iver wanted to know.

"They'll be ready," promised Burlingame. "The police have got all kinds
of cute tricks, only we don't fall for them. We're systematic."

They were that, decided Jadiver, and something more. They had to be to
survive so long. Burlingame was good.

A gamin's face peered through the doorway and one hand thrust his
clothing into the room and waved it. "Here. They didn't try to conceal
anything." She sounded disappointed.

Jadiver dressed as Burlingame relayed the clothing to him. The gamin
wrinkled her nose and disappeared. By the time Jadiver was completely
dressed, she came back with refreshments.

They sat down at the table. "I want faces," said Burlingame, across from
him--"five faces."

Jadiver looked around. There were six. "None of my business, except in a
professional way, but who do I leave out?"

"Cobber. We have other plans for him."

It wasn't a good idea to pry. He had to know the human material on which
he was expected to work, but it was safer not to know what they were
planning.

He tapped his glass. "What kind of faces? Soft faces, hard faces, space
faces? And do you want anything else?"

"Society faces," said Burlingame. "Emily wants to wear a low-cut gown.
The rest of us just need faces."

"Real low," the gamin insisted, wriggling.

"Society," mused Jadiver. "I always did think it was better to rob the
rich ... like Robin Hood."

"Sure," Burlingame said.

Jadiver tilted the glass. "Especially since the poor don't have much
money."

"That has something to do with it," Burlingame cheerfully agreed.

Cobber broke in. He was a little gnarled man, older than the others. "A
point, Jadiver. The poor don't have much money, but there's so many more
of them. You can actually be more successful robbing them. But you have
to keep at it every day in the year, and then you don't call it robbery;
you say you're governing them."

"Don't have that kind of stamina," said Burlingame.

"A good point, Cobber." Jadiver leaned on the table. "I don't want
specific information, but how can you make robbery pay off these days?"

* * * * *

Burlingame looked at him astutely. "Considering it yourself?"

Jadiver shook his head. "Intellectual curiosity. I'm doing all right in
my own line."

"It's a theory," said Burlingame. "You can't touch banks or financial
institutions. Too many electronic safeguards, robots, and what have you.
In order to get past th