Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein Page A

be entitled to know who is shooting at him."
                For the first time I saw Dak register surprise. Then he laughed so hard that the acceleration seemed to be too much for him; he slid to the deck and braced his back against a bulkhead, still laughing.
                "I don't see anything funny about it," I said angrily.
                He stopped and wiped his eyes. "Lorrie old son, did you honestly think that I had set you up as a sitting duck?"
                "It's obvious." I told him my deductions about the earlier assassination attempts.
                He had the sense not to laugh again. "I see. You thought it was a job about like food taster for a Middle Ages king. Well, we'll have to try to straighten you out; I don't suppose it helps your acting to think that you are about to be burned down where you stand. Look, I've been with the Chief for six years. During that time I know he has never used a double . . . Nevertheless, I was present on two occasions when attempts were made on his life- one of those times I shot the hatchet man. Penny, you've been with the Chief longer than that. Has he ever used a double before?"
                She looked at me coldly. "Never. The very idea that the Chief would let anybody expose himself to danger in his place is-well, I ought to slap your face; that's what I ought to do!"
                "Take it easy, Penny," Dak said mildly. "You've both got jobs to do and you are going to have to work with him. Besides, his wrong guess isn't too silly, not from the outside. By the way, Lorenzo, this is Penelope Russell. She is the Chief's personal secretary, which makes her your number-one coach."
                "I am honored to meet you, mademoiselle."
                "I wish I could say the same!"
                "Stow it, Penny, or I'll spank your round fanny-at two gravities. Lorenzo, I concede that doubling for John Joseph Bonforte isn't as safe as tiding in a wheel chair-shucks, as we both know, several attempts have been made to close out his life insurance. But that is not what we are afraid of this time. Matter of fact, this time, for political reasons you will presently understand, the laddies we are up against won't dare to try to kill the Chief-or to kill you when you are doubling for the Chief. They are playing rough
    -as you know!-and they would kill me, or even Penny, for the slightest advantage. They would kill you right now, if they could get at you. But when you make this public appearance as the Chief you'll be safe; the circumstances will be such that they can't afford to kill."
                He studied my face. "Well?"
                I shook my head. "I don't follow you."
                "No, but you will. It is a complicated matter, involving Martian ways of looking at things. Take it for granted; you'll know all about it before we get there."
                I still did not like it. Thus far Dak had told me no outright lies that I knew of-but he could lie effectively by not telling all that he knew, as I had learned the bitter way. I said, "See here, I have no reason to trust you, or to trust this young lady-if you will pardon mc, miss. But while I haven't any liking for Mr. Bonforte, he does have the reputation for being painfully, even offensively, honest. When do I get to talk to him? As soon as we reach Mars?"
                Dak's ugly, cheerful face was suddenly shadowed with sadness. "I'm afraid not. Didn't Penny tell you?"
                "Tell me what?"
                "Old son, that's why we've got to have a double for the Chief. They've kidnapped him!"
     
                My head ached, possibly from the double weight, or perhaps from too many shocks. "Now you know," Dak went on. "You know why Jock Dubois didn't want to trust you with it until after we raised ground. It is the biggest news story since