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soner while actually preventing his escape。 I used Lombar's name to drive it home and by delaying our progress upward； they had time to post the area。
We entered the barren room。 I opened a drawer and offered Heller a chank…pop…anything to take the stench of the prison away。 It even leaked into these rooms。 But Heller shook his head。
〃What I need is a bath；〃 he said。
I waved my hand at the wall tub； opened a closet and got out a flimsy sleeping robe。 He shed his shoes and pants and I dumped them； with the sweater； into the disposal unit…they were beyond salvage。
As he started the spray going； I had a sudden thought。 〃You know；〃 I said； popping a chank…pop under my own nose； 〃you could have made a run for it when you picked up that blastick。 You were armed； I was defenseless。 You could have used me as a hostage。 。 。 。〃 He laughed。 He had a very pleasant； easy laugh。 After a bit； scrubbing away； he said； 〃And fight through electric gates； armed guards； mined shafts and blastgun perimeters？ And then fight through Camp Endurance and stumble across two hundred miles of the Great Desert？ Utter folly。 Foolhardy beyond belief。 I'm certain the Apparatus would never permit anyone to leave Spite…os alive！〃 I was shocked。 He could not possibly know where he was。 We had passed no windows； no signs。 He had been unconscious when he arrived。 He might have even been on another planet。 And no one； but no one outside the Apparatus knew Spiteos； that ancient landmark； was in use！
〃My Gods； how could you possibly know？〃 He laughed again； scrubbing away。 〃My watch。 It runs on twenty…six different time bands as well as Universal Absolute Time。〃 That didn't tell me anything。 〃And 。 。 。 ？〃 I prompted。
〃It gives the time lag between here and Palace City and it gives the direction。 There's only one geophysical feature at that distance from Palace City and that's Spiteos。〃 I didn't laugh。 I was getting sad。 〃Any other way？〃 I asked。
That really amused him。 〃This rock。 Every wall of the place is 'in…place' country rock。 Black basalt with a sixteen degree dip and a strike of 214°； Type 13 granularity。 Look at it。 It's the remains of a volcanic extrusion that built the mountains beyond the Great Desert。 Elementary geology for the planet Voltar。 Any schoolboy knows that。 I knew where I was when I came to。 The watch just confirmed it。〃 Well； I was one schoolboy that didn't know it。 〃Strike〃 was the pass direction。 He must have intuitive pass sense。 〃Dip〃 is easy： that's the angle into the ground。 But to be able to classify rock by its visual granular structure…and without a plex analyzer…meant he had eyes like a microscope and in the parative dark of that cell！ And he must have a memory like a library！
But that wasn't what was making me sad。 Here he was； for all he knew； in the hands of enemies just using him； and he was letting me know that he knew where he was。 And he was exposing vital abilities which； had they stayed hidden； might have lulled me into a false sense of security。 Now I could take precautions against these things。 For a spy； all that is not just dumb； it is stupid beyond belief。 Using what he had just incautiously revealed； I could lock him up forever and he'd never know where he was！
He'd never make a special agent。 Not in a million； million years。 I was not going to have trouble making him fail。 I was going to have trouble keeping him afloat long enough not to drag me down。 Spying takes an instinct。 Oh my； he didn't have it！ This wasn't going to be a failed mission。 This was going to be a total catastrophe！
〃Make yourself at home；〃 I said。 〃I'm going to Government City to get your orders。〃
Chapter 5
I am sure you have noticed that the first impression a visitor gets of the Fleet Administration plex in Government City is that he has just encountered an actual fleet in outer space。 When somebody said 〃buildings；〃 their architects must have thought 〃ships。〃 It is most annoying： there they are； spotted around ten square miles of otherwise barren land； like ten thousand huge； silver ships。 They're even in formation！ They say the officers and clerks even wear spaceboots！ And not a shrub or tree to be seen anywhere！
When I have to fly there； I always feel like I'm an invader having to be repelled。 Marines； marines； marines； gates； gates； gates； all built like atmosphere ports。 Passes； passes； passes。 It just occurred to me that maybe I don't like the place because they always look at my identification plates； see I'm from the Apparatus and sneer。 But after two hours I finally got where I was trying to go。
The Fleet Personnel Officer was sitting in a cubicle for all the world like a storeroom on a battleship。 The walls were solid； deck to overhead； with machines and screens； dazzling with their flashing； multicolored lights。 You'd think he was fighting a battle…and maybe he was； with four million Fleet officers to shift around。
He was probably a nice enough fellow： a bit old； a bit fat。 He looked up as though to greet me cheerfully but he didn't。 He frowned a trifle instead。 There was just a trace of wondering disapproval in his voice。 〃You're from the 'drunks'？〃 Now； nobody had announced me as anything but 〃An officer from Exterior Division；〃 and I was wearing the nonmittal gray uniform of General Services； not even a pocket patch。 I involuntarily looked down at myself。 How could he tell？ I saw no grease spots； no food stains； no old blood。 But I also saw no style； no flair。 No pride！ Shabby！
I had had it all rehearsed but his remark disconcerted me。 〃I want transfer orders for bat Engineer Jettero Heller；〃 I blurted out。 No gradual briefing； no persuasion。
The Fleet Personnel Officer frowned heavily。 〃Jettero Heller？〃 Then he repeated the name to himself。 He had buttons and flashing lights all over the place but here he was depending on memory。 〃Oh； Jet！〃 He had it now。 〃The Royal Academy driving champion a few years ago。 And wasn't he later a runner…up for interplanetary bullet ball？ Yes。 Ah； yes； Jettero Heller。 Great athlete。〃 All this was very promising for he seemed to have mellowed。 I was just opening my mouth to push my request again when he suddenly frowned。
〃You'll have to get clearance from the Admiralty of bat Engineers。 That's Course 99。 Just outside that door； you turn 。 。 。〃
〃Please；〃 I said。 I had already been to that Admiralty and they had sent me here。 Desperately； I dived into my paper case and snapped out the Grand Council order。 〃This supersedes all clearances。 Please transfer him to the Exterior Division。〃 He looked the order all over though I'm sure he had seen hundreds of them before。 He peered at me very suspiciously。 Then he slapped his palm down on an array of switches； one after the other； he dithered around with his button console； transferring the Grand Council order number into his information network。 Then he sat looking at a screen I couldn't see。 He frowned heavily。 I half expected some marines to suddenly rush in and arrest me。
With total finality he slapped his board shut。 〃No； can't possibly do it。〃 Lombar's shadow loomed closer。 〃What's the matter？〃 I quavered。 〃Has the Grand Council order been cancelled？〃
〃No； no； no；〃 he said impatiently