The of the of Precol's Maccadon office said, "You don't want me, Argee. That's not my jurisdiction. I'll you with Undersecretary Rozan."
Trigger blinked. "Under—" she began. But he'd already cut off.
She at the ComWeb, a little shaken. All she'd done was to say she wanted to apply for a transfer! Undersecretary Rozan was one of Precol's Big Four. For a moment, Trigger had an notion. Some was through the Hub. She the off.
A up in the screen. She might be about thirty-five. She a small, cold smile.
"Rozan," she said. "You're Trigger Argee. I know about you. What's the trouble?"
Trigger looked at her, wondering. "No trouble," she said. "Personnel just me through to you."
"They've been to do so," said Rozan. "Go ahead."
"I'm on at the moment."
"I know."
"I'd like to apply for a transfer to my previous job. The Manon System."
"That's your privilege," said Rozan. She turned, a and it into her ComWeb. She out at Trigger's desk. "Your writer's connected, I see. We'll want and signature."
She a into her telewriter, it twice as Trigger deposited and and it out. "The will be promptly, Argee. Good day."
Not a type, that Rozan.
If not gabby, the Precol was a woman of her word. Trigger had just started when the office mail-tube at her. She in, took out a plastic carrier, it open. The paper that itself in her hand was her application.
At the of the was "Application Denied," by the of the Secretary of the Department of Precolonization, Home Office, Evalee.
Trigger's from the to the two words, and back. They'd taken the trouble to that from Evalee just to make it clear that there were no p. 39heads left to be gone over in the matter. Precol was not transferring her to Manon. That was final. Then she that there was a second to the form.
On it in were a more words: "In with the of Commissioner Tate." And a signature, "Rozan." And three final words: "Destroy this note."
Trigger up the in one hand. Her other hand to the ComWeb.
Then she herself. To fire an as-of-now at Precol had been the impulse. But something, some chill, was saying it might be a very to follow.
She sat to think it over.
It was very that Undersecretary Rozan Holati Tate intensely. A of the Home Office big Holati Tate. He'd on their more than once—very justifiably; but he'd stamped. The Home Office wouldn't go an out of its way to do something just Commissioner Tate to want it done.
So somebody else was up Commissioner Tate's instructions.
Trigger her helplessly.
The only somebody else who give to the Precolonization Department was the Council of the Federation!
And how the Federation possibly what Trigger Argee was doing? She a small, noise in her throat.
Then she sat there a while, frightened.
The didn't wear off, but it settled slowly her. Up on the surface she to think again.
Assume it's so, she herself. It no sense, but else less sense. Just assume it's so. Set it up as a practical problem. Don't worry about the why....
The problem very then. She wanted to go to Manon. The Federation—or something else, something at the moment but to the Federation in power and influence—wanted to keep her here.
She the application, Rozan's note, up the note and its into the disposal. That was cancelled. She didn't have any other obligations. She'd liked Holati Tate. When all this was up, she might she still liked him. At the moment she didn't him a thing.
Now. Assume they hadn't just the to Manon. They couldn't all to everywhere; that was impossible. But they very well be to see that she didn't up and walk off. And they might be very well prepared to take direct action to stop her from doing it.
She would, Trigger decided, the method she'd use to out of the Colonial School to the last. That shouldn't present any difficulties.
Once she was outside, what would she do?
Principally, she had to transportation. And p. 41that—since she had no of a months on the trip, and since a private citizen didn't have the of a at a Federation packet on the Manon run—was going to be expensive. In fact, it was likely to take the of her savings. Under the circumstances, however, wasn't important. If Precol to give her her job when she up on Manon, a number of the preparing to move in as soon as the plant got its final would be very happy to have her. She'd already a dozen offers at more than her present salary.
So ... she'd off the grounds, take a into Ceyce, step into a ComWeb booth, and call Grand Commerce for on the to Manon.
She'd a on the fast out. In the name of—let's see—in the name of Birna Drellgannoth, who had been a friend of hers when they were around the age of ten. Since Manon was a Precol preserve, she wouldn't have to meet the problem of personal identification, such as one ran into when passage to some of the worlds.
