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ar this day must have curdled my wits。
Despite all my training and experience in the Apparatus I did not recognize the routine ploy of just plain stalling。
It was the breathing that alerted me。 It was behind me。
I whirled。
Three young officers were standing there！ One was in a bathrobe； another in swimming trunks； a third in a sport driver's helmet。 And even as I faced them； five more officers came speeding in through various doors。 That （bleeped） cleaner was rounding them up！
I have seen glaring faces in my time but these topped it。 Another young officer rushed down some stairs； carrying a sports club！
The biggest of them； three feet from me； barked a mand； 〃Get him！〃 They train you well in the Apparatus。 In an instant； I wasn't there to get！ I sprang up and back to the top of the counter。 I threw the register straight in the first face！
I was over the counter； behind it； driven by the hurricane of roaring fury from those young officers。 Arms clawed for me。 I threw a chair！
They came over the counter like a tidal wave。
A door on the right。 I rushed through it。 I was back into the main lobby。 I measured my chances to get out the main entrance。 But more officers were pouring in from the sports field！
I will say this。 I fought a valiant strategic withdrawal。 I pitched plates and tables at them。 I raced around chairs and spilled them in their way。 I even threw vases； flowers and all！ I only lasted as long as I did because there were so many trying to catch me！ They collided with one another。 They were boxing me in。 I tried to leap up on the bandstand but with one final； flying tackle a husky athlete brought me down with a crash。
Now you'd have thought they would have simply held me there and asked questions like young； well…bred people should。 But oh； no！ They put their boots to me！ They were mostly barefooted or wearing sports shoes： otherwise they would have kicked me to death！
Finally one of them got the others away。 He was a big one and for a stupid instant I thought he was trying to rescue me。 But he stood me up and slammed me back against the wall。
〃Where is Heller？〃 he shouted。 It was enough to knock in your eardrums。
I didn't get any chance to answer。 He doubled up his fist and hit me as hard as he could in the jaw！
It knocked me out cold。
Icy water hit me in the face。 I was on the floor。
〃Let me！〃 yelled somebody and he picked me up and stood me against the wall。
〃Where is Heller？〃 he screamed at me。
And before I could answer； he hauled off and hit me as hard as he could in the stomach。
I remember thinking as I doubled up and dropped that these young gentlemen could certainly use some lessons in proper prisoner interrogation。
They booted me！
I don't know how much later it was。 I heard a voice from far off。 It was a mand voice。 Some senior officer amongst officers。 〃Order！ Order！ What's he done？〃 There was a babble of voices。 They had stopped hitting me and kicking me long enough so that I was ing around。
〃Put him in that chair；〃 said this senior mand voice。
They slammed me into it so hard I went out again。 Then a new shower of icy water hit me。 Through its drip I focused my eyes on a powder blue tunic that was in front of me。 It was an older officer in full uniform。 Probably a Fleet battleship mander。 Very tough。
〃No； no； back off；〃 he was saying。 〃I'll get your answers。〃 I groggily thanked the Devils that somebody was maybe going to listen。
〃Where's Heller？〃 he barked。
And nobody hit me。 They teach you in the Apparatus never to talk when you're being beaten or tortured。
The question took some sorting out。 I could be executed by the Apparatus for revealing the existence of Spiteos。 But they weren't demanding that。 They were demanding Heller。 I managed to edge around the corner of my training。 〃I just came to get his baggage；〃 I said。
〃We know；〃 said the senior officer。 〃That's what started all this。 Now if you will just tell these young gentlemen where Jettero Heller is； I am sure that life will be 。 。 。〃 There were disputant voices。 〃Don't promise him anything； sir！〃
〃You better talk！〃 Things like that。
In my groggy state； the tried and true maxim of the Apparatus surged up： 〃When in doubt； lie。〃
〃I'm just a messenger；〃 I said。
A tumult of objection greeted that。
The senior officer silenced them。 〃Messenger；〃 and there was sarcasm in his voice； 〃Jettero Heller disappeared about five days ago tonight。 He was due at a party to celebrate the promotion of a classmate just one hour after that evening's game。 He never showed up。 He is very reliable； in fact he is a bat engineer。 An orderly was sent to summon him。 A check of all headquarters shows no one sent for him。 Ten minutes after he went out the arena door； a parking attendant reported seeing black lorries leave the far end of the grounds。〃 Wow； I thought to myself； this battleship captain or whatever he was certainly could use some lessons in being an interrogator。 He was giving me everything they knew！ I was also getting plenty of time to think。 Made it as easy as opening up a chank…pop。
〃Fleet police have been looking everywhere for him for five days；〃 this uneducated officer went on。
Spiteos was safe。 The Apparatus was safe。 The mission was safe。 What amateurs these spacers were after all！
〃Well； they can stop looking；〃 I said。 And I was very glad to have found out about it。 It was almost worth the beating to be able to turn it off。 〃Jettero Heller was needed for urgent consultation on a matter of the Grand Council。〃 It didn't stop them。 But it slowed them down。 There were some 〃yah…yahs〃 of disbelief。 Somebody had a smart idea and dived at me and while another held me； my identoplate was taken from my pocket。
〃Section 451 of the Apparatus！〃 It was a yelp of triumph。 It was followed with 〃I…knew…its；〃
〃Drunks！〃 and snarls。 And they would have attacked again but I had the situation now。
So what if the mission was confidential。 〃You don't want that identoplate；〃 I said coolly。 〃You want the orders in my paper case。 It must be over around the counter。 Unfortunately； if you open the case； I will have to swear you all to secrecy。 But that's all right。 Go ahead。〃 They still didn't believe me。 They found the case…pretty badly smashed it was； too。 They brought it over for me to unlock。 I rattled off the oath of state secrecy and they all said yes。 I opened the case and threw them the Grand Council order and the personnel order of Jettero Heller。
The senior officer read them。 Some bright spark from Fleet Intelligence held up his hand to halt any further action； took the two orders and went to the switchboard。
He came back； lips curled in disgust。 〃The first time anything connected with the 'drunks' was ever straight。 They're authentic。 We'll have to let him go。〃 Thank the Gods I'd gone to Fleet personnel before I came to this den of young lepertiges！ The magic of a written order。 Regardless of what chicanery lay under it。 That was the way they ran their lives。
〃I came；〃 I said demurely； 〃to pick up his baggage。〃 The （bleeping） fools thought their friend was safe！
Chapter 7
Jettero Heller's room apparently lay at the end of a long passa