dering toward the grim walls of the power station。
An electric sign blinking on and off drew Bi'll's attention； KWIK…FREEZ KOSHER HAMS LTD it read…and he gasped as memory returned。 By Ahriman； he had forgotten that he was a spy for the G。B。I。 and had been about to join the raid on the power stationt Was there still time to get out before the counter…blow fell！ Sweating more than a little； he began working his way through the mob toward the sign…then he was at the fringes and running toward safety。 It wasn't too late。 He grabbed the front door handle and pulled； but it would not open。 In panic he twisted and shook it until the entire front of the building began to shake； rocking back and forth and creaking。 He gaped at it in paralyzed horror until a loud hissing drew his attention。
〃Get over here； you stupid bowb；〃 a voice crackled； and he looked up to see the G。B。I。 agent Pinkerton standing at the er of the building and beckoning to him angrily。 Bill followed the agent around the er and found quite a crowd standing there； and there was plenty of room for all of them because the building was not there。 Bill could see now that the building was just a front made out of cardboard with a door handle on it and was secured by wooden supports to the front of an atomic tank。 Grouped around the armorplated side and treads of the tank were a number of heavily armed soldiers and G。B。I。 agents as well as an even larger number of revolutionaries； their clothes singed and pitted by sparks from the torches。 Standing next to Bill was the android； Ghoulem。
〃You！〃 Bill gasped； and the android curled its lips in a carefully practiced sneer。
〃That's right…and keeping。 an eye on you for the G。B。I。 Nothing is left to chance in this organization。〃 Pinkerton was peeking out through a hole in the false store front。 〃I think the agents are clear now；〃 he said； ‘but maybe we better wait a little longer。 At last count there were agents of sixty…five spy； intelligence； and counter…intelligence outfits involved in investigating this operation。 These revolutionaries don't stand a chance 。 。 。〃
A siren blasted from the power plant； apparently a prearranged signal； because the soldiers battered at the cardboard store front until it came loose and fell flat into the square。
Chauvinistisk Square was empty。 Well； not really empty。 Bill looked again and saw that one man was left in the square； he hadn't noticed him at first。 He was running their way but stopped with a pitiful screech when he saw what was hidden behind the store。
〃I surrender！〃 he shouted； and Bill saw that he was the man called X。 The power plant gates opened； and a squadron of flamethrower tanks rumbled out。
〃Coward！〃 Pinkerton sneered； and pulled back the slide on his gun。 〃Don't try to back out now； X； at least die like a man。〃
〃I'm not X…that。 is just a nom…de…espionage。〃 He tore off his false beard and mustache； disclosing a twitching and uninteresting face with pronounced underbite。 〃I am Gill O'Teen； M。A。 and LL。D。 from the Imperial School of Counter…Spying and Double…Agentry。 I was hired by this operation； I can prove it； I have documents； Prince Microcephil payed me to overthrow his uncle so he could bee Emperor 。 。 。 〃
〃You think I'm stupid；〃 Pinkerton snapped； aiming his gun 〃The Old Emperor； may he rest in eternal peace； died a year ago； and Prince Microcephil is the Emperor now。 You can't revolt against the man who hired you！〃
〃I never read the newspapers；〃 O'Teen alias X moaned。
〃Fire！〃 Pinkerton said sternly； and from all sides washed a wave of atomic shells； gouts of flame； bullets； and grenades。 Bill hit the dirt； and when he raised his head the square was empty except for a greasy patch and a shallow hole in the pavement。 Even while he watched； a street…cleaning robot buzzed by and swabbed up the grease。 It hummed… briefly； backed up； then filled in the shallow hole with a squirt of repair plastic from a concealed tank。 When it rolled on again there was no trace of anything whatsoever。
〃Hello Bill 。 。 。 〃 said a voice so paralyzingly familiar that Bill's hair prickled and stood up from his head like a toothbrush。 He spun and looked at the squad of MPs standing there； and especially he stared at the large； loathsome form of the MP who led them。
〃Deathwish Drang 。 。 。〃 he breathed。
〃The same。〃
〃Save me！〃 Bill gasped； running to G。B。I。 agent Pinkerton and hugging him about the knees。
〃Save you？〃 Pinkerton laughed； and kneed Bill under the jaw so that he sprawled backward。 〃I'm the one who called them。 We checked your record； boy； and found out that you are in a heap of trouble。 You have been AWOL from the
troopers for a year now； and we don't want any deserters on our team。〃
〃But I worked for you…helped you…〃
〃Take him away；〃 Pinkerton said； and turned his back。
〃There's no justice；〃 Bill moaned； as the hated fingers sank into his arms again。
〃Of course not；〃 Deathwish told him； 〃you weren't expecting any； were you？〃
They dragged him away。
E=mc2 OR BUST
I
〃I want a lawyer； I have to have a lawyer！ I demand my rights！〃 Bill hammered on the bars of the cell with the chipped bowl that they had served his evening meal of bread and water in； shouting loudly for attention。 No one came in answer to his call； and finally； hoarse； tired； and depressed； he lay down on the knobbed plastic bunk and stared up at the metal ceiling。 Sunk in misery； he stared at the hook for long minutes before it finally penetrated。 A hook？ Why a hook here？ Even in his apathy it bothered him； just as it had bothered him when they gave him a stout plastic belt with a sturdy buckle for his shoddy prison dungarees。 Who wears a belt with one…piece dungarees？ They had taken everything from him and supplied him only with paper slippers； crumpled dungarees； and a fine belt。 Why？ And why was there a sturdy great hook penetrating through the unbroken smoothness of the ceiling？
〃I'm saved！〃 Bill screamed； and leaped up； balancing on the end of the bunk and whipping off the belt。 There was a hole in the strap end of the belt that fitted neatly over the hook。 While the buckle made a beautiful slip knot for a loop on the other end that would fit lovingly around his neck。 And he could slip it over his head； seat the buckle under his ear； kick off from the bunk and strangle painfully with his toes a full foot above the floor。 It was perfect。
〃It is perfect！〃 he shouted happily； and jumped off the bunk and ran in circles under the noose； going yeow…yeow…yeow by flapping his hand in front of his mouth。 〃I'm not stuck； cooked； through； and finished。 They want me to knock myself off to make things easy for them。〃
This time he lay back on the bunk； smiling happily； and tried to think it out。 There had to be a chance he could wriggle out of this thing alive； or they wouldn't have gone to all this trouble to give him an opportunity to hang himself。 Or could they be playing a double； subtle game？ Allowing him hope where none existed？ No； this was impossible。 They had a lot of attributes： pettiness； selfishness； anger； vengefulness； superiority； power…lust； the list was almost endless； but one thing was certain…subtlety was not on it。 They？ For the first time in his life Bill wondered who they were。 Everyone blamed everything on them； everyone knew that they would cause trouble。 He even knew from experience what they were like。 But who were they？ A footstep shuffled outside the door； and he looked over to see Deathwish Drang glowering in at him。
〃Who are they？〃 Bill asked。 〃They are everyone who wants to be one of them；〃 Deathwish said philosophically twanging a tusk。 〃They are both a state of mind and an institution。〃
〃Don't give me any of that mystical bowb！ A straight answer to a straight question now。〃
〃I am being straight；〃 Deathwish said； reeking of sincerity。 〃They die off and are replaced； but the institution of theyness goes on。〃
〃I'm sorry I asked；〃 Bill said； sidling over so he could whisper through the bars。 〃I need a lawyer； Deathwish old buddy。 Can you find me a good lawyer？〃
〃They'll appoint a lawyer for you。〃 Bill made the rudest noise he possibly could。 〃Yeah； and we kn