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l too well。 A relaxing trip had been planned with friends into the Western Desert； I was dressed in old hunting clothes； I had just climbed into my aircar and was opening my mouth to order the driver to take off when the door crashed open and a guard urgently directed me to get out。
〃Chief Executive Lombar Hisst has ordered me to bring you at once！〃 The guard's gestures were frantic。
There was always a certain terror connected with a summons from Lombar Hisst。 Unchallenged tyrant of the Coordinated Information Apparatus； answerable only to the Lord of the Exterior and the Grand Council itself…and answering to them hardly at all…Lombar Hisst ruled an empire of his own。 A flick of a finger； an almost imperceptible nod of his head and people vanished or died。 The guard； of course； knew nothing and we careened at top speed through the fading green twilight。 I racked my skull trying to think of something I had done or had not done that a Secondary Executive of the Apparatus could be held accountable for。 There was nothing； but I had within me a sick feeling； a premonition that I had suddenly arrived at a turning point in my life。 And events were to prove how right I was。
My decade in the Apparatus had been much like that of any other junior executive of that group。 After pleting my studies at the Royal Military College… where； as Your Lordship has undoubtedly already discovered； I finished at the bottom of my class and was pronounced unfit for Fleet appointment…I was seconded to Spy School and； doing not too well there； was appointed to the lowest officer grade in the lowest service of the Empire： the Apparatus。
In that degraded service； as you know； there are only a handful of actual officers： each officer has under him some numerous array of Apparatus private regiments； informers and spy groups。
It is well known that the Apparatus receives duplicate records of all domestic police and military police identifications； arrests； trials； banishments and imprisonments…in other words； the billions of separate files existing in every other section of the Empire are also filed with the Apparatus。 You and everyone else may be aware of that。 But it may not be known why。 And this is valuable data that I forward to you。
The Apparatus uses those files to recruit its own ranks。 The murderers； the most vicious criminals that can be found in those records； are approached and enlisted into the Apparatus。 That the files are also used for blackmail purposes is； of course； obvious； and explains why the Apparatus is so seldom censured or brought to book as an organization； why it is always furnished such extensive funds and why no questions are asked。 And I can suggest here； as an aside； that if legal action is being contemplated against the Apparatus as a whole； to prevent retaliation and undue influence； one should first demand and impound their identification and criminal record files…but I am sure Your Lordship has already thought of this。
In any case； my own career in the Apparatus had been no different from that of other bona fide officers。 If I had any gift at all that remended me to such work it was that of languages： I pick them up rather easily。 It was my ability to speak 〃English；〃
〃Italian〃 and 〃Turkish〃 （these are three Earth languages） that had prompted； more than anything else； my appointment as Section Chief of Unit 451。
It will give you some idea of the plete unimportance of my post when I describe its scope。 Unit 451 covers that area of space which holds just one yellow dwarf star designated as Blito on the Voltarian Fleet Astrograph…ic Division charts； but locally called 〃Sol。〃 This star is the center of a planetary system which； while it holds nine or ten planets； only has one that is inhabitable。 This world has the chart designation of Blito…P3； being in the third orbit out from that star； but known there as 〃Earth。〃 From an Empire standpoint； it is regarded as a future way…stop on the route of invasion toward the center of this galaxy： but the Timetable bequeathed us by our wise Ancestors does not call for this step immediately； reserving it for the future…there are many other areas that have to be conquered； civilized and consolidated first。 These things take time： one can't leave one's flanks wide open or overstrain resources。
I cannot hide from you…and do not intend to…that the Apparatus had private interests connected with Earth。 But at the moment of this peremptory summons； I had no idea there could be anything that had gone awry with these。 Nothing unusual had crossed through my information center； everything indicated mere routine。 So I could not account for the state in which I found Lombar Hisst。
It was not that Lombar Hisst was ever in a pleasant mood。 He was huge； half a head taller than myself。 He usually carried a short 〃stinger〃 in his left hand； a flexible whip about eighteen inches long with an electric jolt in its tip…lash。 He had a nasty habit of lunging at one； seizing him by the tunic lapels； yanking him close and shouting as though one was a hundred feet away。 He would do this even to say 〃Good morning；〃 and when he was really agitated he would also flick one in the leg with the stinger to emphasize each point he was trying to get across。 It was quite painful。 The most casual contact with Lombar Hisst was； at best； very intimidating。
His office looked like a wild animal's den at all times but just now it was worse。 Two interview benches were overturned； a calculator had been stamped to bits on the rug。 He hadn't turned on his lights and the twilight； ing in through the barred windows； had turned red： it made him look like he was sitting in black blood。
The instant I entered he came out of his chair like a launched missile。 He hurled a wadded ball of paper in my face； seized my tunic lapels； snapped me within an inch of his nose。
〃Now you've done it！〃 he roared。 The windows rattled。
He hit me in the leg with the stinger。 〃Why didn't you stop this？〃 he screamed。
He evidently thought he still had the paper ball in his hand for he opened his fingers。 Then he spotted it on the floor where it had bounced and snatched it up。
He didn't let me read it。 He smashed it into my face。
Of course； I didn't dare ask what it was all about。 I did try to get hold of the paper。 I had just gathered that it must be an official report form； from its mangled edge； when he cracked it out of my grasp with the stinger。
〃e with me！〃 he bellowed。
At the door he roared for the local mandant of the Apparatus Guard Regiment。 He howled for his private tank。
Drives roared； equipment clanged and within minutes we were headed out； a convoy bristling with weapons and black with the uniforms of the 2nd Death Battalion。
Chapter 3
The Patrol Base was dark。 Row upon row of craft stood along the miles of flat terrain； poised for instant flight but unmanned。
The crews were in their barracks along the southern edge of the field。 The lighted windows spattered the distant gloom。
A black…uniformed squad crept silently at our backs and； as we prowled along the ships； avoiding sentries and any pools of light； I could not help but think how much Apparatus work was always done like