ediate
stages of exploitation. It was a background through which he could pass
unnoticed.

The circuit, though--always the circuit. He couldn't escape that by
walking away from it. But at least he'd proved that telepathy wasn't
possible by means of it, or he wouldn't still be free.

Other than that, he didn't know how it operated. If it was purely
electronic in nature, then it had a range. He might be able to get
beyond that range, if he knew how far it extended.

A lot depended on the power source. He hadn't been able to check
closely, hadn't really known what he was looking at when he'd seen it in
the autobath. He remembered that the circuit seemed to be laid over his
own nervous system. Considering the power available, the range was apt
to be quite limited.

That was pure supposition and might be wrong. There was nothing to
preclude an external power source, say a closed field blanketing the
city or even the entire planet. If so, it represented a technical
achievement beyond anything he was familiar with. That didn't disprove
it, of course. The circuit itself indicated a startling advance and he
knew _it_ existed.

There was still another possibility. The circuit might not be entirely
electronic. It might operate with the same forces that existed inside a
single nerve cell. If so, all bets were off; there was no way he could
determine the range. It might be anything at all, micro-inches or
light-years.

With unlimited equipment and all the time in the worlds, he could answer
some of those questions floating around in his mind. He had neither, but
there were solutions he could make use of. Limited solutions, but it was
better than waiting to be caught.

Jadiver headed toward one such solution.

The robot clerk looked up, smiling and patient, as he entered. It could
afford to be patient. There was no place it wanted to be other than
where it was at the moment. "Can I help you?"

"Passage to Earth," said Jadiver.

The clerk consulted the schedule. That was pretense. The schedule and
not much else had been built into its brain. "There's an orbit flight in
two weeks."

In two weeks, Jadiver could be taken, tried, and converted ten times
over. "Isn't there anything sooner?"

"There's an all-powered flight leaving tomorrow, but that's for Earth
citizens only."

"Suits me. Book me for it."

"Be glad to," said the robot. "Passport, please."

* * * * *

It was going to cost