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〃You're keeping us waiting；〃 said Madison impatiently。 〃Let's get out of here。 What on Earth are you doing NOW？〃
〃I'm looking for a place to take this gang；〃 said Flick。 〃There's a lot of mountains but it's not like on Calabar。 On Voltar； I can't find any caves。〃
〃And what do you want caves for？〃
〃To train！ You got to train a gang。 You can't just let them blunder into a job。 It all has to go off like clockwork…clip； clip； clip！ Now； there's some old ruins on the other side of the Blike Mountains…some town that got knocked out in a revolt ten thousand years ago； it says。 And it would do； except only this airbus can cross the Blike Mountains。 Those air…coaches can't fly at fifty thousand feet。 I got PROBLEMS！〃
〃Well； Flick； I don't see why we don't go to the town…house in Joy City。〃
〃Oh； no！ That would be cheating！〃
〃Well；〃 said Madison； 〃you can do what you please； but I'm going to take MY gang there。〃
〃YOUR gang…MY gang！ What's this？ Are we splitting up？ Hells； that could cause a gang war！〃
〃Oh； we should do anything to avoid that；〃 said Madison。 〃Look； I've got a promise。 The 76th floor is said to be just ordinary。 It's the rest of the upper floors that all the loot is in。 I promise faithfully not to let anybody go up to the upper four floors。〃
Flick frowned。 He thought it over。 Then he said； 〃All right。 Nobody goes into the upper four floors until we're ready to rob them。 So that's settled。 We go to the 76th floor of the townhouse。〃
Madison started to withdraw to signal the air…coaches。 〃Wait a minute；〃 said Flick。 〃It will look awful suspicious going into the townhouse in that swank neighborhood with a bunch of prisoners in rags。 The cops would be all over us like a blanket。 We'll go rob a clothing warehouse first。〃
〃NO！〃 said Madison。
〃Yes！〃 said Flick。 〃I promised on the 76th floor of the townhouse。 Now you can promise on something。 I know of the swankiest men and women's clothing outlet you ever heard of。 HUGE。 Even noblemen's stores get their stock from that place。 Besides； I need to put my footwoman in a uniform： she's got awful big breasts and is going to need a big selection to choose a uniform from； or we won't get a fit。 So； as long as I've got to get her one； we'll just outfit the whole gang in one go。〃
Madison looked at him aghast。
〃Classy Togs Warehouse is the name。 It's in the outskirts of mercial City； whole area deserted at this time of night。 I cased the joint。 It's only got one watchman and he's old。〃
Seeing the determination； Madison felt helpless。 〃I'm afraid that I'll wait outside。〃
〃Oh； good。 You be the whistle man！〃 And Flick leaped out and raced to the air…coaches； ordering the drivers to follow him； whispering to each they were off to do their first job and get some clothes。
Shortly they soared into the air out of the courtyard and strung out； streaking down the coast。 A moon had risen and was bathing the night with a soft green glow。 The Domestic Confederacy Prison's bulk disappeared behind。 Then even the mountains were gone。
Flick was chortling happily。 〃Man； we're off on our first job！〃
Madison looked down。 They were speeding along moon…bathed beach； the surf long ribbons as it purled against the sand。
Madison looked back。
NO COACHES！
〃HALT！〃 he screamed at Flick。 〃You were going too fast！〃
〃WHAT？〃 said Flick。 〃No air…coaches？ I only been doing three hundred。 Those coaches can do four hundred easy！ They've escaped！〃
He flipped the Model 99 around in the air and sent its scanners flashing all around the sky。
NO BLIPS！
No sign of air…coaches on the screen。
〃Well； （bleep） them！〃 raged Flick。 〃That's gratitude！ The lousy （bleepards） have taken off to do their own job！〃
〃Let's go back the way we came；〃 said Madison。 〃Maybe they crashed。 Can you do a ground search with something？〃
Flick punched around and got a metal…detector beam working and registering。
They sped back up the moonlit sand。 The tips of the mountains to the north rose once more as they headed back。
Then； A BLIP。 TWO BLIPS。 THREE BLIPS！
Three air…coaches down there on the sand！
Fearing the worst； they speeded near and did a fast pass。
THE COACHES WERE EMPTY！
〃Oh； Gods；〃 said Flick。 〃They've escaped inland！ We'll never find them in that scrub。 Where the Hells is the body…heat detection button？〃
〃You don't need one；〃 said Madison。 He was pointing。
The group wasn't inland。 It was down in the surf； Were they fighting？
The Model 99 swooped nearer and landed with a thunk in the sand。 Madison leaped out。
Convicts were running everywhere！
〃WHEE！〃 they were shouting。 〃WHEE！〃
Madison caught an arm of a naked woman as she raced by。 But she was gone； shouting； 〃Whee！〃
He spotted another one who had stopped to catch his breath and quickly went over。 It was one of the cooks/ logistic personnel。
〃What's going on here？〃 demanded Madison of the naked man。
He was catching his breath。 He finally said； 〃I'm afraid it's all my fault； Chief。 Your Lieutenant Flick told us we were going to get new clothes tonight so I said； 'Let's throw all these rags away！' I think they got a little enthusiastic。〃
A voice was at Madison's elbow。 The director； naked as the day he was born； said； 〃Isn't it great？ If my cameraman just had a camera； I could really get it in the can。 And show it as the 'Rites to the Goddess of the Sea。' Hells； I'll direct it anyway。 YOU THERE！ GRAB THAT WOMAN AND PITCH HER OFF THOSE ROCKS！〃
Madison raced back to the Model 99。 It had every known kind of noisemaker： sirens； klaxons； scream…beams； moans and bomb blasts。 He pushed them all。 A dreadful assortment of sound racketed across the waves and sand。 Naked convicts came streaming out of the water and rushing in from the dunes to see what was up。
Madison found a floodlight knob and pushed it。 The immediate scene went a glaring yellow。
He was surrounded now by a mob of naked bodies。 He rapidly made a count。 The last one was just arriving： he now had forty…eight。
〃Blast！〃 cried Flick； above the thunder of the surf； 〃How we going to do our job with no clothes？〃
〃You said the job was to get clothes；〃 somebody yelled。
〃That's right！〃 cried another。
A woman shouted； 〃You can beat us and we won't put those rags back on！〃
Madison saw mutiny in the air。 He motioned Flick to be silent。 〃I think you did just great！〃 he shouted。 〃Just be sure you don't leave those rags lying around。
People will think somebody has escaped。 So gather them up and we'll be on our way。〃
The throng disintegrated。
Shortly a pile of rags was gathered in one heap just above the water's edge。 Somebody got a laser…lighter from an air…coach and touched off a blaze。
That would have been all right but somebody else promptly found some driftwood and piled it on the flame and then somebody else found some more and they had a bonfire。 They thought that was great and； grabbing hands； began to dance around it in two rings going opposite ways。
Then； mysteriously； sweetbuns and sparklewater from the lockers of the Model 99 began to get tossed from hand to hand。 They had robbed the airbus！
Then they were all sitting； toasting sweetbuns on long sticks and guzzling sparklewater from jugs。 And somebody began to sing a song！
And here's a cheer
To the boys in blue
And here's to the cons
They