"I'll have to see your hired vehicle permit, if you have one." The thin voice was sarcastic and a bit suspicious.
"I'll come right to the tower with it. Over."
Grasping a case in each hand he left the ship and headed for the tower entrance. Almost there, the hum of an incoming copter made him turn and look at the runway. The copter landed neatly and, even from that distance, Herl could recognize the fur-coated figure of Commissioner Crawford getting out.
The Commissioner raised an arm and hailed Captain Hofner. "Hey!"
"Hey, yourself," Herl turned from the tower and strode toward the copter. "Did you come for me?"
"Sure," yelled the Commissioner. Turning to look up and wave at the tower, he called, "It's all right, Alco. This is my guest." He halted and waited for Herl to come up with him.
"Bill phoned me," began Crawford apologetically, "that he'd had the word about Agnes and dashed back to straighten out the driving job so someone else could take over." The two men walked side by side to the copter. "That was a very decent thing for him to do, even if it did leave you stranded out here ... so I came out for you. Find everything?"
"Oh I found everything, all right," Herl grinned wryly. "Did Bill tell you about Abigail?"
"Abigail?" asked Crawford. "I don't seem to remember the name."
"She saved me from getting hurt during the landing. A goddess. Bill was probably embarrassed to mention it. It was my own stupid fault."