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You understand what I'm saying? You get a blizzard and it lasts a week, and
it's a blizzard all the way through. Then you get a tornado and it's a plain
and simple tornado Weather there has a beginning, a middle, and an end. As in
classical drama. None of this back-and-forth Greater LA crap."
"Interesting," said Jake.
"They shipped me out here a year ago and it's been inconsistency ever since."
"Interesting," said Jake.
"If I'm bending your ear too much, just push that green button on the panel
there."
Jake responded, "Just so I get to the Skyport on time, your babble doesn't
faze me."
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"Going on a vacation, are you?"
"Business trip."
"Elsewhere."
"None of my beeswax, eh? There, let me tell you, is another difference between
out here and back there. Sure, in Michigan just about everybody is open and
confiding. "Where you bound, pal?" "Why, I'm heading for Singapore to have a
wart removed from my backside. Anything else you'd care to know?" Out here,
however, maybe because of all the show business going on, everybody is sneaky
and secretive. You ask me-oh, boy!"
The cab was suddenly swaying and slewing through the rain swept sky.
Then it commenced to drop down through the wet grayness.
"What's going on?" asked Jake.
"I'm losing control of this crate," said the voxbox in a feeble,
ing voice. Somebody s--awk! Jake unfastened his safety gear and pulled out
his stun gun Glancing down through the see-through plastiglass floor of the
rapidly dropping sky cab he saw that they were
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heading for a landing on a deserted stretch of scrubby beach someplace in the
Long Beach Sector.
The sky cab landed hard, bounced twice, and ceased to function. was raining
hard when they came to take her away. The wind was
""I
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rubbing and scraping at the windows of Susan's room.
She'd been sitting in the deep armchair, listening to the rain hit at the
domed ceiling. Beside the chair rested a lunch tray that held an uneaten soy
loaf sandwich, an untasted plazcup of citri sub, and a cold mug of nearcaf.
Days like today, slow gray days, she didn't like at all.
Well, to be honest, she'd long since lost the capacity to enjoy just about any
sort of day.
For a while last night, though, she'd felt almost hopeful.
"Yes, almost hopeful," she said aloud. "I guess that pretty sums up my state
of mind." Being there with Molly and Dan and Dan's father, she'd started to
feel that she still did have a chance. She'd be able to straighten out the
tangle of her life. Quit Tek for good, lose any
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need for the comforting illusions the electronic drug created. Equally
important, she would find a way to talk to her father, tell him what she was
feeling, explain why Juneanne Stackpoole's being in their house was so painful
to her.
The talk Susan had had with Jake Cardigan while he flew her home in his sky
car had buoyed her up, too. He was outwardly tough and cynical, but she sensed
a gentleness and a caring inside. With him for a friend, somebody she could
get in touch with if she felt herself slipping, Susan was almost certain she
could get herself straightened out.
Cardigan had handled her father, too. He delivered her home and explained
she'd simply dropped over to visit with Molly and his son.
Made all the trouble with Juneanne seem like an accident and actually calmed
her father down. Very few people were able to subdue her father's spells of
anger.
What she had to concentrate on was getting out of the slump she was in today.
She had to work up the nerve to contact Cardigan and ask him to' This will go
extremely smoothly and painlessly." Someone, unannounced and uninvited, came
into her bedroom.
"Who are you?" She pushed back deeper into the big chair. The intruder was a
tall blond android in a spotless pale yellow suit. He
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smiled and said, "I'm Alyn--that's A-l-y-n--and I'll be your indoctrinating
therapist at--"
"Go away!" she cried. "You're from them. From Stolzer's."
"I work for Dr. Stolzer, yes, that's true," said Alyn, leaning back against
the shut door. "You're a very bright and intelligent girl, Susie. I know
because I've spent the morning doing my on your case.
Someone as smart as you are ought to be able to perceive that Dr.
Stolzer can, if you'll simply relax and let it happen, clear up all your
problems."
"Go away! This is my room. I didn't send for any goddamned nuts-and-bolts
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medic who--"
"Easy, easy." The android came closer and she noticed a faint medicinal smell.
"Who sent you? My father wouldn't try to drag me back to that hellhole without
discussing--"
"Is that a nice thing to say about Dr. Stolzer's establishment, Susie?" Alyn
moved nearer. "Is that a kind or thoughtful thing to say about a man who did
you such a world of good?"
"If he did me so damned much good, why do I have to go back there?"
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"You've slipped, I'm afraid. You've become dangerous, Susie. To yourself, of
course, and to those around you who are concerned for you."
"Juneanne. It's that bitch who's trying to ship me off to the loony bin." She
stumbled up out of the chair, stood facing the big mechanical man.
"I'm running out of time," he said evenly. "Come down to our comfortable me
divan now or--"
"Where's my father? I won't do anything until I can talk to him."
"I'm afraid he's away on business," said Alyn. "He did, however, consult with
Dr. Stolzer and give him an unqualified okay before he took off."
"Where's ouneanne.
"Consulting with her physician at the BevHills Health Man Complex,"
answered the android. "She suffered serious when you attacked her yesterday,
Susie." "That's not true. She's trying to--"
"You'll have to come along." He reached out for her. "Let Dr.
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Stolzer help you, Susie."
She tried to run, tried to dodge around him and get at the door.
"I said, come along." Alyn caught her arm. His palm made a tiny clicking sound
as a needle shot out and bit into her flesh. "You can't--"
She lost consciousness all at once.
The android stood back, let her fall to the floor. Then he bent, picked her
up, and carried her out into the rain.
THE DISABLED SKY CAB was sitting on the empty stretch of beach with the rain
hitting at it.
Jake, stun gun in one hand, was working at getting a door open. But both of
them were frozen.
"... back in Detroit," muttered the cab's voxbox. "... back in
Detroit... back in Detroit..."
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There was no sign of anyone outside in the rain.
About a dozen yards away sat a defunct food stand with a sign reading
SOY DOGGIES IN THE SAND dangling from its neo wood awning.
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All at once both the metal doors went flapping open.
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