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e of breath to alert anyone that he was tensing his muscles。 He didn't even change his smile。
He exploded！
So quick I couldn't follow it； both of Heller's feet were in the air and striking！
The bogus orderly hit the pavement like a shot…down plane。
Heller leaped at him； ready to seize the impostor。
We saw then where the Knife Section got its name。 The fellow had barely hit the ground when his hand flashed to the back of his neck。 A ten…inch shaft of steel caught light。
He rolled to stab！
The toe of Heller's foot connected with the orderly's wrist。 I heard the bone snap。 The knife went spinning up toward the floodlights。
The shrubs burst into life。 With sizzling cracks； five electric whips snapped out。 They writhed in arcs of green fire。 They coiled around Heller； pinning his arms and legs； jolting him upright。
How he managed to turn； I don't know。 An electric whip is like a strangling rope and I had never before seen a man able to move with one on him； much less five。
Heller twisted himself to get back to the door。
But Lombar was there。 He was holding a paralysis dagger； upraised。
Lombar struck！
The deadly shaft plunged into Heller's shoulder。 He started to fall。 But even then he was not out。 His face was turned to Lombar and there was recognition in his eyes just before they snapped shut。
Like efficient ghosts； guardsmen went into action。 A black blanket fluttered down and covered Heller。 The electric whip beams were turned off。 Like pallbearers conducting a funeral at triple speed they bore their burden off。
Lombar made a hasty check of the scene。 There was no unwanted witness in sight。 The Knife Section fellow was sitting there； groaning； holding his wrist。 Lombar recovered the steel shaft from the shrubs and kicked the fellow to his feet。
I picked up the envelope that had dropped and put it in my blouse。
We faded away from the club。
Under the shoulder of the mountain we loaded up the lorries。
Lombar held a hasty conference with a guard captain。 〃Get him into an aircar and take him to Spiteos。 The orders are： deepest cell； electric wire cage； no munication with anyone。 Until I say so； he no longer exists。 Got that？〃 The guard captain emphatically did and Lombar released his tunic lapels and snapped the stinger。 Then the lorries were gone。
We got into Lombar's tank。 The Apparatus Chief snapped the driver on the back of the head with the stinger to start him off and then turned to me。
〃Why can't you take care of things like this？〃 said Lombar。 〃If you'd been doing your job； none of this would have had to happen。 Can't you ever learn anything？〃 I knew the folly of trying to find out what I was supposed to learn。
But he wasn't as savage as he had been。 The evening's work had given him a lift。 He merely sounded annoyed and put upon。
〃You see what you've done；〃 Lombar said as the tank rumbled along。 〃Now we've got to spend the rest of the night ransacking government offices to find the original of that report before it can get up to levels that matter。〃 And he was on the radio to order out； by coded numbers； a small group of the Shadow Section that takes care of burglaries。 And he added the code letters that told them to be prepared to work until dawn。
But we didn't work just until dawn。 We worked around the clock； the entire Empire holiday。 For two days and three nights we jimmied windows and picked locks on doors and cracked the binations of the most secret vaults in the whole vast expanse of Government City while avoiding guards； changing from costume to costume and vehicle to vehicle to appear as janitors； emergency construction workers； bored clerks； city police and even； once； the mistress of a high official who had 〃forgotten her handbag。〃 But we did not find the missing report。 We did not even find a logging or a copy of it。
Finally as the next government working day began in the green dawn； Lombar Hisst sat red…eyed； slumping with exhaustion and defeat in the animal cave he called his office。
〃It must have gone straight to the Grand Council；〃 Lombar muttered to himself more than to me。 〃Maybe it even went to the Emperor himself。 This is bad。〃 He sat a while； silent。 I still did not dare to ask anything。
〃I feel it in my gut it will be taken up at the next meeting of the Grand Council；〃 he muttered at length。
Lombar slumped for minutes； shaking his head。 〃It will upset their Invasion Timetable。 Yes； I'm sure they will think that。〃 After a long time he roused himself。 〃Well； we've got to prepare ourselves。 I'll put the screws on Endow；* my lordly and asinine superior。 Yes； that's what I'll do。 Sometimes the 'Lord of the Exterior' has his uses。 I don't think I'll have to bring up his last private meeting with that pretty spaceman。 No； it won't take that。 But I'll have it ready。 I put the photographs someplace。〃 He got up to find them and did so。 But his moving around had brought me to his attention again。
With sudden ferocity； he snarled； 〃You're going to that meeting too！ Do you realize； （bleep） you； that you may have upset the whole thing？〃 I was tired enough to be incautious。 I was also tired of not knowing what this was all about。 I managed to speak。 〃Could you please tell me what's happening？〃 That did it。 He loomed over me。 He was shouting。
* The name has been changed。 There never was an Endow on the Grand Council。 The so…called Apparatus was not under the Exterior Division。 …Publishers 〃They'll read that report！ They'll be certain their Invasion Timetable has been upset！ Two years ago I told you to be alert and to block and change every report the Patrol Service turned in on Blito…P3。 Earth； you idiot； Earth！〃 He grabbed me by the tunic lapels and lifted me out of the chair。 He was really shouting now。 〃You let one get through！〃 He was shaking me so hard the room blurred。
〃You have threatened our timetable！ To Hells with theirs！ You've probably wrecked the entire basic plan of the Apparatus！ You're going to suffer for this！〃 And he hit me across the face with the stinger。 Yes； I understood now。 We of the Apparatus were in trouble。 And particularly Lombar Hisst！
Chapter 6
It was three nervous days before the Grand Council met and Lombar Hisst made us suffer every moment of it。 From minute to minute the Apparatus central staff did not know if they would be tortured； shot or tortured and shot。 Nor whether it would be done by Lombar Hisst now or the Imperial Government later。
The Chief Executive of the Coordinated Information Apparatus would go into hours of gloom and then suddenly burst out of it like a rocket and tear people apart or rush off to have another interview with Endow； Lord of the Exterior。
Endow even came personally to the office once。 I had seen him from a distance but up close I was very unimpressed。 He was in his dotage and always had a nurse with him to mop the slobbers from his chin。 He was only about half Lombar's size and very fat。 He could be very clear for a bit but then he would drift off and vaporize； pletely out of it。 He had been chosen for his post as a remote relation of the late Emperor's third wife and had been retained when Cling the Lofty had ascended the throne。 Endow's appeti