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。〃 A guardsman grinned； put on a pair of gloves； took her aside and had himself some nice feels。 He and the barricade officer were so engrossed； I had to tell them to search the bag。 Of course they would find only the erotic tricks。
When they had； I said； 〃Note the search on the pass。〃
〃For how long？〃 said the barricade officer。
〃Mark it indefinite；〃 I said。 〃They might not talk just on the promise of one go。〃 The guard officer laughed。 〃Wish I had a secret good enough for this。〃 He let me put my identoplate on the pass and then handed it over。
The girl looked more beaten down。 I had been surprised to see her blush at the guard's handling of certain places。 Prostitutes are very cold meat usually。 Riffraff。
Riding the zipbus； she began to look terrified。 Maybe she had never ridden a zipbus before。 It was true that now and then a prostitute taken into the fortress never came out again； got overworked and died at it or was simply murdered for kicks。 But how would she know？ She didn't understand Voltarian and couldn't talk either。
When we got off at the Spiteos end； she didn't want to get off the bus！ I had to hit her； drag her off and then had trouble making her stand up。 I kicked her and forced the bag into her hands。 I actively had to keep thrusting at her back to keep her walking ahead。
It dawned on me that I had been swindled。 This was one of those nonpliant； won't types the customers reject。 They had given me this girl because she was useless to them！ Ah； well； I had my revenge already。 The brothel executive would be no more if she tried to pass that fifty。 It amused me。 Trouble for trouble； fair exchange！
But one trouble seems to breed another。 In the roster office； the half…naked； yellow…man clerk spent a long time over the records。 Spiteos records are pretty bad…nobody ever gets out。 But to have no trace at all of an entrance is pretty unusual。
I gave him the probable date and hour。 No； nothing。 I was just beginning to believe they had never arrived when the yellow…man said； 〃Military？ Did you say military？ Well； you should have given me that data。 They would be in the military section。〃 With considerable directions； taking some more tubes； finding out I had gone too deep and ing back…and all the while enduring the trouble of thrusting this girl ahead of me…I wound up in another section of Spiteos with an office even closer to the entrance than I had first visited。 Spiteos is quite a snarl。
I found myself in a guardroom。 There were about twenty…four actual guards； uniformed and in riot helmets； sprawled about； some of them shaking dice； others snoring。
The officer was a shabby type…what else in the Apparatus。 His contingent was evidently a daily guard from the camp。 These were not the usual wardens。
He had no interest in the girl…boys were probably his twist。 He had no interest in anything； apparently； but getting his twelve…hour shift over with； getting back to camp and his own vices。
It turned out that there had been a riot amongst military rank and file prisoners a century ago and so captures of nonofficer prisoners of possible future value were slammed into the military section。 He explained all this to me； yawning。
I gave him the number of men； date and time they must have been entered。 He looked at his watch as though I was using up valuable time。 But he said； 〃Two more hours to go in this stinking place。〃 He searched around and finally found the rosters under some abandoned equipment。 He sat down at a mess table and began to go through them。
He shook his head。 And just when I had decided they'd never arrived； he put his finger down on a page and traced it along。
〃Your date is wrong；〃 he said peevishly。 〃Forty…eight hours off。 Here they are； but it's two days later than you said。 You ought to keep better administration！〃 As though I had charge of their records！ 〃They're in Block Five。 You understand； I can't give you any other data than that。 It isn't that it's secret； it just isn't here。 'Twenty men；' it says； 'military； potentially dangerous。 Hold until further orders。' No other orders noted so they're still there。 Jeemp！〃 he said to a lolling subofficer； 〃show this guy where's Block Five。〃 I noted none of them gave the prostitute a passing glance。 They were obviously daily back and forth from the camp。 All the better。 This crew in here would have no easy time of it as they would have buying from the usual wardens。 The money； even counterfeit； would be nearly worthless to them and would be detected sooner as counterfeit。 These tough mugs would kill them if they tried to pass it。 Riot helmets。 I was encouraged。
I thrust the prostitute along after Jeemp。 We went through some old black tunnels and he finally stopped and pointed。 〃It's down there someplace。〃 He left。
The area made me nervous。 I loosened the stungun in its holster； checked the knife behind my neck and the blasticks in my pockets。 Most of the glowplates had blown out。 Water was trickling somewhere。 Some large type of vermin leaped out of a sagging cell door。 It scared me。
All these black walled cells and rooms were empty save for some bones。 It was all quite different than the area they had put Heller in。
The military section wasn't very military！ It was a good thing I was taking care of this。 Dead crews don't blab。
Chapter 3
I looked through a grate at the very end。 And there they were； twenty men。 Their clothes had been stolen； of course； and they were naked。 They were draped about on stone ledges。 But they didn't look in too bad a shape。 I saw why； then： there was a pile of vermin bones in the middle of the floor and a very active stream of water； an underground seepage； trickled blackly down a blacker wall。
I pushed the prostitute into a nearby empty cell。 I would save her for a surprise。
I decided to be brisk。 I shouted through the grate； 〃Who's in charge here？〃 A tall； husky guy got off the bench； he came over to the grate。 〃And who the Hells are you？〃 he said。
Not very beaten down！ Well； they'd had vermin to eat and there was water ing down the wall they could catch。 They probably didn't see a guard more than once a day and yet here was somebody being spunky。
I decided to be military； 〃The number of your patrol craft； please。〃
〃So you know we're a Fleet crew；〃 he said。 〃And what happens when Fleet finally finds out what was done with us？〃
〃e； e；〃 I said。 〃I am here to help you。 Do not take that tone with me； my man。 Give your craft number； name and rank。〃 Somebody amongst the rest said； 〃No harm。 He knows it anyway。〃 The one at the door shrugged。 〃Craftleader Soams； Fleet Patrol Craft B…44…A…539…G。 Who are you and where are we？〃 Ah； they didn't know where they were。 Excellent。
Now； there are two approaches one can use。 The first is to be friendly； the second is to extort。 Being friendly takes time。
〃In return for certain information； I can give you certain things。 They will make your life easier。 Don't bargain。 I haven't got much time。〃 The others were stirring around now； they formed a half circle behind him。
I went back and got some of the counterfeit out of the bag。 I left the girl hidden。 I returned and waved the notes。
〃If you will tell me