Bhelabher looked startled for a moment; then he nodded. "Well put, well put!" He turned to Shacklar. "Isn't it amazing how the simpler way of stating something so often catches the essence of it?" He turned back to Dan "But you're quite right, young man, quite right-no one can move up. So the vast majority live out their lives in dull, repetitious desk jobs, with only 3DT, euphorics, and cabaret passes for pleasures."

"Sounds wonderful," Dar sighed. "When do I get a chance to be bored?"

"I'm sure any of our Terran slaves would be delighted to trade places with you if they really had the slightest inkling of what you have here.

And our 'fortunate few' would be even more eager-they can have anything they want, but find nothing worth having. Still, they're convinced there must be some job worth having-so they spend their lives in pursuit of some meaning in pleasure."

"I'll find it." Dar raised a hand. "Won't take me long, either "

"I'm sure you would. The pleasures of the senses only seem to have meaning when they're rare. So our poor privileged ones never can find the purpose they're seeking-but they keep looking for it."

Dar frowned. "Are you trying to tell me that the only real difference between the classes and the masses is that the classes' desperation is noisy, and the masses' desperation is quiet?"

"No, I'm trying to tell you that the only difference that matters is between them and yourself-or, more accurately, between Terra and Wolmar. Here, a mere private has as good a chance as the General of getting whatever pleasures are available-that is, if he earns his points and saves his credits."

Dar nodded. "I do. And now that you mention it, we all do have pretty much the same, ah, forms of recreation ..."

Shacklar nodded. "The advantage of having very few pleasures."

". . . and Cholly and the General, between them, keep opening up more upper-level jobs, such as . . ." Dar swallowed "... trading."

"The advantage of an expanding economy." Shacklar leaned back, locking his fingers across his chest. "Fortunately for us, the Wolmen had a very unsophisticated technology."

"True, you found all the elements here when you came," Bhelabher admitted. "But you also had the wisdom and ability to combine them!"

Bhelabher's smile saddened. "Such traits are rare. I, for example, lack both."

"You're wise to realize your limitations." Shacklar picked up a data cube and rolled it between his fingers. "But I wonder-do you have as sure a grasp of your strengths?"

"Oh, I think that I do." Bhelabher fairly beamed. "That cube you're playing with, now-give me a million of them, and the tools of my trade, and I'll set them up for you so that I can have any of their septil lions of bits for you within thirty seconds of your asking for it."

Dar developed a faraway look. "General, excuse me-we have the complete military personnel records on cube, don't we?"

"Not for personal use," Shacklar said dryly. "And I'm sure the Honorable Bhelabher understands the importance of confidentiality."

"That's what I was hoping. ..."

"I don't think you appreciate how great a benefit the computer can be, for all humankind."

Bhelabher nodded. "Quite true, really. If the sum total of human knowledge holds the answer to a question, the computer will find it for you."

"Quite enviable, really." Shacklar toyed with the cube again. "Myself, I have no ability to organize data. I have to keep everything in my head- and it goes without saying that, far too often, I fail to find the solution, because the one vital bit of information is not in my head."

"Well, that won't happen again." Bhelabher's eyes gleamed. "I'll revamp your data banks so that you'll be amazed at the myriads of facts that you didn't know were there."

Dar stiffened. That had an unpleasantly definite ring to it.

Bhelabher turned to him, beaming, to confirm it. "The General has accepted my application, you see. I'm going to stay here on Wolmar, and set up an information storage-and-retrieval system."

"And streamline our bureaucracy a bit," Shacklar added. "You'd be amazed at all the points of inefficiency he's noticed already. The Honorable Bhelabher has been gracious enough to place his considerable talents at our disposal."

"And gracious of you it is to say so." Bhelabher gave Shacklar a polite nod that bordered on a bow.

Privately, Dar shuddered, and wished he weren't going to be staying.

He had an idea that living under Bhelabher's streamlining wasn't going to be much fun.

But then, he'd figured without Shacklar's restraining influence.

Certainly the General had worked wonders in the Honorable already.

"But I do realize that I'm not the man for any more of a job than that here," Bhelabher explained to Dar "So I'm sending my resignation back to Terra."

Dar's eyes widened. It was too good to be true. Even if it was sort of what Cholly had figured would happen. . . .

"And my staff will be staying here with me," Bhelabher went on. "The General assures me they're needed."

That, Dar could believe. Most of Bhelabher's staff were female.

"This, however, leaves me without someone to carry my resignation back to Terra," Bhelabher noted.

Dar suddenly felt very wary.

"Would you like to see Terra, Ardnam?" Shacklar murmured.

Dar held onto his chair while the blood roared in his ears and the world seemed to grow insubstantial. Escape! And to Terra!

"I'm afraid you must decide rather quickly," Shacklar went on. "The courier ship that brought the Honorable is scheduled to blast out of orbit in three hours, bound for the colonial branch government on Haldane IV. From there, you'll have to arrange transportation to Terra, and I don't doubt it'll take quite a few transfers. There's very little direct traffic to or from the Central Worlds."

Dar's mouth went dry. "Don't get me wrong, I'd love to do it-but I don't have much experience at that kind of traveling."

"No, nor do you know how to work your way through the web of the I.D.E. bureaucracy on Terra-but I understand there's a young lady, just in from the home planet, who's been in your company lately ..."

"Sam Bine," Dar croaked.

"Yes, a Ms. Bine. I know it's beastly to ask her to leave so soon after she's arrived; but, in view of the importance of the matter ..."

"She was just leaving, anyway." Better and better! Escape to Terra, and with a female traveling companion! "Or should I say, I think I can talk her into it."

