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ut money…money…money？ Do you think I'd take all this risk for just money？ You've got a peculiar idea of life； Gris。 One doesn't do everything just for money。 Sometimes； like today； one does it just for fun。 Try it。〃 I turned on my heel and left him。 I was desperate。 I didn't need his advice。 I was hungry and I was broke！
Chapter 2
My driver was sleeping peacefully in the airbus。 I looked at him。 He had been eating and drinking the whole （bleeping） day！
Abruptly； I had an idea。 Heller had been shovelling money at him to buy things。 This driver had once been a mercial shuttle pilot： he had murdered a flight attendant and had fled to another planet where he joined a smuggling ring； he had stolen stolen goods from them once too often and had been convicted； the Apparatus had taken him from prison； given him false identity papers； thinking to use him as part of their Theft Section。 He hadn't been good enough and they had given him to me as a driver。 With his criminal background； he would have stolen Heller blind！
I opened the door and hit him。 It was not dangerous to do。 He is a small fellow。 Without giving him time to collect his wits； in a savage voice； I said； 〃Give me my share of the money you tore off from Heller today！〃 He sat up。 He had had too much tup。 Without even thinking； he said； 〃Oh； certainly I will； Officer Gris。〃 I was saved！ 〃All right；〃 I snapped。 〃Hand it over！〃
〃Well； Gods； I'm sorry； Officer Gris。 There ain't any left。〃 He was trying to wake up。 I helped him with a rough shake。
〃Gods； Officer Gris。 Don't do that。 I got a headache。 。 。 。 The money？ 。 。 。 the money？ Oh； the money！〃
〃Don't stall！ Give it to me straight！ Now！〃 He was fumbling in his tunic。 He had some pieces of paper。 〃Oh； yeah。 I remember now。 I got all the receipts。 Gods； Officer Gris； you got no idea how much things cost！ Do you know he spent three hundred and two credits through me today？ The Fleet gave him the cleaning supplies for nothing…he has a pal in supply there and all it took was a note。〃 He was fumbling with the receipts。 〃The tup truck cost a hundred and seventy…five credits。 Oh； yes！ It was the dresses！
〃Officer Gris； I ain't ever going to get married。 You won't believe it； but them dresses cost one hundred credits！ Oh； that was embarrassing。 I'd spent twenty…five credits for some other things。 。 。 。〃 I shook him again； 〃e to the point and stop stalling！〃
〃I'm trying to tell you；〃 he wailed。 〃Where was I？ You got me all mixed up and I lost a paper to boot。 Ah； there it is。 It was such a fancy store and they looked on me like dirt。 I had the dresses all picked out and I only had ninety…eight credits of his money left and I knew he was really counting on me。 I myself had two credits of my own so I put that with the ninety…eight and I got out of there with the dresses。 I got it now。 He owes me two credits。〃 He thought for a moment。 〃I'll give him his receipts tomorrow and he'll sure pay me back my two credits。 But that ain't important。〃 A note of admiration crept into his voice。 〃Ain't he a really great guy； Officer Gris！〃 Such insolence！ I hit him and I hit him hard。
The blood started trickling down the side of his mouth。 He gathered up the receipts quietly。 Without a word； he got into the driver's seat。 That's how you have to treat this riffraff。 It's all they understand。 Lombar was right。 They should be exterminated for the good of the Confederation。
I got in back。 〃Take me to my town hotel；〃 I ordered。 At least I had a place to sleep。
We flew through the early evening traffic toward the north end of Government City。 The area has long been a sort of slum。 That's why the Apparatus has its offices there。 The offices themselves are on a cliff where the River Wiel takes a bend。 But well inward from the cliff and down the hill； there is a sort of stew where Apparatus clerks gloom away their off…time and just a little further up is where some Apparatus officers live。 The area stinks； not just from the dirty river but also from the dilapidated buildings themselves。
My 〃hotel〃 was not strictly speaking a hotel。 It had been some notable's residence long ago and clapboard shacks had been added on and these were lorded over by a female who called herself Meeley。 I had a small room there。
The airbus stopped at the side entrance； setting down in what had once been a small yard but was now a garbage dump。 The driver usually sleeps there in the airbus so I left him and went up the crooked stairs to my room。
It was locked。 Not just locked but barred。
I stamped over to a stairwell and yelled down for Meeley。 I was gratified to hear a rush of feet。 She was practically beating the stairs apart she was ing up so fast。 For a moment I was gratified to get such quick response。
The light was dim and I did not anticipate anything。 I could not see the expression on her ancient and cut…up face…she has several knife scars。
〃Where's my money？〃 she demanded。
〃Why； Meeley！ You know I always pay you！〃
〃Always means never！〃 she shrieked。 She has never liked me。 〃You been gone for days and days without no word。 I thought we'd had the good luck you'd been killed like you deserve！ You Apparatus scum is all alike。 （Bleep） you！〃 She hit me！
〃Open my room door！〃 I said； prudently stepping back。
She found a keyplate and dropped the bar。 She flung the door open。 She flashed on the lights！
Without another word； working like fury； she began grabbing up my things。 She blasted past me and rushed to the balcony above the side yard。 She pitched the whole armload down toward the airbus。
〃Driver！〃 I yelled。
Meeley came rushing out of the room again with another armload。 She hurled it into the night！
She returned and came out with an old pair of boots and my one bedcover and pitched those after the rest！
〃Now get out！〃 she screamed。 〃I'm going to tell every lodging keeper in this whole area that you haven't paid a particle of rent for a year！ GET OUT！〃 I thought I ought to look in the room to see if she had gotten everything。 But I changed my mind。 There are times to fight and times to run。 She had always had a dislike for me for some reason。
My driver and I picked my things out of the garbage in the side yard； cleaned them off as best we could and bundled them into the airbus。
〃Where to？〃 said the driver。
I couldn't think of anyplace。
〃How about your office？〃 said the driver。
〃Old Bawtch doesn't like that；〃 I said。
〃It's the only place you got；〃 said the driver。 〃If you want my opinion； a desk is better than a gutter anytime。 There really ain't room for two to sleep fortable in this airbus。 I'll take you to your office。〃 There were cabins on that tug。 But the very thought of it brought heavy pains into my stomach。
（Bleep） this mission。 And （bleep） Heller！ I ought to kill him！
And then I really got sick。 A little later； the driver even had to help me to get up and stretch out on the hard desk。
It had been an awful day！
Chapter 3
I woke up as I hit the floor in a shattering crash。 It was daylight。 Somebody had pulled me off the desk。
〃You know you're not supposed to sleep in here；〃 said old Bawtch； peevishly。
〃Whose office is it； if it isn't mi