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ney and without even a press card； things seemed pretty hopeless。
He raised a friendly hand to the two black…uniformed guard officers and they merely looked through him and away。
He climbed into his airbus but he didn't have any place to go： he didn't even have a home。
Flick； his driver； said； 〃Things didn't go so well； eh？ At least thank several Gods you are alive。〃
Was his gloom that obvious？ thought Madison。 But he did feel down。 The chance to get back on the job at Wister…Heller had almost been within his grasp； but his fingers had been too slippery。 Curse trying to work with madmen！
〃Who runs Homeview？〃 he said。
〃The manager of Homeview；〃 said Flick。 〃It's on all their program cards。 Here's one： I keep it so I know when Hightee Heller is going to sing。〃
〃Heller？ Is she any relation to the Royal officer Jettero Heller？〃
〃She's his sister。 Most beautiful woman in the Confederacy； and can she sing！ Billions and billions of fans。〃
Well； that wouldn't do much for him now。 He looked at the program。 Aha！ Homeview was under the Interior Division and that was under Lord Snor。 He must be right here in Palace City！
Maybe he could pull something off！ He excitedly told Flick to go wherever Lord Snor lived。
They drove through innumerable parks and around innumerable round buildings： there must be thousands of them in these few square miles； all different colors； all basking in this greenish light。 But the place seemed unpopulated： patrols of Apparatus guards in mustard uniforms were the only ones upon the walks； Apparatus tanks were the only vehicles。
〃Where's all the people？〃 said Madison。
〃Oh； there used to be a lot of them； especially at this time of day： it's near quitting time。 Ladies would be strolling with retinues； Palace Guards on every step； concerts going in these parks。 But that's all changed。 After His Majesty was taken ill he issued an order replacing the Palace Guards with the Apparatus： a lot of families moved to their town or country estates because the
Apparatus would stop and search them。 There's plenty of domestics in these buildings but they don't show their faces。 There must be only a few hundred thousand people left here now。 Used to be two million。〃
〃You seem very well informed；〃 said Madison。
〃Ha； ha；〃 said Flick without laughing。 〃A lifetime as a breaking…and…entering thief sort of trains you to keep your eyes open。 Untenanted houses are a prime target。 But a murderer like you wouldn't know。 You probably got all the dark places in these parks already spotted； though。 Here's your address。〃
They were stopped before a huge round building that evidently bined offices and living quarters。 It was bright yellow and had gardens jutting out from its walls。
Madison went up a staircase。 An Apparatus guard stopped him； called for an officer。 One in mustard yellow came out； looked at Madison's identoplate。 〃What the blasts is a PR man？〃
〃A special envoy；〃 said Madison promptly。 〃I want to see Lord Snor。〃
〃Well； you could be a special envoy from the thirteenth Hell；〃 said the officer； 〃and it still wouldn't do you any good。 You might even get into his quarters and you still wouldn't make it。 He used to have a wife but she's gone home to her family。 He's got a son but he's in page school。〃
〃What's all this family got to do with it？〃 said Madison。
〃Oh； that's the way things used to run around here。 If you couldn't see the top man； you saw some member of his family and slid your message in on that channel。 But； frankly； I don't think even they could make it now。 Lord Snor just stays in his quarters。 He hasn't been seen for weeks。 Wait a minute。〃 He stepped inside and looked into a door marked CHAMBERLAIN。 He talked a moment and then came back。 〃I thought maybe you could make an appointment for next week or month or something； but the chamberlain says the only ones that see him are the resident doctors who take in the little packages。〃
〃The little。。。？〃
〃The white stuff。 Don't play dumb。 You know as well as I do what's happening with these Lords。 Your best chance of getting anything done in the Interior Division is to go into Government City。 The clerks all run it from there anyway。〃
The 〃white stuff〃： that meant dope。 〃Well； thank you。 You have been of great help。〃
〃I wouldn't give you the time of day if you weren't from the Apparatus。〃 And the officer walked off。
Gloom settled in on Madison。 The day he began to transact business through clerks had not arrived。 And the top men？ In sudden revelation； this deserted city was explained。 Any minute he expected to see an I。 G。 Barben truck。 Lombar Hisst had this place on dope！ Did this explain the chiefs interest in Rockecenter？ Did Rockecenter have a connection to that Earth base in Turkey？ No； he doubted Rockecenter even knew about these people。 But they knew about Rockecenter。
Madison seldom cursed。 He felt a bit like cursing now。 You could only deal with top men for the things he had in mind； and with insight he knew that from the Emperor on down； here at Palace City； he would be running into hopheads。 Suddenly he understood a bit more about Lombar Hisst： the （bleeped） fool must be on amphetamines himself！ A speeder！ The signs of persecution were there； delusion was obvious。 It wasn't to the point of feeling bugs under the skin or aging or losing one's teeth； but it would get there。 And he probably had been crazy to begin with。
A chill hit Madison。 He had better get his job done on Heller somehow； some way； and get out of this place before Hisst reached raving paranoia and started to kill everyone in sight！
How long did he have？ A few months？
He groaned。 He didn't even have any place to start！
〃Where now？〃 said Flick。 〃It's quitting time。 Do I drive to Government City and find a rooming house？〃
〃I don't have any money。〃
〃Hells of a boss you are；〃 said Flick。 〃I'm tired of sleeping in an airbus and I bet you have nightmares： killers always do。〃
〃Sleep in a car？〃 said Madison。 This was getting worse and worse。 He could see himself being an unshaven wreck： not the slightest chance of being believed。
