Brain World, page 16
"What new agent?"
Sid Jakes scowled at him and said, "Why the one you reported recruiting on Einstein. Buoy, or something like that."
"Oh," Ronny said vaguely. "He worked out fine. He saved my life in the fight."
"Wizard,'' the other said. "Make him a probationary agent. And we'll put him through the Section G courses when you get back." His face faded from the communicator screen.
Ronny turned and looked at Boy, who gave him the old double wag of the bobbed tail, and said, "Would you like to be a Section G agent?" Lee Chang and Dorn had been laughing but Lee Chang knocked it off and stared at Ronny. She said, "Have you gone drivel-happy? As an agent of supervisor rank you are impowered to recruit new agents, but I doubt that Sid realizes that Boy is a dog." Ronny said, "There's nothing in the United Planets Charter that says all member worlds must be humanity settled. Suppose, as we expand into the galaxy, we run into an intelligent alien life form that is compatible. Suppose they join United Planets. Wouldn't their race be eligible to join the Bureau of Investigation?" She looked at him blankly. "Why…I suppose so."
"Wizard. Boy is an intelligent life form. His cover is perfect. I can think of a dozen circumstances where his services would be priceless. Think what a spy he'd make." Boy said, "I don't know. I kind of like dogging for a living. It's not a bad life at all. No responsibility, pretty good chow, and a lot of laughs. Would you still be my Boss?"
"Well, I'm supervisor rank, as Lee Chang is. We'd both be your bosses, in a way." Boy thought about it. "What's in it for me?" he said finally.
"Why, you'd get a salary, just like anybody else. You'd start at five hundred interplanetary credits a month. That's a hell of a lot of money for a dog. You could buy any kind of food you wanted." Ronny snorted. "For that matter, you could buy yourself a whole kennel full of female Vizslas. Have a regular harem."
"Hmmm," Boy said. "At first it sounds great, but at second thought I wonder if I'd like a bunch of dumb bitches around all the time."
"You could rent a special seraglio for them and only spend as much time as you wanted. The pay is high. You'd be able to afford to hire a full time attendant for the harem. The equivalent of a eunuch."
Boy thought about it. He gave his tail a wag or so. "Hmmm, and I'd be this human attendant's boss, eh?"
"Of course."
Boy shook his head in wonder. "I've heard the old wheeze about when man bites dog, it's news. But this is really news. Dog hires man."
MNQ/2008.04.06
49,400 words
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Mack Reynolds, Brain World
