The next day, Gris has Ske fly him to the Widow Tayl's manor to get everything ready for Heller's surgical bugging. Along the way he reads a newspaper, the headlines of which all relate to last night's hijinks. There's "SORROWING SUPPLY OFFICER SUICIDES" covering Colonel Stinkens' death, with the note that his ex-wife was hospitalized for hysteric laughter. The fire that Gris set at the surveillance shop ended up gutting thirty-one businesses, with fifteen watchmen missing. Raza Torr's body has already been discovered, but the cause of death has been listed as "struck by a passing airbus and fallen ten thousand feet."
And then there's Raza's stolen vehicle. At some point Gris apparently sent it off on autopilot, and it ended up crashing into the Hospital of Good Mercy's children's wing, collapsing the roof so there's no body count yet. But the doctor interviewed just waves it off, as they "were going to abandon that wing anyway." So... humor? Har har, Gris killed a bunch of sick kids but the doctor doesn't care either so it's all okay? Is this more of Hubbard's special brand of satire?
Well, Gris is in a good mood since it looks like his tracks are good and covered. And the Widow Tayl and Bittlestiffender the "cellologist" are also in a good mood, lounging by her pool and making lovey-dovey faces at each other. The widow's even got bandages from some minor surgery removing a few warts and tightening up her bust.
Gris introduces himself as Officer Gris, as recommended by Professor Slahb, who he claims is his granduncle after the young doctor notices how uncannily Gris sounds like the "professor." He and Ske unload the crates full of medical supplies for the upcoming surgery, but Stiffy notices some bloodstains on them. We get some more comedy as Gris quickly rushes outside, stabs Ske in the hands with his knife before the doctor can see, and uses "steel slivers" to explain the blood on the supplies.
With that settled, the Widow Tayl comes by to thank Gris for bringing over the young doctor... in her own special way. It involves a grinning cupid statue rocking on its stand as the widow explains just how wonderful her evening with the doctor was.
And that's about it. Everything's set up so Heller can be bugged, and then Mission Earth should be underway. Finally. No other dangling subplots, and the main plot is slowly but steadily progressing.
Shame there's only ninety pages left in the book for it to go anywhere.
Back to Chapter Six
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