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ere was nothing wrong with it！ I could use it perfectly normally！
Once more he started to get back on the bed。 〃Wait； wait！ What could cause that？〃
〃The machine showed you had no slugs in your head or foreign matter pressing the nerves of the spine。 So there is no cause。〃 I made my voice sound deadly。 〃You better tell me how such a condition could e about！〃 He saw plainly that he was not going to be able to get back on that gimbal bed unless he either moved me out of the way or said something I would accept。
The doctor shrugged。 〃Hysteria？ Battle shock？ You're an officer； so no electric shock can be used on you。 A lot of things can cause it。〃
〃Such as？〃 and I continued to block his way back to bed。
He looked vague。 〃Neurotic predisposition which then precipitated into a temporary manifestation？ Hypnotism？〃
〃You've got to do more than this！〃 I said。
〃For only ten credits？ I'm no Slum City head plumber。〃
〃That's five times the usual fee！〃 I said。
〃You were five times as worried；〃 he said。 And he pushed me aside and lay down and shortly was snoring once more。 A true professional。
Chapter 3
Back at the airbus； I walked around it several times； thinking。 It was almost dusk。 Every now and then I would flex my arm and fingers。 They were working perfectly。
I was trying to sort out what the meat…chopper had said。
Learned as I was in Earth psychology； I knew very well that he was wrong about 〃neurotic predisposition。〃 I am not neurotic。 That left hypnotism。 But aside from language training； I had not been hypnotized。
Certain it was that I was at severe risk。 What if this happened again？ Just when I was about to shoot somebody down； my arm didn't work！ The thought made my hair prickle。
I did not dare go near an Apparatus practitioner。 Any drilling into my unconscious might reveal too much。 The practitioner would report that I was blabbing state secrets and that would be the end of me！
What else had that （bleeped） meat…slicer said？ Ah； that he was no 〃Slum City head plumber。〃 That was the clue。 I had seen their signs。 I made up a plan quickly； calling on my skilled talents in this sort of thing。
I went around to the door to get in。
My driver said； 〃How am I going to explain to Officer Heller when I can't return that costume deposit？〃 I hit him。 I used my left hand as I couldn't trust my right。 But I hit him。
I got in。 〃Take me to the Provocation Section at once！〃 I ordered。
We flew through the dusk over Government City； darted down to water level at the River Wiel and shortly zoomed into the tunnel of the shabby warehouses。
I got out。 I trotted straight up the steps。
Raza Torr had been in the act of going home。 He froze。 He seemed to have turned bone white but it was hard to tell in the dim light。
I decided I had better put him at his ease。 〃Met any nice girls lately？〃 I said conversationally。
My former escort was behind me。 They must have had burglars or troubles lately as he was holding a gun in his hand。
Raza Torr； in a sort of strangled voice said； 〃I'll take care of this。〃 I led the way。 I knew the place inside out now。 I went to the civilian costume area。 Raza Torr followed。 The escort had vanished。
〃I want a speedwheel suit；〃 I said。 〃The street kind。 Something plain。〃 Raza Torr seemed to have recovered。 Probably； I thought； he had had a hard day。 He was a naturally nervous fellow。 But he doesn't always have good sense。 He walked over to the rack and got down a speedwheel suit： they are shiny； made of slick body…armor material。 This one had flaring scarlet flame patterns painted all over it； it could be seen from a mile off and hurt the eyes even then。
〃No； no；〃 I said。 I went to the rack and found a plain black one in my size。 It had some accident blood caked on the collar but one can't be choosey and I was in a hurry。
〃Now a helmet；〃 I said and went over to that rack。
Again he got in my way and tried to give me a rider helmet with a flame plume and no visor。 I pushed it aside and got a no…plume black visor one。
〃Now a tri…knife；〃 I said。 I led the way over to the weapons section and finally found one。 They are a great knife。 Criminals use them when they want to do a particularly gory murder。 They are thin as a needle when their ten…inch blade goes in。 When it hits bottom； the blade springs into a narrow fan； being three razor…edged blades。 When you pull it out； a lot of guts e with it。 They even have a ring in the hilt so you can yank back。 Some knife fighters say they are too hard to draw out of a stabbed body； but that is just quibbling。
〃Gods；〃 said Raza Torr。 〃Who you going to kill？〃
〃I doubt I'll return these；〃 I said。
〃I doubt you will either；〃 he said。 I ignored the unjustified slur on my honesty。 I was too intent on my project。
Back at my airbus； I directed my driver on a circuitous course to the outskirts of Slum City。 Night had e。 Real evening traffic had not yet started up。 People in other cities were at their suppers。 Not too many people in Slum City would have suppers to be at。
Although they are poor in Slum City； they are not inactive。 The dilapidated and decayed structures do contain spots of liveliness。 These pinpoints of brilliance seemed to deepen； rather than brighten； the intense gloom。 Fifty square miles of deprivation are strung around a fetid lake。 Nobody had any record of when Slum City had been built and even when constructed it was probably old at once。
There was a tale that Lombar used to set fires down here to while away his youth。 I doubted the story。 Lombar was more efficiently destructive than that and he certainly hated any slum。 Someday； he had once mentioned to me； all this would be swept down； the population annihilated。 It looked like it was overdue for the treatment。
I saw what I wanted。 It was one of the bright spots。 Youths hang out in dens in Slum City。 They sometimes have orchestras； pretty bad ones。 Tup is about a twentieth of a credit per canister； pretty bad tup。
Around this place there would be speedwheels。
I directed my driver to sit down well away from the lights of a bluebottle station。 It was in what once might have been a park。 I made him turn out the lights so that not even he could see what I was doing。
I scrambled around； got off my uniform and got into the speedwheel suit。 I put on the black…visored helmet。 I left all identification and normal Apparatus weapons with my uniform。 I took with me only the tri…knife and a small wad of counterfeit bills。 I told my driver to wait right where he was； showing no lights； until I returned。
With very silent feet I raced in the direction of the orchestra。 I stopped well clear of the flaring lights。 A lot of youths were dancing。
A quick survey discovered a speedwheel of the more powerful type。 It was deep in the shadows。 I jimmied the lock。 It was so easy； the guy deserved to lose it！
I pushed it well away and then； when safe from any detection； I went zipping down what they sarcastically call a boulevard in Slum City； the speedwheel crushing through the garbage。 The fetid stink of the lake was almost solid in the night wind。
The district to which I was proceeding with speed was known for its fornicatio