Rezar shrugged. "Kaliz's faction," he said, as if to dissociate himself from the project of removing some of Earth's choicest property. "They aim at a history-museum of habitable worlds."
"Interplanetary souvenirs," Alis said. "With quick-frozen inhabitants? Don, what are you going to do?"
Don didn't even know what to say. His eyes met Hector's.
"Don't look at me," Hector said. "I definitely abdicate."
"Look," Don said to Rezar, "how far advanced are these plans? I mean, is there a deadline for this mass levitation?"
"Twenty-four hours, your time," Rezar said.
"Can't you stop them? Aren't you the boss?"
The alien turned Don's question back on him. "Are you the boss?"
Don had started to shake his head when Foghorn Frank's voice boomed out.
"Yes, by thunder, he is the boss! Don, raise your right hand. I'm going to make you a brigadier general. No, blast it, a full general. Repeat after me...."