"Please do." Shacklar picked up a pen and made a note. "With luck, the two of you might reach BOA about the same time as my request for clarification of the Honorable Bhelabher's credentials."

"You could cancel that, you know," Bhelabher pointed out.

Shacklar looked up, his face a total blank. Then the light slowly dawned. "Do you know, I believe you're right."

"You see?" Bhelabher beamed at Dar. "There's so much I can do here!"

"True," Dar agreed-but he wondered how long Shacklar could keep up such high-quality acting.

Long enough for Bhelabher's resignation to reach Terra, at least.

"You'll have an official pardon, of course," Shacklar added.

"I'll do it! But, uh-just one question. ..."

"Yes?" Shacklar blinked mildly.

"Why'11 it be so hard to find the right person in the BOA bureaucracy to give your resignation to?"

"Because," said Bhelabher, "my appointment to Wolmar was a very highly classified secret." Dar managed not to look startled.

Chapter Six.

"But if it was such a deep dark secret, how did you find out about it?"

Dar demanded.

Sam's lips thinned. "Oh, all right! If you really have to know-I was a clerk in the classified division, with a top-level security clearance."

"Oh." Dar's lower lip thrust out as he nodded slowly. "Yeah, that makes sense. Weren't your bosses a little, ah, taken aback, when you resigned?"

"Very," Sam said grimly, "especially when they found out I'd turned into a Hume. I had a very difficult time getting a passport."

"How did you manage it?"

Sam shrugged. "Very involved. Let's just say I know how to handle a bureaucracy."

"Uh, yeah, I don't think I really want to know the details." Dar pressed a hand over his eyes. "But you did get away. That's what counts."

"Not all that much," Sam answered with a grim smile. "There was a commercial traveler outbound from Terra on the same liner I was on, and he made every transfer I did, up until the last leg from Haldane IV to here."

"Agent, following you?" Cholly grunted.

Sam nodded, and held out her glass for a refill. "You sound as though you recognize the symptoms."

"In a manner of speaking." Cholly poured. "Now, I'm certain it's just my nasty, suspicious mind, but-I do believe that nice young blond man from Bhelabher's staff's been keeping an eye on you."

"Just my glamor and magnetic personality, I'm sure," Sam said dryly.

"I've noticed him, too. In fact, I'd've had to've been blind not to."

"Well, every secret agent has to learn his trade sometime."

"I know a way to ditch him," Dar ventured.

"So do I," she said sourly. "Leave Wolmar."

Dar stared. "How'd you know?"

Sam's head lifted. "You mean you were seriously going to recommend that? What's the matter, am I getting to be an embarrassment?"

"No, no, just the other way around!" Dar said quickly. "You see, I've got this great offer to leave, but I have to take somebody with me who knows the ropes in the Terran bureaucracy."

The silence stretched out while Sam's lower lip slowly protruded. "So.

They made you an offer you couldn't refuse."

"Well, I wouldn't say couldn't-but I wasn't about to. How about it?"

Sam frowned. "The idea's got its appeal-I've learned what I wanted to here. But this place has a lot of advantages over Terra, if you know what I mean."

"No," Dar said promptly. "I can't imagine how any place could have an advantage over Terra-especially a backwater like this."

Cholly turned away to put glasses back on shelves, whistling tunelessly between his teeth.

"Don't worry," Sam said bitterly, "you will. And, although I wouldn't mind a return visit to Terra, I have a notion I'd very quickly find myself looking back to this place with nostalgia. How do I get back here if I want to? It took me ten years of saving, just to get the fare out here in the first place."

"Well, I think Shacklar might be induced to guarantee your return fare," Dar said judiciously. "He seemed awfully anxious to get me to leave."

"Sheriff trouble?"

"No, no! I'm taking Bhelabher's resignation back to Terra!" Cholly dropped a glass and spun around. "That's all I need to hear. You're going. An' so're you." He aimed a finger at Sam. "Can't leave this poor; innocent lamb to the mercy of them Terran wolves. I'll guarantee yer return fare, if it comes to it."

"Done!" Sam slapped the bar. "I'm off on the road back to Terra! But why can't Bhelabher take it back himself?" "Because he's staying here." Cholly dropped another glass.

"Oh." Sam chewed that one over. "How about his staff?" "They're staying too. Seems we'll be needing 'em." "No, don't tell me-you're cutting into me glassware." Cholly held up a hand. "ShackJar's giving 'em all jobs."

Dar nodded. "Bhelabher's going to revise the filing system and streamline the bureaucracy."

"Well, there goes private enterprise," Cholly sighed. "No, Bhelabher's not that bad," Sam said judiciously. "He did a fine job as long as he was only in charge of the records for Terra. It was when they put him in charge of the records for the whole I.D.E. that he ran into trouble."

"Oh?" Cholly looked up, with a glimmer of hope. "He had the ability, but couldn't handle responsibility, hen?"

Sam nodded. "Something like that. As long as he was able to take orders, he was fine. It was being top man that stymied him."

"Better 'n better." Cholly nodded. "Then no doubt he'll take Shacklar's orders to leave some glitches in the bureaucracy. "

Sam frowned. "Why?"

"It makes for flexibility, lass. If the bureaucracy's too efficient, it gives the central government too much power, and they control every aspect of life. But a little inefficiency . . . now, that leaves some room for a man to beat the system. . . . Well! You'll only have one problem, then, Dar."

Dar looked up, startled. "What's that?" "Shacklar thinks you're Ardnam Rod now, and all yer papers'll be made out to him."