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〃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 blastick。 But he just exercised his limbs a bit。 Then he sat down and used a sleeve of the sweater and some of the water to sponge out the shoes： somebody else had been wearing them； they were filthy。
After a long time the huge guard came back。 He had a new bruise on the side of his mouth and his knuckles were skinned。 But he was holding the watch。
I had never seen a space engineer's watch before。 I took it to make sure it contained no trick weapons： life in the Apparatus makes one suspicious。 But it was just a big； round dial with a small hole in its face and a heavy metal band。 I handed it over to Jettero。 He nodded that this was it and began to put it on。
〃The pay；〃 said the guard。
I took a ten…credit note from my pocket； a pretty big sum for a guard in Spiteos。
The guard looked at it like it had kicked him。 〃Ten！〃 he snarled。 〃I had to pay sixty credits to redeem that watch！〃 He made a lunge at Jettero to grab it back。
I snatched at the monster's shoulder to spin him off course。 It flung him backwards and he reared up and tripped on his own feet。 He hit the side of the wire cage and went down on his knees。
He was absolutely frothing！
〃I'll murder you！〃 he screamed； starting to lunge。
I raised the blastick to kill him。
Abruptly； my blastick went spinning！
There was a blur。 Heller's right wrist caught the guard across the throat with a strike that lifted him clean off the floor！
The monster hit the wall with a thud！
He crumpled down like a disjointed doll。 He was bleeding from the mouth； out cold。
Jettero picked up the blastick； put its safety catch on and handed it to me。 〃Never kill a fellow when you don't have to；〃 he said quietly。
He inspected the guard。 〃He's still alive。 Give me seventy credits。〃 And he held out his hand to me。
Numbly； I fished out sixty more credits and added the ten from the floor。 Jettero took them from me。 Kneeling by the guard； he tapped the cheeks until the fellow started to e around。
Jettero held the seventy credits in front of the monster。 〃Here's your money。 Thank you for the watch。〃 And then it was the cold； not…to…be…disputed voice of a Fleet officer； unmistakable。 〃Now return to your post and that's the end of it。〃 The guard heard it。 He took the money and walked off as quietly as though he had just looked in for a casual call。 Indeed； that was the end of it。
〃Now let's look at that alleged document；〃 said Heller。
Chapter 4
Jettero Heller took the Grand Council order over to the green glowplate。 His back was slightly to me and I couldn't quite see what he was doing。 It must have something to do with his watch。
〃It seems authentic enough；〃 he said。
I kept a mild smile on my face but I shuddered inside。 It did happen to be authentic but only by paring it to the listings on the planetary file circuit could one really know。 The Apparatus could forge documents like that in minutes。 He was absolutely hopeless as a spy。
〃But it was issued 4。7 days after I was kidnapped；〃 he said。
I peered at the document again； over his shoulder。 Yes； it was hour dated。 No great trick。 〃We had to know we could get the right special agent before we dared undertake the task；〃 I lied smoothly。
〃Look；〃 said Heller。 〃This place is pretty awful。 Can't we go somewhere else to discuss this？〃
〃As soon as you've decided to undertake it；〃 I said。
〃Ah。 Do I smell blackmail amongst all these other stinks？〃
〃No； no；〃 I said quickly。 〃It is just that some 。 。 。 ah 。 。 。 forces don't want the mission to succeed。〃 That was no lie。 〃So I am charged with keeping you safe。〃 Pretty brilliant of me； I thought。 He wasn't going to be hard to handle。 An utter child where espionage was concerned。
〃Blito…P3。 I just came from there。 Surveyed the place。〃
〃Precisely；〃 I said； 〃and with all your other acplishments that was why you were the exact and only officer for the job。〃
〃So you kidnapped me。〃 The wry smile showed he thought the whole thing fishy。 〃Maybe you better tell me about this so…called mission。〃 So I told him； keeping it very simple。 He was to go to Earth and infiltrate some technology into their culture and preserve the planet。 The way I put it； it sounded quite noble and altruistic。 A Fleet officer would never know about Invasion Timetables so I omitted that。
〃And you considered the best way to begin this was to stage a kidnapping？〃 said Heller。
〃We had to test you to see if you could stand up to the demands of being an agent；〃 I reminded him。
〃So you got the order before you knew I had passed。〃 （Bleep）！ He could think！ But so could I at this game。 You don't live a decade around undercover work without learning the tricks。 You don't and stay alive； that is。
〃We would have been put to the extreme trouble of finding another volunteer；〃 I said blandly。
〃And the trouble of kidnapping him；〃 added Heller。 Then he put up his hand to stop the interchange。 〃I'll tell you what I will do。 I am not part of your Division。 If you can obtain the usual orders from the Fleet Personnel Officer； I will undertake your mission。〃 The specter of Lombar moved a bit away from me。 I wanted to laugh with relief。 But I said； 〃Oh； I think we can manage that all right。〃 With a sweeping bow and hand flourish； I indicated he could precede me through the door。
I had to sign the prisoner out in the lower guardroom and as we entered； the monster Heller had struck down was sitting with the rest； eating some loathsome stew。 I was nervous in this place and when the beast made a sudden movement； I flinched back。 And then I saw something astonishing。
The huge guard stood up so swiftly he almost knocked over his food pan。 He came to rigid attention and crossed his arms on his chest in the formal military salute！
It was not intended for me。 Heller casually lifted his hand in the usual reply and flashed a faint but friendly smile。 The beast grinned back！
I had never seen a Spiteos guard salute or smile before。 I felt eerie； like one would feel if he saw a wraith actually appear in a woods temple： something you see that you know can't happen…supernatural。 I hurriedly zipped my name across the log plate and got out of there with the prisoner。
In the upper levels of Spiteos there are some rooms set aside for Apparatus officers such as I。 Very plain and windowless； they nevertheless have a few forts including baths。 I used mine very seldom but it had the necessary personal things。
Technically speaking； I would be removing him from the prison by taking him to my room but I thought Lombar's last orders would provide for it。
Just to make sure both the contradictory orders were covered； I parked the prisoner in a niche beside the lift tubes and； out of his hearing； made a call to Camp Endurance。 The troops there were actual Apparatus troops。 I got hold of an officer and arranged for a platoon and around…the…clock surveillance of my room and surrounding passages。 I gave explicit orders they were to appear to be guarding against intrusion upon the prisoner while a