Page:Piper Little Fuzzy (1962).djvu/83

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standing guard over Kellogg and Mallin, his thumbs in his pistol belt.

"Ours . He's quit the Company ."

Just as he was finishing, Car Three put in an appearance ; he had to tell the same story over again . The area in front of the Kellogg camp was getting congested ; he hoped Mike Hennen's labor gang would stay away for a while . Lunt talked to van Riebeek when he had finished with Ruth, and then with Jimenez and Mallin and Kellogg . Then he and one of the men from Car Three came over to where Jack and Rainsford were standing . Gerd van Riebeek joined them just as Lunt was saying :

"Jack , Kellogg's made a murder complaint against you . I told him it was self -defense , but he wouldn't listen . So , according to the book , I have to arrest you . "

"All right ." He unbuckled his gun and handed it over . "Now , George , I herewith make complaint and accusation against Leonard Kellogg , charging him with the unlawful and unjustified killing of a sapient being, to wit , an aboriginal native of the planet of Zarathustra commonly known as Gold- ilocks. "

Lunt looked at the small battered body and the six mourners around it.

" But, Jack , they aren't legally sapient beings . "

"There is no such thing . A sapient being is a being on the mental level of sapience , not a being that has been declared sapient . "

"Fuzzies are sapient beings , " Rainsford said . " That's the opinion of a qualified xeno - naturalist . "

"Two of them , " Gerd van Riebeek said . "That is the body of a sapient being . There's the man who killed her . Go ahead , Lieutenant , make your pinch .””

"Hey ! Wait a minute !"

The Fuzzies were rising, sliding their chopper - diggers under the body of Goldilocks and lifting it on the steel shafts . Ben Rainsford was aiming his camera as Cinderella picked up her sister's weapon and followed , carrying it ; the others carried the body toward the far corner of the clearing , away from the camp . Rainsford kept just behind them , paus- ing to photograph and then hurrying to keep up with them .

They set the body down. Mike and Mitzi and Cinderella began digging ; the others scattered to hunt for stones . Com- ing up behind them , George Lunt took off his beret and stood

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