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sad route brought you to the 'drunks'？〃 An unaccountable surge of rage hit me。 Who was the prisoner here？ Or wait； was he trying to forge and exploit a bond？ Was he being arrogant and disdainful like Fleet officers do in the face of defeat？
My hand gripped the blastick hard enough to crush it。 How dare he pity me？
My wits had been dispersed in all directions。 This fellow was dangerous even to talk to。 I carefully calmed myself。 Indeed； who was the prisoner here？ I looked at him very carefully and what I finally saw amazed me。 He really wasn't thinking about himself。 He wasn't thinking about the pain of electric cuffs or hunger or thirst。 He actually felt sad that another being could fall as low as I。 His question had nothing to do with himself at all！ Only me。
I could have talked about myself。 I could have said； 〃Sometimes one follows the wrong chart。〃 I could have laid it all out for him and e to an honest understanding。 How different it all might have been had I done so。
But there was Lombar like a black cloud in my sky。 I wasn't courageous enough to be honest。 In that moment I sealed the doom of an awful lot of people。 A plete coward； I put a false smile on it。 I repeated； 〃e； e。 Just tell me about the orderly。〃 He was silent for a bit。 Then he said； 〃Why should I？ You'll just improve your techniques on the next kidnapping。〃
〃No； no；〃 I said。 〃This is just a test of perceptions and reactions。 Purely scholastic。〃 He shrugged。 〃When I came out the door and caught a whiff of him； I knew he was no Fleet orderly。 In the close confines of a spaceship； a crew has been known to kill someone who never bathes or who uses scented powder。 There are no smelly Fleet orderlies。〃 I had gotten out a notebook and was making silly notes to add to the illusion。 〃Very good。 Keen sense of smell。 Anything else？〃 He looked at me； faintly amused。 〃His belt was upside…down； he had his spats on backwards and there was the bulge of a forbidden knife at the back of his neck。〃
〃Ah； excellent；〃 I said； pretending to write。 And indeed it was excellent。 I hadn't seen the knife bulge。
〃But；〃 said Jettero； 〃I flunked smelling the ozone that always es from an electric whip even out of use and I did not hear your boss close the door behind me。 So I flunk。 I am not the fellow for your job。〃
〃No； no； no；〃 I said hastily。 〃That's for me to judge。 Now let's get on with this。 Why did you let that other player win？〃 I really wanted to know。 It had puzzled me ever since I had seen it。
He looked at me as though wondering what sort of a monster I was。 He didn't answer so I said； 〃Why did you throw the game away？〃 In a very patient voice； the way one explains something to a child； he said； 〃His sweetheart was in the stands。 She had e clear from his home planet to watch him play。 If he had lost； it would have shamed him in front of her。〃
〃Oh； wait；〃 I said。 〃You tossed him some balls。 You were mocking him。 That was far worse than just defeating him。〃
〃That is true；〃 said Heller。 〃So I had no choice except to distract attention from him by stepping outside my ring and losing the game。 If you were watching； you saw it work。 He kept his pride and was not shamed。〃 I was astonished。 I felt upset。 Anyone in the Apparatus could tell you that it is utterly fatal not to win every time and in every place。 passion is a fatal word！ The dirtier one played； the better。 And always to win； no matter what the cost to anyone。
This fellow would never make a spy。 Never！ Lords help him！ And Lords help me as his handler！
〃Great！〃 I cried； feeling as false as a prostitute。 〃You've passed with all tubes blasting！ You're the very fellow for the job！〃
Chapter 3
The light of the wire cage was bad； the stink was overpowering。 I produced the copy of the order and with a flourish of fluttering seals； held it in front of his face。
〃The Grand Council； no less；〃 I said。 〃One of the most important missions of the year！ And as you can see； it has been entrusted to the Exterior Division with plete autonomy and discretion。〃 I made the paper snap importantly。
As he made no response； I summoned up the brightest voice I could in that horrible place and said； 〃We had to have the best in Voltar and we have chosen you！〃 If this quickened any ambition in him； it was not detectable。
〃I think；〃 he said； 〃that you had better get me my watch。〃 I had no idea why a watch had anything to do with it。 I had to get a guard anyway to get the electric cuffs off。 So I went to a wall installation and hit the buzzer。
After a while； a wrinkled cripple showed up and looked at me uncertainly。 〃Remove the electric cuffs from this prisoner；〃 I ordered。 〃And bring some food and water。 Also； bring back his possessions。〃 Muttering that he had to get the circuit binations； the sorry excuse for a guard limped off。
We waited and after a while the wreck came back with a metal card； a water jug and some filthy looking meal in a rusty can。 I stood back； alert； while the cripple fumbled around with the card and finally removed the wrist and ankle cuffs。 He put the food and water down on the filthy floor and limped off。
〃Wait；〃 I said。 〃Where are the prisoner's possessions？〃 The guard just drew further off； saying in an annoyed whine； 〃I'm off duty now。 You'll have to buzz for the next guard。〃 Heller was sitting up。 He was cautiously sipping at the water jug； not taking too much； letting the swelling of his tongue go down。 I buzzed again； cross that the first guard wouldn't even tell the next one the message。
After a lapse of half an hour or more and several buzzes sent； a huge； overbearing Calabarian came into the room。 〃What's all the row here？〃 he demanded angrily。 〃Buzz； buzz； buzz！ Nobody can rest！〃 I had backed up； blastick ready。 This fellow weighed at least three hundred pounds and his naked torso was a mass of knife scars。 He had a face from a nightmare。
〃Get this prisoner's possessions。 A sweater； a pair of shoes and a watch。〃 I turned to Heller and he nodded that that was all。
〃And what service are you？〃 demanded the huge guard。 〃How do I know who you are？ You ain't wearing no Apparatus uniform！〃
〃I'll make it worth your while；〃 I said； acutely aware of being a mile deep and at the mercy of these thugs。
The monster seemed to nod as though that was what he had been waiting to hear。 He disappeared。
Heller diffidently ate a little bit of the food。 He washed it down with another swallow of water。
I twitched the Grand Council order in my hand。 〃This is a great opportunity；〃 I said coaxingly。
Heller shook his head。 〃Wait。〃 After a long time the big guard came back。 He had a new； shallow cut under one eye。 He threw the shoes on the floor in front of Heller and slapped the sweater； now very filthy； at Heller's face。 〃He wasn't wearing no watch when he came in；〃 he said。
I looked at Heller。 〃You wouldn't be wearing a watch in a game of bullet ball；〃 I said。
〃A friend was holding it；〃 said Jettero。 〃He gave it back when I left the floor。 These apes took it。〃
〃Get his watch；〃 I told the guard。 〃No watch； no pay。〃 He snarled to himself and went off again。
The water and food were helping。 Jettero stood up and I was very alert； gripping the