETTY BOY,

      SINCE YOU’RE

      SO EAGER.

      SO

      YOU’RE

      A COP,

      HUH?

      THIS IS NOT

      HAPPENING...

      HERE HE IS,

      LIEUTENANT. HE TRIED

      TO USE MANNING’S

      HEAD FOR BATTING

      PRACTICE.

      WHAT’S

      ERNIE KVETCHING

      ABOUT?

      I WHIFFED,

      DIDN’T I? TELL

      HIM “ALMOST” ONLY

      COUNTS IN HORSE-

      SHOES AND HAND

      GRENADES.

      YOU SURE

      I CAN’T GIVE HIM

      A FEW DINGS, FOR

      AUTHENTICITY?

      THANK

      YOU, SERGEANT

      MONDRAGON.

      THAT’LL BE

      ALL.

      AARON, THIS

      IS SAM WINEGLASS

      FROM THE STATES

      ATTORNEY’S OFFICE.

      SAM, THIS IS

      DETECTIVE AARON

      STEIN.

      DETECTIVE?

      THAT ISN’T A

      REAL TATTOO...

      IS IT?

      ONLY MY

      HAIRDRESSER WILL

      EVER KNOW FOR

      CERTAIN.

      WHAT THE

      HELL WERE YOU

      DOING AT THE EL THIS

      MORNING, ESPECIALLY

      AT A STOP THAT’S

      THREE BLOCKS

      AWAY? ARE YOU

      NUTS?

      WHAT DO

      YOU THINK I WAS

      DOING? I WAS

      GETTING MYSELF

      ARRESTED!

      THEY LIVE LIKE

      A PACK OF WILD DOGS,

      AND HOLLANDER’S GOT

      SOMEONE ON ME 24/7,

      SINCE I’M THE NEW

      GUY AND SO

      CHARMING

      AND ALL.

      THIS WAS

      THE ONLY WAY TO

      REPORT IN, MAKE SURE

      I DIDN’T GET STUCK

      EXPLAINING MYSELF

      AT THE WRONG

      DISTRICT.

      WE GOT

      A FEW OF THEM

      OFF THE STREETS,

      ANYWAY.

      WELL, GO

      PUT THEM BACK.

      THEY’LL WALK ANYWAY.

      ENTRAPMENT. THIS

      MORNING’S LITTLE

      PRANK WAS

      MY IDEA.

      LITTLE PRANK?

      TRY FELONY ASSAULT,

      BATTERY, MALICIOUS

      DESTRUCTION OF

      PROPERTY...

      ...AND A

      PARTRIDGE

      IN A PEAR

      TREEEEE.

      DIME-STORE

      CRAP, COUNSELOR.

      THE BIS PRIZE IS

      STILL BEHIND

      DOOR NUMBER

      THREE.

      EARTHBLOOD’S

      GOING TO TRY AND

      WHACK THE SKRIT

      TRADE ENVOY.

      DAMN IT!

      ARE YOU

      SURE?

      I CAN’T TELL

      YOU WHEN OR

      WHERE–YET. BUT

      BELIEVE ME,

      LIEUTENANT, IT IS

      GOING DOWN.

      CAN

      WE BRING

      ’EM IN?

      CONSPIRACY

      CHARGES ARE

      NOTORIOUSLY HARD

      TO PROVE.

      THEN HOW

      ABOUT ARMS

      SMUGGLING?

      HOLLANDER’S

      UGLY, BUT HE’S NOT

      STUPID. AND HE’S NOT

      GOING TO TRY AND

      SNUFF ONE OF OUR

      FRIENDS FROM THE

      STARS WITH A

      SATURDAY-NIGHT

      SPECIAL.

      WORD IS,

      HE’S FIXED TO

      GET HIS HANDS ON

      SOME HEAVY-DUTY

      FIREPOWER.

      ARE WE

      TALKING UZIS,

      HERE? HAND

      GRENADES,

      BAZOOKAS?

      WHAT?

      NAH, EVEN

      BETTER. SOMETHING

      STRAIGHT OUTTA

      STARPORT...

       RAYGUNS!

      CHAPTER TWO

      WHAT DID

      HE EXPECT ME

      TO DO, FLAP MY

      ARMS AND

      THINK ABOUT

      CHRISTMAS?

      YOU ASK

      ME, MONDRAGON’S

      HAD A BUG UP HIS

      BUTT EVER SINCE HE

      MADE SERGEANT. HE’S

      LIKE ME. A MAN OF

      ACTION CAN’T BE

      HAPPY