〃Well； I ain't going to break into any of these palaces；〃 said Flick。 〃That would be a fast route to Camp Kill； with all these guards around。 Tell you what； we'll fly to Slum City and rob a store。 You can shoot the watchman。〃
Madison wished Flick wouldn't keep building on that image； yet he could see respect for him was dwindling。 〃I don't have a gun。〃
〃Blowholes！ The assignments I get！ My last boss lost all his pay in gambling and finally got stabbed in a dice game。 Now I'm going to starve to death。〃
〃Don't you have any pay？ Any quarters？〃
〃In the Apparatus？ A driver's boss is supposed to provide all that。 And I get a murderer who isn't even packing a gun； that's dead broke and has no pay status。 Can't you do anything？〃
It jarred Madison。 Yes； there was something he could do。 He could be a knight…errant。 He could rescue Teenie； that had been allowed。 He would do it even though the thought of sleeping three in an aircar presented new problems。
He mentally donned his plumed helmet。 〃Drive back to that park in front of the Royal Palace。 I've got to rescue a girl。〃
Chapter 4
They drove back a mile and slid along the curving path where he had first seen her。 The light seemed bad： apparently in this place they followed day and night； and this must be dusk。
The garden space around the painted statue was all dug up but no workmen were about。 Flick stopped。
Suddenly； from under the sculptured purple cloak of some long…dead monarch； an Apparatus guard moved out； rifle levelled。 It was the same guard he had seen before。 Madison hastily presented his identoplate through the window。 The guard saw 〃Apparatus〃 and relaxed。
〃There was a girl here earlier；〃 said Madison。
〃Oh； yeah；〃 said the guard。 〃They're gone now。 You haven't got a puffstick； have you？〃
〃Give him one；〃 Madison told Flick。
With a very dirty look； Flick plied。 He gave the guard an even dirtier look when he had to light it for him。
〃They went over that way；〃 said the guard。 〃Between those two orange…colored buildings。〃
Flick headed in that direction。 〃This is getting worse and worse；〃 he said。
Madison privately agreed with him。 If he found her； she would probably be covered with mud and this car； not overly clean already； would really ruin all his clothes then。 Anyway； she would be terribly happy to see him and know that； as his assistant； she would be free。
They burst into an area of pools。 There was a circular series of waterfalls； each one lower than the next； the water spilling off the lips in shimmering sheets； the underlighting turning them into a cacophony of colors。
They would have passed them by but Madison saw a sudden movement on a rim。 It was pretty far away。
TEENIE！
She was running along a lip。 She dived through scarlet lights into the next pool。 She swam across it。 She dived through yellow lights in the next pool and swam toward the next fall。
A sign plainly said：
NO SWIMMING
Oh； Gods； she was going to get into trouble before he even had a chance to rescue her！
Frantically； he directed the airbus to a point where she would e out if she dived into the ground…level pool。
She did！ Her body glistened as she shot through a sheet of yellow light。 She came swimming boldly across。
Madison got out of the car。 He waited at the pool edge。
Teenie came to the rim and with an agile leap； sprang up on it； gleaming in the red lights。 She was very lean： her stomach and her thighs were flat。 Water cascaded from her shoulders and made sparkling rivulets down her legs。 She swept her light brown hair out of her big eyes and looked at him。
〃Teenie！〃 he cried。 〃I've got great news。 I've got a chance to get us back to Earth。 And you're my assistant now！ You're not a slave anymore！〃
She shrugged。 She turned and walked over to a bench where she had evidently left her purse。 She got out a b and began to whip the water out of her hair with it。
Madison couldn't understand it。 She didn't seem glad to see him at all！ He walked closer。 〃Don't you understand？ I've freed you！ And when I saw the horrible way they treat slaves； you ought to be very happy！〃
She gathered her wet hair into a ponytail and put a rubber band around it。 Then she went over to the pool waterfall and fished up the piece of sackcloth she had been wearing。 She wrung it out and； without putting it on； tossed it over her shoulder。 She picked up her purse and began to walk off。
She seemed cross。
Madison tried to find a reason for it。 Why was she angry with him？ He hadn't been the one who had gotten her into this mess。 That had been Gris。
He followed her； Flick driving the airbus at a slow pace behind him。 The little procession went down a curving promenade； between two other buildings。 They were approaching a gold structure that was ornate but seemed very aged。 Vines had crept up its several stories and were tangled in its balconies。 The wide； curving staircase was so huge that it made the thin Teenie look like a toy in a giant world。
Madison followed up。 Flick stopped at the bottom。
She went through a pair of gold doors you could have flown a Boeing jetliner through。
Madison entered after her。
They were in a mammoth hall； all festooned with golden cords woven into patterns through which three…dimensional painted angels flew against a white sky。 The floor was in patterns of clouds。 Hundreds of jewelled chairs lined the walls： it must be some sort of a salon。
There was a mound of silken…fabricked pillows in the middle of the floor。 Teenie sat down on them and they were promptly spotted with water。
Madison walked up to her； his footsteps sounding hollowly in the vast place。 〃Teenie；〃 he pleaded。 〃I know a lot of these palaces are deserted now that families have moved out。 But you're just riding for an awful fall。 First you're swimming in a no…swimming pool and now you're ing in here just because it's an empty building and you're even ruining those pillows。 Please e along and let me get you out of here。 Guards may drop by at any time to turn off the lights or something。〃
She picked up what must have been a priceless silken cover from a low table within her reach and began to swab herself with it； using it for a towel。 She was ruining it！ Oh； how could he stop her from sure disaster？
〃Don't be cross with me；〃 he begged。 〃I am your