The ticket office would have her then. That was unavoidable. But there were millions of being deposited every hour of the day on Maccadon. If somebody started for her by that method, it should take them a good long while to out hers.
Next stop—the Ceyce branch of the Bank of Maccadon. And it was lucky she'd done all her banking in Ceyce since she was a teen-ager, she would have to present herself in person to out her savings. She'd no time to the bank either. It was one place where her to up.
She pay for her ship at the bank. Then to a store for some and a for the trip....
And, finally, into some big middle-class hotel where she would until a hours the ship was to take off.
That to it. It wasn't foolproof. But trying to work out a plan would be a waste of time when she didn't know just what she was up against. This should give her a start, a long one.
When should she leave?
Right now, she decided. Commissioner Tate would be that she had for a transfer and that the transfer had been denied. He her too well not to if it looked as if she were just there and taking it.
She got her on the ComWeb.
"I'm of the office," she said. "Anything for me to take of first?"
It was a safe question. She'd the day's and lunch.
"Not a thing, Miss Farn."
"Fine," said Ruya Farn. "If anyone wants me in p. 43the next three or four hours, I'll be either in the main library or out at the lake."
And that would give somebody two to look for her, if and when they started to look—along with the that, for all anyone knew, she might be those two points.
A minutes later, Trigger sauntered, blithely, into her room and gave it a survey. There were some personal and ends she would have liked to take with her, but she send for them from Manon.
The Denton, however, was along. The little gun had a very fast-acting attachment, and old Runser Argee had Trigger in its use with his he presented her with the gun. She had had occasion to turn the on a being, but she'd used it on game. If this and too realistic, she'd already she would use it as needed.
She the Denton into the pocket of a rain robe, the over her arm, her it, up the sun and left the room.
The Colonial School's area was on one of the levels. Unless they'd their very since Trigger had graduated, that was the by which she would leave.
As as she tell they hadn't p. 44anything. The whole level looked so that she had a moment of nostalgia. Groups of students along the the and the cooking and plants. The big hall, Trigger noticed in passing, as good as it always had. Bells the end of a period and a Class so and so to Room such and such. Standing around were a guards—mainly for the purpose of helping out who had their direction.
She came out on the familiar big and of the ramp. Some sixty or seventy great alongside the platform, most of them their contents, some still sealed.
Trigger walked the ramp, in the background, the movements of two and marking four which were empty and looked to go.
The driver of the of the four in the of his vehicle, a above the platform. When Trigger came level with him, he was studying her. He was a big man with black and a rough-and-ready look. He was very faintly. He the of Colonial School students.
Trigger her left hand a inches, three up. His widened. He his and hands in a gesture. Eight fingers.
Trigger at him, stopped and looked p. 45back along the of vans. Then left hand up again—four and thumb.
The driver a circle with and thumb. A deal, for five Maccadon crowns. Which was about for passage out of the school.
Trigger on to the end of the platform, and came back, still but now close to the of the ramp. Down the line, another open in and a of out, a from the toward a waiting carrier. The to Trigger to watch the process. Trigger took six quick steps and her driver.
He put a hand to help her step up. She the five-crown piece into his palm.
"Up front," he hoarsely. "Next to the driver's seat and keep down. How far?"
"Nearest line."
He again and nodded. "Can do."
Twenty minutes later Trigger was in a ComWeb booth. There had been a minor in her plans and she'd stopped off in a store a doors away and up a dress and a scarf. She into the dress now and the into a deposit box, which she to Central Deposit with a one-crown piece, a numbered in return. It had to her that there was a otherwise of in a Colonial School roundup, if it was to Doctor Plemponi's attention that p. 46there appeared to be more students out on the town at the moment than be properly overlooked.
Or even, Trigger thought, if somebody to have missed Trigger Argee.
She the rain over her shoulders, a coin into the ComWeb, and the silver-blonde with the scarf. The screen up. She asked for Grand Commerce Transportation.
Waiting, she that so she was herself. There had been a little with the driver who, it out, had ideas of his own about modifying Trigger's plans—a she'd into in her days too. As usual, it didn't into a very argument. Truckers who with the Colonial School knew, or learned in one or two lessons, that Mihul's commando-trained were to methods of when with too urgently.
