"We'll wait here," Zorn said, "until the excitement's over inside. I wouldn't want to attract any attention right now."
"Your politics are still lousy, Zorn. The picture hasn't changed. Your coup hasn't got a chance."
"Skip it. I'll take up one problem at a time."
"Magnan's mouth has a habit of falling open at the wrong time—"
"That's my good luck that I heard it. So there'll be no agreement, no guns, no fat job for Tammany Zorn, hey? Well, I can still play it the other way, What have I got to lose?"
With a movement too quick to follow, Retief's hand chopped down across Zorn's wrist. The needler clattered as Zorn reeled, and then Retief's hand clamped Zorn's arm and whirled him around.
"In answer to your last question," Retief said, "your neck."
"You haven't got a chance, doublecrosser," Zorn gasped.
"Shoke will be here in a minute," Retief said. "Tell him it's all off."
"Twist harder, Mister," Zorn said. "Break it off at the shoulder. I'm telling him nothing!"