le in one of the building walls,
partly covered with cracked plaster, and barely visible in the darkness.
The gloom of the Kazlak scarcely varied with night or day, as the
enormous labyrinth of covered passages and building walls was pierced
with only a few ventilation holes. Cressets at the main intersections
burned constantly, their smokeless flames lighting the streets poorly.

He wondered idly how he had managed to remember the way to this place,
let alone the little hole in the wall, as he stuffed the micro-files
into its dark interior. He finished, turned to leave, and was out on the
main tunnel before he became aware of the IC ground cars closing in upon
him.

The Corporation was really on the beam, their spies everywhere. But they
didn't know his abilities. He visualized and pushed. They were going to
be surprised when he vanished--but he didn't vanish.

The expression of shocked surprise was still on his face as the stat gun
blast took him squarely in the chest.

* * * * *

He was tied to a chair in Fred Kemmer's office. He recognized it easily,
although physically he had never been inside the room. His head hurt as
a polygraph recorder was strapped to his left arm, and behind him,
beyond his range of vision, he could sense another man and several
machines. In front of him stood Fred Kemmer with an expression of
satisfaction on his face.

"Don't start thinking you're smart," Kemmer said. "You're in no position
for it."

"You've tried to kill me three times," Albert reminded him.

"There's always a fourth time."

"I don't think so. Too many people know."

"Precisely my own conclusion," Kemmer said, "but there are other ways.
Brainwashing's a good one."

"That's illegal!" Albert protested. "Besides--"

"So what?" Kemmer cut him off. "It's an illegal universe."

Albert probed urgently at the IC man's mind, hoping to find something he
could turn to his advantage, but all he found were surface
thoughts--satisfaction at having gotten the spy where he could do no
harm, plans for turning Albert into a mindless idiot, thoughts of
extracting information--all of which had an air of certainty that was
unnerving. Albert had badly underestimated him. It was high time to
leave here, if he could.

Albert visualized an area outside Vaornia, and, as he tried to push, a
machine hummed loudly behind him. He didn't move. Mistake, Albert
thought worriedly, I'm not going anywhere--and