The view screen on. The clerk's over Trigger's dress when she told him her destination. His bland. Yes, the Dawn City was Ceyce Port for the Manon System tomorrow evening. Yes, it was express—one of the and fastest, in fact. His over the dress again. Also one of the most luxurious, he might add. There would be only two three-hour stops in the Hub Maccadon—one each off Evalee and Garth. Then a p. 47dive to Manon unless, of course, shifts the ship to surface temporarily. Average time for the Dawn City on the was eleven days; the so had sixteen.
"But unfortunately, madam, there are only a very left—and not very ones, I'm afraid." He looked apologetic. "There hasn't been a on the Manon for the past three months."
"I can it, I imagine," Trigger said. "How much for the cheapest?"
The his and told her.
She couldn't help blinking, though she was for it. But it was more than she had on. A great more. It would her, in fact, with one hundred and twenty-six out of her entire savings, plus the she had in her purse.
"Any extras?" she asked, a little hoarsely.
He shrugged. "There's Traveler's Rest," he said negligently. "Nine hundred for the three periods. But Rest is optional, of course. Some the of a dive." He smiled—rather sadistically, Trigger felt—and added, "Till they've through one of them, that is."
Trigger nodded. She'd through a of them. She didn't like particularly—nobody did—but for an occasional touch of or at the of a dive, it didn't her much. Many people got hallucinations, into of p. 48panic or just got very sick. "Anything else?" she asked.
"Just the and things," said the clerk. He looked surprised. "Do you—does wish to make the reservation?"
"Madam does," Trigger told him coldly. "How long will it hold?"
It would be good up to an hour take-off time, she learned. If not then, it would be from the last-minute waiting list.
She left the thoughtfully. At least the Dawn City would be in less than twenty-six hours. She wouldn't have to much of her she got off Maccadon.
She'd meals, she decided. Except next morning, which would be by her hotel room fee.
And it wasn't going to be any middle-class hotel.
There was no one waiting for her at the Bank of Maccadon. In fact, since that a city block, with up from the level to the fifty-eighth floor, a small army would have been needed to make sure of her.
She had to identify herself to into the vaults, but there was a to that. Seven years ago when Runser Argee died and she had to his property and records out, a gray-haired little with she with had taken a in her. p. 49When she saw he was still on the job, Trigger was the would go off all right.
It did. He didn't take a close look at her until she her and Federation in of him. Then his up briskly. His up.
"Trigger!" He out of his chair. His right hand out. "Good to see you again! I've been about you."
They hands. She put a to her lips. "I'm here incog!" she in a low voice. "Can you this quietly?"
The slightly, but he asked no questions. Trigger Argee's name was widely, as a of fact, particularly on her home world. And as he Trigger, she wasn't a girl who'd go look for a to in.
He nodded. "Sure can!" He at the nearest customers, then looked at what Trigger had written. He frowned. "You out everything? Not Ceyce for good, are you?"
"No," Trigger said. "I'll be back. This is just a temporary emergency."
That was all the she had to do. Four minutes later she had her money. Three minutes after that she had paid for the Dawn City as Birna Drellgannoth and deposited her with the ticket office. Counting what was left, she it came to just under a hundred and thirty-eight.
Definitely no dinner tonight! She needed a and a of clothing. And then she'd just go in that hotel room.
The level traffic was around the bank, but it to as she approached a shopping center two on. Striding along, neither idling, Trigger she had it made. The only to catch up with her had been at the bank. And the old wouldn't talk.
Half a from the shopping center, a of on planet-leave came toward her, unbuttoned, three Ceyce girls in arm-linked among them, all high. Trigger toward the of the to let them pass. As the line up on her left, there was a settling of an at the to her right.
With loud of and of laughter, the line in about her, close. Bodies against her; a hand was over her mouth. Other hands her arms. Her came off the ground and she had a of being forward.
Then she was in the car, on her over the seat, two very hands her together her back. As she in her for a yell, the door her, off the "ha-ha-ha's" and other outside.
There was a as the upward.
