Then, as the Oligarch moved toward the speaker's platform, Herb dropped swiftly down the ladder. His feet touched the ground.
The Oligarch watched from the corner of his eye. Herb moved toward the crowd. The crowd leaned forward to catch the Oligarch's every word.
And he was cleansed. He was free of all responsibility: it was now between Herb and Bud. If Herb succeeded....
"Ladies and gentlemen," he began.
They were hushed.
"Thank you for your reception. I stand today before...." His voice translated into a billion volts, blanketed the world with supersonic vibrations made audible by millions of loudspeakers.
He needed pay no attention to his speech. His mind was floating free, and his body was light and youthful. There were only a few more things to be done, and then his role would be finished.
"On this momentous occasion," the Oligarch continued.
Herb was free of the worst of the crowd. He resisted an impulse to run. He, too, was wearing a businessman's suit. It was the same one he had worn for the hearings. In it, he was indistinguishable from an Earthman. He pulled his hat lower over his face and pushed his way outward. Faces turned, eyes alerted with curiosity, shoulders shrugged, faces turned away. Herb did not know that Norma had seen him and was now trying to fight her way free of humanity to follow him.
The Oligarch continued his speech. His grim and gloomy reflections vanished. He peered out at the Earth faces with genuine benevolence. It's not in my hands any longer, he wanted to tell them. One of your Senators will make the ultimate decision, unless one of my starmen kills him first.