s almost invincible. It was an exhilarating feeling.
He stopped trying to reload the tangle gun and stood up. He sprinted at
the policeman, who stood his ground, firing frantically at a target he
could not miss and yet did not hit. The tangle strands shattered all
around the target.

Jadiver swung the gun with his remaining strength; the butt connected
with the policeman's forehead.

Jadiver scooped up the discarded tangle gun and fired twice at close
range, in case the man should decide to revive too soon, which was
doubtful. He went back and entered the idling patrol car. He hadn't lost
much time, after all.

He sat the car down on top of a building near the edge of the
rocketport, straightened his clothing and wiped the grime off his face.
Some of the disguise went, too, but that no longer mattered much.

He stepped out of the elevator and walked casually along the street
until he came to the interplanetary flight office. The same robot was
there--would be there every hour, day and night, until the rocketport
was expanded and the building torn down and rebuilt, or the robot
itself wore out and had to be replaced.

The clerk looked up eagerly. "You're back. I knew I could count on you."

"I'm interested in that flight you were telling me about," said Jadiver.

"We've changed rates," the robot clerk replied, beaming. "It was a
bargain before, but just listen to the revised offer. We pay you, on a
per diem basis--subjective, of course. When you arrive, you actually
have a bank account waiting for you."

Per diem, subjective--the time that _seemed_ to elapse when the rocket
was traveling near the speed of light. It wasn't as good as the robot
made it sound.

"Never mind that," said Jadiver. "I'll take it if it's going far."

"Going far!" echoed the clerk.

A policeman sauntered by outside, just looking, but that was enough.

"I said I'd take it," Jadiver repeated in a loud voice.

The clerk deflated. "I wish I could go with you," it explained
wistfully. It reached under the counter and pulled out a perforated
tape. "This will get you on the ship, and it also constitutes the
contract. Just present it at the other end and collect your money. You
can send for your baggage after you're on board."

Jadiver opened his mouth and then closed it. His baggage was intangible,
mostly experience, not much of it pleasant.

"I'll do that," he said.

The clerk came out from behind the counter and watched Jadiver leave