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ter？〃 I quavered。 〃Has the Grand Council order been cancelled？〃
〃No； no； no；〃 he said impatiently。 〃The order is in the data bank； all authentic…though I must say； you never can tell when you're dealing with the 'drunks'。〃 He dismissed all that and sat there frowning。 Finally he tossed the Grand Council order back at me。 〃It's just impossible； that's all。〃 Bureaucracy！ Actually； I sighed with relief。 When one is a member of the Apparatus； real trouble is always a close panion。 But bureaucracy is trouble everybody has。 It's a system evolved so that nobody in it is ever responsible for anything。 〃Why can't it be done？〃 Like explaining shoes to a child； he said； 〃In the first place； a bat engineer is in the Fleet。 The Exterior Division…and I still think you're from the 'drunks' …is an entirely different division of the government。 When you say you want him transferred； you're saying that he would have to resign from the Fleet； make application for mission in the Exterior Division； e up through their ranks 。 。 。 it would take years！ I'm sure you don't have years。 And you have not brought his resignation from the Fleet。 So it can't be done。〃 For a moment I wondered if Heller had known all this…that he had known it was this plicated and was using a cunning out。 Maybe he was cleverer than I had given him credit for。 （Looking back on it now； I wish he had been！） But the best authorities on bureaucracy are the bureaucrats。 So I myself got clever。 〃If you had this problem I've got；〃 I said； 〃how would you handle it？〃 That was a lot better than going back to the Apparatus and finding some blackmail on this fellow…there always is some and if it doesn't exist； one makes it up and 〃documents〃 it。 But an order illegally obtained by coercion might； itself； be illegal。 It was much more clever to do it straight。 Novel； but it might work。
He thought for a while； really being helpful。 He brightened。 〃Ah！ I could just give you a standard set of orders for a bat engineer。〃 And （bleep） him； he simply pushed some buttons and a couple seconds later a form came out of a slot。 He handed it to me。 It said： FLEET ORDER M…93872654…MM…93872655…CE REFERENCE： GRAND COUNCIL ORDER 938362537…451BP3 KNOW ALL JETTERO HELLER GRADE X BAT ENGINEER SERIAL E555MXP IS HEREBY AND HEREWITH AS OF THIS DATE ORDERED TO INDEPENDENT DUTY ON HIS OWN COGNIZANCE TERMINATING ON HIS OWN COGNIZANCE。
ENDORSEMENT： SEE REFERENCE。
ISSUED； AUTHENTICATED AND VERIFIED BY THE FLEET PERSONNEL OFFICER Brightly； he said； 〃That all right？〃
〃Kind of sweeping；〃 I said。
〃Oh；〃 he said； 〃bat engineers are always ordered out that way： mostly blasting away behind enemy lines； you know； who can tell how long it will take them。 That's why they have to be such reliable people。 They almost always； unless they're killed； carry through whatever you set them at。 Their corps motto； you know； is 'Whatever the odds； to Hells with them； get the job done。' Remarkable people。 Will those orders do？ They're a standard bat engineer form； you know。〃 I was shaken； both by the idiot simplicity of the orders and by what he had just said。 Had Lombar known any of this？ I doubted it。 What were we biting off？ Could we chew it？
Jettero Heller had known what the orders would say。 He must have received dozens of them。 He must have known that this would really put him outside the control of the Exterior Division and the Apparatus。 By the evil Gods； I was going to have to work like mad to keep him on a leash！ I began to doubt I could execute my orders and make the mission fail。
I got a grip on myself。 It's one thing to go blasting in with the burners wide open and blow up an enemy town。 But it was quite another to operate in the dark and secret world of espionage。 I thought of the ease with which we'd kidnapped him； I remembered his total stupidity that morning； I thought of his fatal notions of sportsmanship。
〃Yes；〃 I said。 〃They're fine。 By all means sign it。〃 I handed over my own identoplate so he could authenticate it and feed his hungry machines。 〃I'd like some extra copies。〃 He punched and scribbled away。 〃I think Jet's Academy track record still stands。 Great athlete。 Nice fellow； too； they say。〃 And finally； 〃Here's his orders。 Wish him good luck。〃 I got out of there。 It felt odd to have done a straight； legal piece of work； no twists。 The honest world is a strange place for a member of the Apparatus。 It leaves one feeling confused。 Unfamiliar territory！
And then； clear of the oppressive environment of the Fleet； I felt a belated surge of triumph。 By the wording of these orders； Jettero Heller could be wiped forever from Fleet rolls。 He could be made to disappear without a trace and no questions asked。 No； Jettero Heller was not smart in the dirty world of espionage and covert technology。 In fact； （bleeping） dumb。 Lombar would be proud of me。 I had just wiped out the kidnapping。 We could wipe out Heller。 And I freely confess that at that moment I fully intended to drain off all the personal credit from it I could。
I headed for the Fleet Officers' Club to pick up his kit。
Chapter 6
My elation was very short…lived。
The officers' club lay quietly in the warm daylight of a beautiful afternoon。 The mountains around it gazed down benignly。 Shrubs and flowers perfumed the gentle air。
It was a trap！
My driver parked the airbus before the main entrance。 I trotted up the wide ramp with its inset views of beautiful females。
The huge lobby was deserted except for one uniformed cleaner casually mopping up some spilled drinks。 I went directly to the office counter and rapped my stick upon it。 I am not a member； of course； and the gray…headed clerk； probably a retired enlisted man； went on pottering with his entry books。
My gray General Services uniform was not likely to get much attention in this place。 So I slapped my stick even harder against the counter。 〃Here； here； snap to attention；〃 I said。 He just went on working； I thought he must be deaf。 And it was there I made my near…fatal error。 I can't stand insolent underlings。
〃If you cannot give me some service；〃 I yelled at him； 〃I shall have no choice but to report you！〃 No attention。 So I shouted even louder； 〃I am here to pick up the baggage of Jettero Heller！〃 That got attention。 He got right up； came right over。 I thought for a moment that that was more like it。 But he had his head down and was lifting his eyes at me in a peculiar way。 In a voice fully as loud as I had used… and believe me these old spacemen can be heard a mile…he bawled； 〃Did you say you were here for the baggage of Jettero Heller？〃 And without the slightest pause； went right on。 〃You look like you are from the 'drunks'！〃 There was a slight noise in the lobby。 I looked around。 The equipment of the uniformed cleaner was still on the floor but the cleaner himself was gone。
In a perfectly normal quiet voice； the clerk said； 〃Please fill out this form。〃 He fiddled around under the counter and came up with some forms。 He read some titles of them to himself。 Bent down to look for some more。 Brought those up and looked over their titles。 My success so far this day must have curdled my wits。
Despite all my training and experience in the Apparatus I