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A few years back I wrote a small book on the subject…under a nom de plume of course…that was rather well received。 My theory is that the aberration is a philosophical one； not a psychological one。 At a certain stage the realization strikes through that one must either live outside of society's bonds or die of absolute boredom。 There is no future or freedom in the circumscribed life and the only other life is plete rejection of the rules。 There is no longer room for the soldier of fortune or the gentleman adventurer who can live both within and outside of society。 Today it is all or nothing。 To save my own sanity I chose the nothing。
The cab just reached the spaceport as I hit on this negative line of thought and I was glad to abandon it。 Loneliness is the thing to fear in this business； that and self…pity can destroy you if they get the upper hand。 Action has always helped me； the elation of danger and escape always clears my mind。 When I paid the cab I short…changed the driver right under his nose； palming one of the credit notes in the act of handing it to him。 He was blind as a riveted bulkhead； his gullibility had me humming with delight。 The tip I gave him more than made up the loss since I only do this sort of petty business to break the monotony。
There was a robot clerk behind the ticket window； he had that extra third eye in the center of his forehead that meant a camera。 It clicked slightly as I purchased a ticket； recording my face and destination。 A normal precaution on the part of the police； I would have been surprised if it hadn't happened。 My destination was intersystem so I doubted if the picture would appear any place except in the files。 I wasn't making an interstellar hop this time； as I usually did after a big job； it wasn't necessary。 After a job a single world or a small system is too small for more work； but Beta Cygnus has a system of almost twenty planets all with terrafied weather。 This planet； III； was too hot now； but the rest of the system was wide open。 There was a lot of mercial rivalry within the system and I knew their police departments didn't co…operate too well。 They would pay the price for that。 My ticket was for Moriy； number XVIII； a large and mostly agricultural planet。
There were a number of little stores at the spaceport。 I shopped them carefully and outfitted a new suitcase with a plete wardrobe and traveling essentials。 The tailor was saved for last。 He ran up a couple of traveling suits and a formal kilt for me and I took them into the fitting booth。 Strictly by accident I managed to bang one of the suits over the optic bug on the wall and made undressing sounds with my feet while I doctored the ticket I had just bought。 The other end of my cigar cutter was a punch； with it I altered the keyed holes that indicated my destination。 I was now going to planet X； not XVIII； and I had lost almost two hundred credits with the alteration。 That's the secret of ticket and order changing。 Don't raise the face value…there is too good a chance that this will be noticed。 If you lower the value and lose money on the deal； even if it is caught； people will be sure it is a mistake on the machine's part。 There is never the shadow of a doubt； since why should anyone change a ticket to lose money？
Before the police could be suspicious I bad the suit off the bug and tried it on； taking my time。 Almost everything was ready now； I had about an hour to kill before the ship left。 I spent the time wisely by going to an automatic cleaner and having all my new clothes cleaned and pressed。 Nothing interests a customs man more than a suitcase full of unworn clothes。
Customs was a snap and when the ship was about half full I boarded her and took a seat near the hostess。 I flirted with her until she walked away； having classified me in the category of MALE； BRASH； ANNOYING。 An old girl who had the seat next to mine also had me filed in the same drawer and was looking out of the window with obvious ice on her shoulder。 I dozed off happily since there is one thing better than not being noticed and that is being noticed and filed into a category。 Your description gets mixed up with every other guy in the file and that is the end of it。
When I woke up we were almost to planet X； I half dozed in the chair until we touched down； then smoked a cigar while my bag cleared customs。 My locked brief case of money raised no suspicions since I had foresightedly forged papers six months ago with my occupation listed as bank messenger。 Interplanet credit was almost nonexistent in this system； so the customs men were used to seeing a lot of cash go back and forth。
Almost by habit I confused the trail a little more and ended up in the large manufacturing city of Brouggh over one thousand kilometers from the point where I had landed。 Using an entirely new set of identification papers I registered at a quiet hotel in the suburbs。
Usually after a big job like this I rest up for a month or two； this was one time though I didn't feel like a rest。 While I was making small purchases around town to rebuild the personality of James diGriz； I was also keeping my eyes open for new business opportunities。 The very first day I was out I saw what looked like a natural…and each day it looked better and better。
One of the main reasons I have stayed out of the arms of the law for as long as I have； is that I have never repeated myself。 I have dreamed up some of the sweetest little rackets； run them off once； then stayed away from them forever after。 About the only thing they had in mon was the fact that they all made money。 About the only thing I hadn't hit to date was out and out armed robbery。 It was time for a change and it looked like that was it。
While I was rebuilding the paunchy personality of Slippery Jim I was making plans for the operation。 Just about the time the fingerprint gloves were ready the entire business was planned。 It was simple like all good operations should be； the less details there are； the less things there are that can go wrong。
I was going to hold up Moraio's； the largest retail store in the city。 Every evening at exactly the same time； an armored car took the day's receipts to the bank。 It was a tempting prize…a gigantic sum in untraceable small bills。 The only real problem as far as I was concerned was how one man could handle the sheer bulk and weight of all that money。 When I had an answer to that the entire operation was ready。
All the preparations were； of course； made only in my mind until the personality of James diGriz was again ready。 The day I slipped that weighted belly back on； I felt I was back in uniform。 I lit my first cigarette almost with satisfaction； then went to work。 A day or two for some purchases and a few simple thefts and I was ready。 I scheduled the following afternoon for the job。
A large tractor…truck that I had bought was the key to the operation…along with some necessary alterations I bad made to the interior。 I parked the truck in an 〃L〃 shaped alley about a half mile from Moraio's。 The truck almost pletely blocked the alley but that wasn't important since it was used only in the early morning