"I'm afraid you're too late, Simms," Halleck said. "I've already explained to his highness that you've come to this village to steal his Deleon Salts. I think you know what that means."
Gately laughed harshly. "You were pretty smooth back at the Jetty," he said. "But you forgot that the dehydrators would dispose of the fumes from your paralysis-pellet in a few moments. You forgot also that we travel by hydrocar."
Simms' fists clenched. Suddenly an overpowering urge to smash Halleck's sneering face blinded all his reason. Before the Kamali guards could restrain him, he threw himself forward and planted a driving blow into the space-rat's jaw with his two lashed fists.
But that was as far as Simms got. The Oligarch spoke a quick command then, and a rush of webbed feet sounded. Something h
