sions that rose from the floor and vanished into the ceiling above。 There were numbers stenciled onto each pipe； and Litvok pointed to them。
〃We gotta find kl…9256…B；〃 he said。 〃Let's go。〃
Bill found the pipe quickly。 It was about as big around as his wrist； and be had just called to the bunch leader when a shrill whistle sounded down the hall。
〃Outside！〃 Litvok said； and pushed Bill before him； then closed the door and stood so that his body covered the broken lock。 There was a growing rumbling and swishing noise that came down the hall toward them as they cowered in the alcove。 Litvok held his hammer behind his back as the noise increased； and a sanitation robot appeared and swiveled its binocular eyestalk toward them。
〃Will you kindly move； this robot wishes to clean where you are standing；〃 a recorded voice spoke from the robot in firm tones。 It whirled its brushes at them hopefully。
〃Get lost；〃 Litvok growled。
〃Interference with a sanitation robot during the performance of its duties is a punishable crime； as well as an antisocial act。 Have you stopped to consider where you would be if the Sanitation Department wasn't 。 。 。〃
〃Blabbermouth；〃 Litvok snarled and hit the robot on top of its brain case with the hammer。 〃WONKITY！！〃 the robot shrilled； and went reeling down the hall dribbling water incontinently from its nozzles。 〃Let's finish the job；〃 Litvok
said； throwing the door open again。 He handed the hammer to Bill； and drawing a hacksaw from a place of concealment in his ragged clothes he attacked the pipe with frenzied strokes。 The metal pipe was tough； and within a minute he was
running with sweat and starting to tire。
〃Take over；〃 he shouted at Bill。 〃Go as fast as you can； then I take over again。〃 Turn and turn about it took them less than three minutes to saw all the way through the pipe。 Litvok slipped the saw back into his clothes and picked up the hammer。 〃Get ready；〃 he said； spitting on his hands and then taking a mighty swing at the pipe。
Two blows did it； the top part of the severed pipe bent out of alignment with the bottom； and from the opening began to pour an endless stream of linked green frankfurters。 Litvok grabbed the end of the chain and threw it over Bill's shoulder； then began to coil loops of the things over his shoulders and arms； higher and higher。 They reached the level of Bill's eyes and he could read the white lettering stamped all over their grass…green forms。 CHLORA…FILLIES they read； and THERE'S SUNSHINE IN EVERY LINK！ and THE EQUINE WURST OF DISTINCTION； and TRY OUR DOBBIN…BURGERS NEXT TIME！
〃Enough 。 。 。 〃 Bill groaned； staggering under the weight。 Litvok snapped the chain and began twining them over his own shoulders； when the flow of shiny green forms suddenly ceased。 He pulled the last links from the pipe and pushed
out the door。
〃The alarm went； they're onto us。 Get out fast before the cops get herel〃 He whistled shrilly； and the lookouts came running to join them。 They fled； Bill stumbling under the weight of the wursts； in a nightmare race through tunnels； down stairs； ladders； and oily tubes； until they reached a dusty； deserted area where the dim lights were few and far between。 Litvok pried a manhole up from the floor； and they dropped down one by one； to crawl through a cable and tube tunnel between levels。 Schmutzig and Sporco came last to pick up the sausages that fell from Bill's aching back。 inally； through a pried…out grill； they reached their coal…black destination； and Bill collapsed onto the rubble…covered floor。 With cries of greed the others stripped Bill of his cargo； and within a minute a fire was crackling in a metal wastebasket and the green redhots were toasting on a rack。
The delicious smell of roasting chlorophyll roused Bill； and he looked around with interest。 By the flickering firelight he saw that they were in an immense chamber that vanished into the gloom in all directions。 Thick pillars supported the ceiling and the city above； while between them loomed immense piles and heaps of all sizes。 The old man； Sporco； walked over to the nearest heap and wrenched something free。 When he returned Bill could see that he had sheets of paper that he began to feed one by one into the fire。 One of the sheets fell near Bill and he saw； before he stuffed it into the flames； that it was a government form of some kind； yellow with age。
Though Bill had never enjoyed Chlora…fillies； he relished them now。 Appetite was the sauce； and the burning paper added a new taste tang。 They washed the sausages down with rusty water from a pail kept under a permanent drip from a pipe and feasted like kings。 This is the good life； Bill thought； pulling another filly from the fire and blowing on it； good food； good drink； good panions。 A free man。
Litvok and the old one were already asleep on beds of crumpled paper when the other man； Schmutzig； sidled over to Bill。
〃Have you found my ID card？〃 he asked in a hoarse whisper； and Bill realized the man was mad。 The flames reflected eerily from the cracked lenses of his glasses； and Bill could see that they had silver frames and must have once been very expensive。 Around Schmutzig's neck； half hidden by his ragged beard； was the cracked remains of a collar and the tom shard of a once fine cravat。
〃No I haven't seen your ID card；〃 Bill said； 〃in fact I haven't seen mine since the first sergeant took it away from me and forgot to give it back。〃 Bill began to feel song for himself again； and the foul frankfurters were sitting like lead in his stomach。 Schmutzig ignored his answer； immersed as he was in his own far more interesting monomania。
〃I'm an important man； you know； Schmutzig von Dreck is a man to be reckoned with； they'll find out。 They think they can get away with this； but they can't。 An error they said； just a simple error； the tape in the records section broke； and when they repaired it a little weensy bit got snipped out； and that was the piece with my record on it； and the first I heard about it was when my pay didn't arrive at the end of the month and I went to see them about it and they had never heard of me。 But everyone has heard of me。 Von Dreck is a good old name。 I was an echelon manager before I was twenty…two and had a staff of 356 under me in the Staple and Paper Clip Division of the 89th Office Supply Wing。 So they couldn't make believe they never heard of me； even if I had left my ID card home in my other suit； and they had no reason clearing everything out of my apartment while I was away just because it was rented to what they said was an imaginary person。 I could have proven who I was if I had my ID card 。 。 。 have you seen my ID card？〃
This is where I came in； Bill thought； then aloud； 〃That sure sounds rough。 I'll tell you what I'll do； I'll help you look for it。 I'll go down here and see if I can find it。〃
Before the softheaded Schmutzig could answer Bill had slipped away between the mountainous stacks of old files； very proud of himself for having outwitted a middle…aged nut： He was feeling pleasantly full and tired and didn't want to be bothered again。 What he needed was a good night's rest； then in the morning he would think about this mess； maybe figure a way out of it。 Feeling his way along the cluttered aisle he put a long distance between himself and the other deplanned before climbing up on a tottering stack of paper and from that clambering to a still higher one。 He sighed with relief； arranged a little pile of paper for a pillow and closed his eyes。
Then the lights came on in rows high up on the ceiling of the warehouse and shrill police whistles sounded from all sides and guttural shouts that set him to shivering with fear。
〃Grab that one！ Don't let him get away！〃
〃I got the horse thief！〃
〃You planless bowbs have stolen your last Chlora…filly！ It's the uranium…salt mines on Zana…2 for you！〃 Then； 〃Do we have them all…？〃 and as Bill lay clutching desperately at the forms； with his heart thudding with fear； the answer finally came。
〃Yeah； four of them； we been watching them for a long time； ready to pull them in if they tried anything like this。〃 〃But we only got three here。〃
〃I saw the fourth one earlier； getting carried