Mission: Earth "Death Quest" by Ron L. Hubbard Read Free Book Online Page A

you."
    Heller laughed. "I'm afraid I'm no expert on royal families."
    "Well, you ought to be. A young emperor gadding about can get snared in by women who are very unscrupulous indeed. There IS a Delbert John Rockecenter, Junior. And Delbert John, Senior, doesn't know he exists and the lawyer Bury is hiding it from him. You see, I know about lawyers, too, and they are pretty treacherous. My father told me that our family lost all of its lands on Manco generations ago solely because of crooked men of law. There's tons of historical precedence for such a crime as Bury has in mind. This lawyer Bury thinks he can get the whole empire in his own hands if he hides the fact that there is an heir. It's been done before."
    "Honey, I'm told by Izzy that Bury is Rockecenter's right arm. Rockecenter trusts him completely."
    "That proves it," said the Countess Krak. "Bury is hiding the real heir to the Rockecenter empire. You can be as logical as you want. But my intuition tells me that is the way it is. It just makes no sense at all for Bury to want to kill my Jettero just because he thought he was Delbert John Rockecenter, Junior. It makes my blood absolutely seethe to think of it!"
    "Wait a minute," said Heller. "There is no emperor. There is no crown prince."
    "Hmm," said the Countess Krak.
    "My dearest," said Jettero, "I can tell you are thinking about something. Hear me. Those are VERY dangerous men. You keep away from them. Promise me?"
    "Hmm," said the Countess Krak.
    "Listen," said Heller. "One of the reasons I brought you to lunch here is because they are having an exhibit of illustrations of imaginary spacecraft. Covers of magazines called 'science fiction.' And they have movie models of what they think spacecraft look like. Some UFOs, too. I'm sure you will be very intrigued. Some of
    the artists have painted things that really do look like spaceships. And I want to check them to see if our own craft ever get spotted. I'm sure you will be fascinated. It's right on the ground floor in the temporary exhibits. And stop worrying your pretty head about the heirs of emperors who don't exist."
    "Hmm," said the Countess Krak. She tagged along but I could tell her mind was not on it.
    I needed no additional evidence to harden my firm resolve to act. But what had just passed between them, in fact, left me no alternative.
    It was as plain as day to me that the Countess Krak was now intent on killing Bury and blowing up Pokan-tickle Estate at Hairytown, to say nothing of the Octopus Oil Building at Rockecenter Plaza. She was DANGEROUS!
    As she drifted through the exhibits in front of Heller, 1 chose several spots in her unprotected back where a lethal bullet could finish this.
    I glanced at my watch.
    I was almost late in seeing Razza.
    I HAD TO GET THAT SNIPER ON THE JOB QUICK!
Chapter 2
    Razza Louseini, consigliere of the capo di tutti capi, Faustino "The Noose" Narcotici, sat imperially at his desk awaiting me.
    "Now," he said with great satisfaction, "we can get those God (bleeped) computers straightened out."
    Into the waiting hand of the accountant who was standing by his desk, I counted out two thousand hard-earned dollars. I was given a receipt and the man rushed off to untangle the accounts department computer brains before they sold Manhattan back to the Indians.
    "And now," said Razza, the scar that connected his mouth with his left ear taking on a peculiar corkscrew look, "here is your hit man." He was extending a white card that had a black hand in the upper corner.
    "Wait," I said. "Don't I just go down to Personnel and have them call the man and send him to me?"
    "Look at the card," said Razza.
    I did. The middle finger of the silhouette was extended higher than the rest-the Italian symbolism for "up your (bleep)" or "you been (bleeped)."
    Never trust the Mafia!"You haven't kept your bargain!" I yelped.
    "Oh, yes, I have," said Razza. "But the way you got the last two snipers wasted, nobody here has any confidence in you.