But Kendall had dashed the full length of the bar, dropped a crumpled bill on the counter, and raced outside. He snagged a taxi.
The driver, a sneering blueskin, said, "Five bucks. Earthmen pay in advance."
Kendall cursed and dug into his pocket. He had five dollars and change. He handed the blueskin the bill, pocketed the few coins again, and got in.
Minutes later he was outside the Hotel Cosmos. He threaded his way to Das Shamra's suite, listened outside the door for an instant. Voices were talking, murmuring low in Martian.
"Put your hands up," came the voice. "When the door opens, enter slowly."
Slowly the door opened. Kendall peered in and found himself facing enough artillery to blow a hole in Jupiter. There were five Martians in the room, none he had seen before, and each had a blaster trained on him. Das Shamra was sitting in his web-chair. There was no sign of the Martian Kendall had clobbered.
"The prodigal returns," Das Shamra remarked. "To what do we owe this visit, Mr. Kendall?"
Hesitantly, Kendall said, "I've--changed my mind. I'll do your damned job for you."
"I can't help it. I just spent some time with some other guy who turned you down. I don't want to end up like him. I want to get home to my wife, and I don't care how I get there. What do you want me to do?"
Das Shamra seemed to purr. "The terms are as we mentioned before."
"A simple matter--inasmuch as we happen to be the ones who saw to it that they deteriorated."
Kendall felt a jaw-muscle throb. The Martian's cool words confirmed what the old drunk had told him; they had deliberately cooked up this frame.
Das Shamra said, "This is Murro Lignus. He's our surgeon. He's the man who--ah--surreptitiously placed the distorter in your body while you slept at the spaceport last night. He comes and goes with great stealth."
"You cold-blooded swine," Kendall said. "Okay. We'll be honest with each other. I hate you, and you hate me--but I need you to ungimmick me so I can go home, and you need me to help you hijack that dionate. Okay."
"We understand each other, then," Das Shamra said.
"Take your gadget out of me and let me see the ship. I want to check it over before I go up in it."
"Very well. Murro Lignus, apply the anesthetic and remove the distorter."