Mission: Earth "Fortune of Fear" by Ron L. Hubbard Read Free Book Online Page B

into the swirling mists, a voice seemed to be echoing hollowly as in a tomb. It was my own, telling her to "Buy! Buy! Buy!" that very morning. I had unwittingly sealed my own doom.
    I still owed them hundreds of thousands. I didn't have a penny to my name. And I had no slightest channel here on Earth to get any.
    The house would be seized. The staff would be sold. But not only that, even I would find myself on the auction block, being bought most likely by an Arab who thought more of camels than his slaves. And thus a nightmare shattered any peace the unconsciousness could bring: I was an auctioneer shouting "Buy! Buy! Buy!" as I sold myself time and again to masters far more cruel than the Manco Devils: the credit companies!
Chapter 7
    It was evening in New York.
    Assured by the elevator operator that Mr. Jet, as Heller was popularly known, was still in his office, Krak tipped magnificently the chauffeur, stewardess and building porters via just mentioning the number of the credit card-which they probably already knew from Utanc. The amount made them blink and me go faint again. Finally, they all withdrew and left Krak with a mountainously piled, four-wheel handcart before the door.
    She had arrived!
    She looked at her reflection in the gloss of the hall wall. She took off a fur cap, threw it on the cart and fluffed her hair. She straightened up her Blackgama mink cape. She looked closely at her reflection where the cup had now been removed. She was satisfied.
    She took a long deep breath. I could hear her heart thudding heavily. She swallowed. She lifted her chin. She opened the door and let it swing wide. She stood there.
    Heller was at his desk, open books between his two hands.
    He looked up.
    He stared.
    He couldn't believe it! His mouth opened.
    He muttered, "Am I dreaming?"
    The Countess Krak had a little trouble speaking. She said, "You're not dreaming, Jettero. It's me."
    Heller leaped from his chair. He came around the desk and began to run toward her.
    She ran forward to meet him.
    They came together in a crush of embraces in the center of the room.
    After a savage clench, they both began to cry.
    They just stood there, holding each other, crying!
    Minutes went by. They did not do anything or say anything. They just stood there holding on to each other, sobbing!
    Finally, her voice muffled by his shoulder, she said, "Then you didn't fall in love with a thousand beautiful women!"
    "No, no," he said huskily. "I put you on my pillow every night. I have only dreamed of you."
    They kissed.
    My screen went into a wild blur, wiped out! Even the sound went. Carbon-oxygen power surge and two sets of bugs too close together.
    At last they moved reluctantly apart. Heller put her gently in a chair. He went out in the hall and pushed the hugely piled cart into the office. He closed the door.
    Heller came back and knelt beside her. She was drying her eyes with a lace handkerchief. Then she swabbed at his. She laughed shakily.
    He laughed. Then he said, his voice heavy with emotion, "I don't dare talk about how glad I am to see you. It's like the skies suddenly opened and you just materialized. How did the Gods bring you here?"
    "Soltan sent for me."
    "But how did you know where I was?"
    She said, "He told me."
    "But how did you get away from Spiteos?"
    "Lombar sent me. There are no trained acts, now.
    There aren't even any freaks. Lombar is engrossed in other things and has no time for them. So he sent me to help you out. He said you were overworking. And you asked for a cellologist so he sent Crobe."
    "That crazy Doctor Crobe? Where is he?"
    She said, "I think Soltan is holding him for a while. On the ship he wasn't studying English much. I tried to help him but he said why talk to somebody when you were just going to cut out their tongues anyway. My guess is that Soltan is holding on to him until he learns English."
    "Soltan knew the address of this office?"
    "Yes."
    "Well," said Heller, "you got here safely and you are