now, and didn't need to. When he found
out who he was, the motivation might be clear; if it wasn't, at least
he would have a basis on which to investigate that.

If someone else had done it to him, deliberately or accidentally, that
person would have taken precautions too. The difference was this: as a
would-be suicide, he could travel freely to wherever he wished to
start over again; while another person would have difficulty enticing
him to a faroff place, or, assuming that the actual retrogression had
taken place elsewhere, wouldn't find it easy to transport an inert and
memory-less body any distance.

So, if he weren't a suicide, there was a good chance that there were
clues in this city. He might as well start with that idea--it was all
he had to go on.

He was free to stay in retro-therapy indefinitely, but with the
restricted freedom he didn't want to. The first step was to get out.
He made the decision and felt better. He switched on the screen.

Borgenese looked up. "Hello. Have you decided?"

"I think so."

"Good. Let's have it. It's bound to touch on your former life in some
way, though perhaps so remotely we can't trace it. At least, it's
something."

"Luis Obispo." He spelled it out.

* * * * *

The police counselor looked dubious as he wrote the name down. "It's
not common, nor uncommon either. The spelling of the first name is a
little different, but there must be countless Obispos scattered over
the System."

It was curious. Now he almost did think of himself as Luis Obispo. He
wanted to be that person. "Another thing," he said. "Did I have any
money when I was found?"

"You're thinking of leaving? A lot of them do." Val Borgenese flipped
open the folder again. "You did have money, an average amount. It
won't set you up in business, if that's what you're thinking."

"I wasn't. How do I get it?"

"I didn't think you were." The counselor made another notation. "I'll
have the desk release it--you can get it any time. By the way, you get
the full amount, no deductions for anything."

The news was welcome, considering what he had ahead of him.

Borgenese was still speaking. "Whatever you do, keep in touch with us.
It'll take time to run down this name, and maybe we'll draw a blank.
But something significant may show up. If you're serious, and I think
you are, it's to your advantage to check back every day or so."

"I'm serious," said Luis. "I'll keep in tou