Lutscher shook his head. "I didn't, and, as you can see, they aren't there now. But just try to take me out of here and they'll be back before you can walk two steps. Incidentally, they call themselves mahutes. The stick-insects are ankites, and the pets, like Bunzo here, are clobers. Now you know the names of the only denizens of this world I've seen so far."
"How did you know about this place?"
"In my business you either have something like this in reserve up your sleeve, or the long arm of the law, represented by yourself, my friend, will soon pull you in. Enough to say that I learned about it from someone who had been here. I'll confess, though, that I had my anxious moments coming in. I was afraid that the information I had about the place might have been, ah ... colored, by the imagination of my informer. But, as you can see, it turned out to be a very delightful place."
"You know I'll never leave without you, don't you?" Tang asked abruptly. "Why haven't you had me killed?"
"At first I planned that," Lutscher answered with friendly frankness. "But after I investigated the situation, and understood it, I saw no reason to do so. In fact, I have strong hopes of convincing you to stay here of your own free will."
"You must have picked up a touch of madness somewhere along the line if you think that."
"No, I don't think so," Lutscher said, growing very earnest. "Look at me. What kind of a man do you see?"
"I see nothing except the man I'm going to bring in for trial."
"You must have my record," Lutscher said, disregarding the reply. "And you've probably studied it and my characteristics until you know me better than I know myself. Remember them? I'm the highstrung, hypertension, ulcer type of guy. A doctor told me once that my metabolism burns too fast.