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recorded language courses on Blito…P3： they sell them mercially there； all one has to do is duplicate their playing heads with a proper sort of current and then； interspersing the words with Standard Voltarian； copy them onto recording strips。 They print lots of children's schoolbooks and so one can also learn to read and write rather quickly。 Raht and Terb； the best Voltarian operatives there； had also done some of their own recordings of the accents。 We had cubic yards of Earth languages and materials for instruction。 It always amused me that the recordings and books of Blito…P3 bore dire warnings of penalties for copying and promised that some group known as the 〃FBI〃 would arrest any offender！ Well； good luck to them。 I sorted through the cabinet labelled Blito…P3。 There was nothing whatever different about the scene on the platform so I took my time。
As near as I could make out； the geographic sections for what we call 〃zone of operations〃 would be； in Heller's case； three locales： Virginia； Washington； D。C。； and New York City。 He would not be spending much time in Turkey…Gods forbid。 I could find a 〃Virginia accent〃 but I could not find any reference to a 〃Washington； D。C。 accent；〃 so I skipped it。 Then I got all tangled up with the 〃New York accents〃 because there seemed to be a lot of them。 I finally found a note。 It said： Ivy League accent is that of the upper classes of the New England section of the United States。
I looked at a map and saw that New York might be on the fringe of 〃New England〃 and guessed it would have to do。 My own English had been learned with 〃mercial heterogenic accent〃 which included the skill of working out accents。 But I didn't think Heller would have time for that。 I chose 〃Virginia〃 and 〃Ivy League。〃 The tableau on the platform seemed to be less tense。 They weren't talking。 She wasn't crying as much。 The redstar engineer's rag was sopping。 I wondered what she was trying to pull。 It crossed my mind that maybe I ought to alert Lombar in case this female was laying some deep…seated conspiracy to escape。 But I actually couldn't figure out what she was up to。 If she was conspiring； she would be talking。 And she wasn't。 It was such mon knowledge that the Countess Krak was dangerous that this just might be another facet of it。 There's no understanding females anyway。
Finally she spoke。 It was in a very low voice。 She had stopped sobbing。 〃I'll be all right now。〃 And Heller whispered； 〃Are you sure？〃 She nodded her head。 She began to dry off her face with the redstar engineer's rag。
Well！ I might be able to salvage some of this day after all。 I beckoned to Heller and he came over。 I knew how to operate these hypnohelmets。 If the training section wasn't going to help； I would simply do it all myself。 That's mon enough in the Apparatus； made up as it is of loonies and crazies and criminals in general。
I slid a recorded slide into the helmet slot and started to put the visored helmet over his head。 He looked at it curiously and instead of letting me put it on him； took it out of my hands。 I tried to explain to him what it was。 He ignored me。
He went over to the cabinet and rummaged around。 He put the helmet down and rummaged deeper。 And then he found a recorded strip player that was detached from the helmet。 He took the first strip marked
Elementary English （Ivy League）
and put it in the player。 He carried the lot over to the platform and sat down at the desk。
The Countess Krak was still sitting in the chair。 Nobody ever sits at the Countess Krak's desk！ She said nothing。
Heller turned the player on。 It had a little speaker。
He pushed a button。 The strip said； 〃My name is George。〃 Heller said； 〃Oh； no； no； no。〃 He pulled a little tool case from his pocket。 He opened the back of the player and in a moment had a handful of little gears。 Looking up； he said to me； 〃Call one of your electronic surveillance technicians。〃 Aha； so he knew Spiteos was really wired！ Well； that wasn't a very bright supposition。 Everything is； these days。 I called on my munications disc。
Heller put on a pair of gloves； the kind that resist all heat and transmit none。 He took a little spin…carver from his pocket case and began to work on the player gears。 He was cutting down a cogwheel。 It glowed red hot in his gloved fingers。 It was a job usually done on precision machines。 But here he was making what appeared to be a perfect little cogwheel。
The Countess Krak was watching。
The technician arrived。 Heller said； 〃Get me part 435…m…67…d…l。〃 Well； you know technicians。 But at Spiteos they are a particularly scummy lot。 He was going to open his mouth to pour out some can't…be…dones。 But he didn't get a chance。 In the precise language and tone of the Fleet； Heller said； 〃You undoubtedly have surveillance interceptor converters that absorb outside signals ing in and send them out again as something else。 Part 435…m…67…d…1 is the small frequency step…down unit。 Get a spare。 Step lively。〃 That technician was gone like a flash。
Heller cooled down his new gear and reassembled the player。 A recorded strip takes about an hour to work through from beginning to end。 He turned the machine on now and the strip went through； ZIP！； in about thirty seconds。 The sound that came out of the speaker was a high…pitched screech； a lot of it above the range of hearing。
The technician came back； handed him the part； gave him a Fleet salute and left。 I will admit I felt envy。 I had never had anyone around the Apparatus behave like that to me！
Heller took a 〃hot block〃 out of his little kit and heated the attachment wires； and with a few deft motions had the new part installed。
He sent the strip through again。 This time there was a medium hearing range roar。
〃That's better；〃 said Heller。 He neated up the area； put his tools away。 Then he reinserted the language strip。 He looked at the speaker； very posed； hit the starter button and in thirty seconds the hour…recorded strip had roared through the machine。
〃Ah；〃 said Heller。
I was just plain incredulous。 〃Ah〃 indeed！ It took an hour to listen to a strip！ I said； 〃Oh； e off of it。 If you are really hearing the words on that strip； you'll be able to tell me the next lines。 My name is George。 。 。 。〃 Heller smiled。 〃I have a dog。 The dog's name is Rover。 Do you like dogs？ 。 。 。〃 But he was not very interested in playing any game with me。 He picked the second strip out of the box and sent it through with a roar。 （Bleep）！ He could make it out at that speed！
The Countess Krak breathed； 〃Instant auricular assimilation and retention。 At hyperspeed。〃 I looked at her。 〃Is that rare？〃
〃No；〃 she said。 She seemed in a daze。 〃Well 。 。 。 yes； at speeds like that； that is。〃 She wasn't talking to me really。 〃His hearing is trained to differentiate minute time intervals。〃 Her voice sounded so strange。 〃I've never seen it done that fast。〃 She seemed to bee aware of me for a moment。 With bright…eyed awe she said； 〃Isn't he beautiful？〃 For a moment I thought she meant the talent was beautiful。 But no； she was really looking at his chest and arms。 It was true that Jettero Heller was one of the best looking guys around but there was more to this than that。 This w