dontt care how you do it!"
A whirring sound began deep within Mondamay.
His lights flashed rapidly. Clicking noises emerged from various units. A tiny whine began somewhere.
"Uh—John," Red said, "did you never stop to wonder why that alien race left a piece of complicated equipment like Mondamay behind?"
"I'd rather assumed it was for purposes of knocking us back to barbarism if our civilization took some turn of which they disapproved."
"Naw, nothing that sophisticated," Red said. "Massive systems failures. He couldn't be repaired, so they abandoned him. Felt a little sorry for him since he was sentient, so they left him with his hobbies and his disguises. After all, he was harmless—"
"Mondamay! Is that true?"
Smoke was emerging from all of Mondamay's joints, and the whine had risen to a wail. The lights still flashed, the clanking was constant now.
"Afraid so, John," he replied. "I guess I just burned one world too many in my younger days—"
"Why didn't you tell me this?"
"You never asked me."
Red moved forward again.
"And so," he said, "you will have to earn your fee the hard way."
John turned back toward him, a smile on his lips.
"So be it. You get your wish and I get my hands dirty," he said, moving to meet him. "I will even save you the trouble of anticipating me by telling you how I will proceed. I am going to raise you above the ground by the neck, hold you at arm's length and strangle you with one hand while you dangle there. I would not imagine you think me cap—"
His eyes widened and he halted. He raised both hands slowly to his face.
"What-?"
"You never asked me whether I cared to get my hands dirty," Red said, turning Flowers slowly to follow John's collapse. "I don't."
John fell and lay still. A trickle of blood emerged from his left ear.
"See? I'd always wanted that speaker with the ultrasound range," Flowers observed, "and if you'd gotten me the better model, you wouldn't even have had to edge up this close."
Red went to Mondamay, turned and withdrew the crystal key, and was handing it to him as the roadster came into the parking lot.
"You'd better keep this thing in a safe place or destroy it," he said.
"I was not even aware that this one existed," Mondamay replied. "Perhaps it was specially manufactured, or maybe it comes from some other branch of the Road. I barely recognized you. You look younger. What—"
John moaned and began to rise. Red leaned over and struck him on the jaw. He fell again.
"Well, all's well now," Red said. "I was just coming to visit you."
The car had braked to a halt. Its door slammed.
"How pleasant—"
"Hold Flowers a moment, would you? I want to speak with this gentleman."
Red turned toward the giant figure with the black bag who was now striding toward him.
"Hello again. Sorry to trouble you if we were mistaken," he said, glancing down, "but is this the guy you were looking for?"
The big man nodded and opened his bag.
''He is. Are you all right?"
"Can't complain. He's just had an ultrasound jolt
and a left to the jaw, though."
The golden-eyed man examined John's ears and eyes, listened to his heartbeat. He filled a syringe from an ampule, knelt and gave him a large injection in the right biceps. He drew a pair of handcuffs from his hip pocket and fastened John's hands behind his back. He then proceeded to search the yellow-clad form, remov ing various small devices from cuffs, collars, sleeves and boots,
"That about does it," he said, closing his bag and rising. "As I told you before, he is a very dangerous, man. What did you do to warrant his attentions?"
"He was hired to get me."
"Then someone must want you very badly, to pay the sort of fee he'd charge."
"I know. I'm going to have to do something about it pretty soon."
The other regarded him for a moment.
"If you would like my help in resolving this matter, I will be glad to give you a hand."
Red drew his teeth across his lower lip and slowly shook his head.
"Thanks, Doc. I appreciate it But no thanks. This is a very special sort of thing."
The big man smiled faintly and nodded.
"You know your situation best"
He stooped and raised the supine figure effortlessly with one arm. His shirt tore across his back as he did so. Slinging John over his shoulder, he turned and extended his hand.
"Thanks for my patient then, and best of luck with your—problem."
"Thanks. Good-bye, Doc."
"Good-bye."