"Ah, the good corporal. Glad you mentioned him, Jake. He's the man to see." Retief stepped out of the car and started through the crowd. A heavy lorry loaded with an immense tank with the letter H blazoned on its side trundled into the square from a side street, moved up to a position before the building. A smaller car pulled alongside Sozier's limousine. The driver stepped down, handed something to Sozier. A moment later, Sozier's amplified voice boomed across the crowd.
"You in there, Corasol! This is General Sozier, and I'm warning you to come out now or you and your smart friends are in for a big surprise. You think I won't blast you out because I don't want to wreck the planet. You see the tank aboard the lorry that just pulled up? It's full of gas—and I got plenty of hoses out here to pump it inside with. I'll put men on the roof and squirt it in the ventilators."
Sozier's voice echoed and died. The militiamen eyed the station. Nothing happened.
"I know you can hear me, damn you!" Sozier squalled. "You'd better get the doors open and get out here fast!"
Retief stepped to Sozier's side. "Say, Corporal, I didn't know you went in for practical jokes."
Sozier jerked around to gape at Retief.
"What are you doing here!" he burst out. "I told Jake—where is that—"
"Jake didn't like the questions I was asking," Retief said, "so he marched me up here to report to you."
"Jake, you damn fool!" Sozier roared. "I got a good mind—"