rent. Inside the door Dalton was being thoroughly and
completely searched. Nothing was found, but Bennington could sense
Thornberry's grim disapproval of the procedure.

Dalton was then shoved around the first of the hastily-erected screens
and ordered into a chair. A doctor beside the chair was ready with an
injection so smoothly and quickly that Dalton was under mild sedation
almost before he was aware of the needle's sting.

Across from Dalton, seated at a small table behind a spin-dizzy wheel
of flickering lights and ever-centering spiral, one of Thornberry's
psych-staff waited for a nod from the doctor. Then he started the
wheel spinning and Bennington could see his lips move.

After a moment, the psychologist turned his head to the doctor and
Bennington lip-read the word, "hypno." The doctor slowly put down one
of the biggest hypodermic needles Bennington had ever seen.

Less roughly, the guard led Dalton around the second screen.

At the end of the corridor Judkins was ready. He adjusted the big hood
over Dalton's head.

And Bennington turned away.

He had seen too much of the conditioning process, beginning in its
early days when the Army had realized its value in reducing the
manpower needed to watch the refuse of the cold war.

The POWS from the battle of the little undeclared wars; the refugee
camps, with their possible and probable subversives; the Army
disciplinary stations....

He waited farther down the corridor where he could look into Room Two.
In a few minutes Dalton entered. His face was subtly changed. A guard
gestured toward the piles of cots and blankets.

Dalton took one of the cots and two of the blankets, moved to Square
Number Ten on this side of the building and began making up his bed.
When the job was completed he sat down.

His back was toward the general and Bennington found himself wishing
he could see the prisoner's face. In the other room, Dalton had been
carefully, thoughtfully staring around.

His posture now spoke of a total lack of interest in his present
surroundings.

Bennington glanced at his watch and estimated the time needed on
Dalton. Hm-m-m, little better than five minutes. Of course, if a
prisoner was given that second shot.... Well, the average would still
be about five minutes.

Might as well go back to the office and work out how much each state
owed the prison.

* * * * *

Thornberry's call came at 1915. "We've finishe