ings stood, he couldn't transmit the
information he had gained--and by this time probably every IC office on
the planet was alerted to the fact that Earth Central had a psi-type
agent on Antar--one who was not inherently unstable, like those poor
devils in the parapsychological laboratories on Earth. They would be
ready for him with everything from Distorter screens to Kellys.

He didn't underestimate IC now. Whatever its morals might be, its
personnel was neither stupid nor slow to act. He was trapped in this
sector of the planet. Prime Base was over a thousand miles away, and
even if he did manage to make his way back to it along the trade routes,
it was a virtual certainty that he would never be able to get near a
class I communicator or the Patrol office. IC would have ample time to
get ready for him, and no matter what powers he possessed, a single man
would have no chance against the massed technology of the corporation.

However, he could play tag with IC in this area for some time with the
reasonable possibility that he wouldn't get caught. If nothing else, it
would have nuisance value. He pulled one hand free of the tape that held
it to the chair arm and swiftly removed the rest of the tape that bound
him. He had his freedom again. Now what would he do with it?

He left the chair behind and started down the road toward Lagash. There
was no good reason to head in that particular direction, but at the
moment one direction was as good as another until he could plan a course
of action. His brain felt oddly fuzzy. He didn't realize that he had
reached the end of his strength until he dropped in the roadway.

To compensate for the miserable job it had done in protecting him from
poison and neural torture, the Zark had successfully managed to block
hunger and fatigue pains until Albert's over-taxed body could stand no
more. It realized its error after Albert collapsed. Sensibly, it did
nothing. Its host had burned a tremendous amount of energy without
replenishment, and he needed time to rest and draw upon less available
reserves, and to detoxify and eliminate the metabolic poisons in his
body.

It was late that afternoon before Albert recovered enough to take more
than a passing interest in his surroundings. He had a vague memory of
hiring a dak cart driver to take him down the road. The memory was
apparently correct, because he was lying in the back of a cargo cart
piled high with short pieces of cane. The cart