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Locking my door； I swept some empty canisters off a table and hastily began to set up the equipment。 With hands quivering with eagerness； I got the activator…receiver going。 I was only twenty miles from the Apparatus hangar and this thing was good； the late Spurk had said； for two hundred miles。
I turned on the separate receiver…viewscreen。
Nothing！
Not even a crackle！
I turned up the activator…receiver until it was practically shooting blue streams！
Nothing。
I turned up the receiver…viewscreen。
Nothing！
（Bleep） Spurk！ He must have been lying！ It served him right to get himself killed！
I sat back。 I thought。 Then it occurred to me that the whole rig might just be underpowered。 So I picked up and added the 831 Relayer to the setup。 It was supposed to boost the signal between the activator…receiver and the receiver…viewscreen so strongly that they could be ten thousand miles apart！
Nothing。
I boosted every manual gain knob I could find！
Wait。 I heard something in the viewscreen speaker。 A faint rhythmic sound。
I looked at the viewscreen。 I thought I must have turned the power up too high。 Maybe a ponent was burning in it。 It was a blurred； wavery pink。
I counted the rhythmic sound。 It was going at about eighteen times a minute。 Hard to recognize。 The quality was poor。
Suddenly I had it！ The sound was breathing！ The dim pink was faint light ing through the eyelids。 Heller was asleep！ If it was Heller。
Well； it had gotten something。 But Gods； with every manual gain at maximum and even the 831 Relayer on the line； it was only doing twenty miles！ I despaired of ever using this in Turkey when Heller was in the Americas。
I sat back； wondering what to do now。 With this rig so poor； Heller could just waltz around the United States as free as a bird； I wouldn't know what he was doing！ I wouldn't be able to use information gained on this channel to sabotage his intentions。 Awful thought！
For some time I sat there glooming。 I was almost ready to give it up when I heard footsteps ing from the speaker。 Very faint； hard to recognize as footsteps。 They were a bit louder now。 They stopped。
A voice： 〃Honey； are you all right？〃 It was so fuzzy； I couldn't recognize it from voice quality。 But it must be the Countess Krak。 Yes； as I glanced at my watch； the guard would have changed。
The viewscreen image came on gradually。 Faint； furry。 It was the Countess Krak。 She was in uniform； her helmet was off。 Her face was very big。 A poor picture。
She looked concerned。 She was touching the heal…fast capsule。 〃Did you fall？ Did you have an accident？〃
〃Oh； hello； darling。 I must have fallen asleep again。〃 Bad quality； barely able to tell it was Heller's voice。 〃No； no。 Don't be alarmed。 It's nothing。 I just had a lot of identifying marks removed by a cellologist。〃
〃You WHAT？〃
〃Yes。 Soltan came and got me and I kept an appointment。〃 There was horror on her face。 〃They put you under gas？ You were out？〃
〃Oh； please。 It's not all that much。 It takes more than a little gas to hurt me！〃
〃Hah； Jettero Heller。 A lot you know！〃 She was quite cross。 〃You do something crazy like that the minute I turn my back！ I've told you； where Soltan Gris is concerned； I can handle him and you can't！〃 Then she suddenly changed。 She cupped his face in her hands； looking at the wound cover。 Her voice was full of sorrow and concern。 〃Oh； my poor darling。 What have these beasts done to you？〃 It gave me a bad moment。 Would she guess what really had been done？
Heller tried to laugh her out of it。 〃Look；〃 he said； fumbling about。 〃The doctor gave me the tiny piece of arrowhead he took out。〃 He told her the story and then he opened the little gold case。
〃It's all bloody！〃 she said； recoiling。 I grimaced。 Blood meant nothing to her unless it was Heller's。
〃Of course！〃 said Heller。 〃He said he took it out of my frontal bone。〃 He picked it up and the fragment became absolutely HUGE on my screen。 〃Hmmm；〃 he said。 〃That's funny。 I thought it was an obsidian arrowhead and this is flint。〃 （Bleep） Prahd for his fancy extras； I gritted。
〃Could have been metamorphic；〃 puzzled Heller。 〃But obsidian and flint seldom mix。〃
〃Oh； Jet。 You should have been more cautious。 You should have made them do it here。 Where I could be present。 They may have said something to you while you were out。 Think hard！ Do you remember what they said？ Any general anesthetic can act as a hypnotic。〃 You and hypnotism； I snarled to myself in a wave of hate as I recalled the horrible thing she had done to me。
Heller said； 〃Oh； yes。 I forgot。 It's still here on my wrist。 Soltan let me put this on。 Only I know the numbers to open it。〃 He busily began to undo his bination。 I made a mental note that he favored an idiot's bination…3； 2； 1。 Ho； ho。 You could learn things with this bug rig！
〃It's still running；〃 he said。 〃Here； I'll put it on a player。〃 And he got a player and shortly had the strip running。
Heller was watching the Countess。 And that was good because the whole thing made or broke on just this part of the project。 Had I tricked her or hadn't I？ My voice； very fuzzy； came out of the speaker； 〃I feel a little queasy。 Have you got something？〃 Then Prahd； 〃Could you hold this？〃 And then my； 〃Oh； no。 The sight of blood makes me quite ill lately for some reason。〃 The Countess Krak was sitting up very straight； listening intently。
Then my voice through the speaker on the ship； 〃Oh； my Gods； I'm going to be sick at my stomach！〃 Followed by the heaving sounds。
The Countess started nodding for all the world like a teacher who is approving a pupil for being exceptionally obedient。 Then she relaxed。 I knew I had won！ She thought that the hypnotic suggestion to get sick if Heller was hurt was still securely in place。
When the picture went white； Heller said； 〃My wrist must have slipped off the table。〃 The Countess shrugged。
〃I'll speed play it through；〃 said Heller。 But； of course； there were only clicks and snips and bubbles of beakers。 He spot…checked the return to the tug。
The Countess said； 〃I'll get you something to eat。〃 Had I won？ You can't ever tell about females； but she apparently didn't suspect anything underhanded had been done。 I realized she had been worried about physical damage； nothing would point to anything else。
But my problems with this rig were crucial。 I could not hang on Heller's coattails and still oversee all our Earth operations。
There were some minor flaws。 Peripheral vision…things in the view field but not being looked at directly…were there； if blurred。 I could cope with that。 But the overall visio and audio quality left so much to be desired that I was gloomy。
I thought of turning the strip on in my receiver…viewscreen and just leaving it。 It had an automatic strip…feeder in it。 It would record for days； maybe even weeks； untended。 You just put a pile of strips in it。 But then； the Countess came back in and I thought that maybe I could pick up some crucial data。 After all； I knew nothing of their domestic relationship。 It was really a new scene to me for they would not act naturally with me close by。 What did this pair do when they were alone together？ So I kept watching。
She had