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jumpy。〃…
〃So I figured out。 'Jail。' If this is a rejuvenation suite
WHERE'S MY SUICIDE SWITCH？〃
〃Lazarus…'Death is every man's privilege。'〃
〃That's what I said！ That switch belongs right there； you can see where it has been dismounted。 So I'm in jail without trial； with my most basic right taken from me。 Why？ I'm furious； man。 Do you realize what danger you are in？ Never tease an old dog； he might have one bite left。 Old as I am； I could break your arms before those dummies could reach us。〃
〃You are wele to break my arms if it pleases you。〃
〃Huh？〃 Lazarus Long looked baffled。 〃No； it's not worth the sweat。 They would have you patched up good as new in
thirty minutes。〃 He suddenly grinned。 〃But I could snap your neck； then crush your skull； abOut as fast。 That's one injury beyond the power of rejuvenators。〃
Weatheral did not stir； did not tense。 〃I… feel sure you
could；〃 he said quietly。 〃But I do not think that you would kill on~ of your descendants without giving him a chance to parley for his life。 You are my remote grandfather； sir； by seven different tracks。〃
Lazarus chewed his lip and looked unhappy。 〃Son； I have so many descendants that consanguinity doesn't matter。 But you're essentially right In all my life I have never killed a man unneceskarily。 I think。〃 Then he grinned。 〃But if I don't get my suicide switch back； I could make an exception 1n your case。〃
〃Lazarus； if you wish； I will have that switch remounted at once。 But… 'Ten Words'？〃
〃Uh…〃 Lazarus looked ungracious。 〃Okay。 'Ten Words。' Not eleven。〃
Weatheral hesitated a split second； then counted on his fingers： 〃I learned …。 your。 language … to … explain 。 why we 。 need 。 you。〃 …
〃Ten by the Rule；〃 Lazarus admitted。 〃But meaning that you need fifty。 Or five hundred。 Or five thousand。〃
〃Or none；〃 Weatheral amended。 〃You can have your switch without giving me any chance to explain。 I promised。〃
〃Humph！〃 said Lazarus。 〃Ira； you old scoundrel； you have me convinced that you reIlly are my kin。 You figured that I would not suicide without hearing …what you have on your mind…once I knew you had bothered to learn a dead language just to make palaver。 All right； talk。 You can start by telling me what I'm doing here。 I know…I know…that I didn't apply for rejuvenation。 But I woke up here with the job already half over。 So I screamed for the Chairman。 Okay； why am I here？〃
〃May we start further back？ ~ou tell me what you were doing in a flophouse in the worst part of Old Town。〃
〃What was I doing？ I was dying。 Quietly and decently； like a worn…out horse。 That is； I was； until your busybodies grabbed me。 Can you think of a better place than a fiophouse for a man who doesn't want to be disturbed while he's busy with it？ If his cot is paid for in advance； they leave a man be。 Oh； they stole what little I had； even my shoes。 But I expected that…would have done the same myself under the same circumstances。 And the sort of people who live in flophouses
are almost always kind to …those ……worse 。off than they are… any of 'em… will fetch a drink of water to a sick man。 That was the most I wanted…that and to be left alone to close out my account in my own way。 Until your busies showed up。 Tell me； bow did they find me…？' …
〃How… we found you is not the surprising part； Lazarus； but the fact that SecFor…the… cops？…Yes； 'cops'…that my cops took so long to identify you； then find you； and pick you up。 A section chief lost his job over that。 I don't tolerate inef
ficiency。〃…
〃So you busted him。 Your business。 But why？ I reached Secundus from Out…Far； and I didn't think I had left any back trail。 Different everything since the last time I was in touch with the Families 。 。 as I bought my last rejuvenation on Supreme。 Are the Families swapping data with Supreme these days？〃
〃Heavens； no； Lazarus； we won't even give them a polite word。 There is a strong minority among the Trustees who favor rubbing out Supreme； instead of simply maintaining embargo。〃
〃Well 。 。 if a nova bomb hit Supreme； I wouldn't mourn more than thirty seconds。 But I did have a reason for having the job done there； even though I had to pay high for forced cloning。 But that's another story。 Son； how did you pick me up？〃
〃Sir； for the past seventy years there has been a general order out to try to find you； not just here but on every pla where the Families maintain offices。 As to how…do you recall a forced inoculation for Reiber's fever at Immigration？〃
〃Yes。 I was annoyed； but it didn't seem worthwhile to make a fuss； I knew I was headed for that fiophouse~ Ira； I've known that Ie。 That was okay； I was ready for it。 But I didn't want to do it alone； out in space。 Wanted human voices around me； and body odors。 Childish of me。 But I was pretty far gone by the time I grounded。〃
〃Lazarus； there is no such thing as Reiber's fever。 When a man grounds on Secundus and all ？outine identifications show null； 'Reiber's fever' or some other nonexistent plague is used as an excuse to get a little tissue from him while injecting him with sterile neutral saline。 You should never have been allowed to leave the skyport until your geic pattern was identified。〃
〃So？ What do…you do when ten thousand immigrants arrive in one ship？〃
〃Herd them into detention barracks until we've checked them out。 But that doesn't happen often today with Old Home Terra in the sorry state it's in。 But you； Lazarus； arriving alone in a private yacht worth fifteen to… twenty ；million
crowns…〃 … … …… …。~ …
… 〃Make that 'thirty。'〃…
〃…worth thirty million crowns。 How many men in the Galaxy can do that？ Of those who can afford i~； how many would choose to travel alone？ The pattern should have set alarm bells'ringing in the … minds of all of them。 Instead they took your tissue and accepted your statement that you would be staying at the Romulus hilton and let you go~…~……and no
doubt you had another identity before dark。〃……
〃Na doubt at all；〃 … Lazarus agreed。 〃But your cops b~ye run up the price on a good phony set of ID's。 If I hadnt beett too tired to bother； I would have forged my owl。 Safer。 Was that how I was caught？ Did you squeeze it out of the
paper merchant？〃 … … …
… … 〃No； we never found him。 By the way； … you might let me
… know who he is； SQ that…〃… …
〃And I might not；〃 Lazarus said sharply。 〃Not ratting on him …was implicit in the bargain。 It's nothing to me how many of your rul~s he breaks。 And…who knows？…l might need him again。' Certainly someone will need his services； some… body just as anxious to avoid your busies as I was。 Ira； no doubt you mean well but I don't like setups where ID~s are necessary。 I told myself centuries back to stay away from。 places croostly I've followed that rule。 Should have followed it this time。 But I didn't expect to need any identification very long。 Confoundit； two more days and I would have been dead。 I th