〃Well； it's your business now；〃 said the officer； and at a signal all the Finance Police left。 But all along the counters； the word had spread and clerks and others were peering at Madison and whispering。
Another executive came behind the counter and the first one handed him the form and said； 〃Gods； look at this； Cipho。 That guy Hisst gets crazier every day！ It's a valid order。 But what do we do？〃
Cipho said； 〃What allocations would it e out of？ Let me see the other papers。〃
They examined them minutely。 They conferred。 Madison got very nervous。 He said； 〃Is there something wrong？〃
The first executive looked at him。 〃We can't determine what budget it es out of。 Your rank is PR man； whatever that is； and it's in the Apparatus。 Your pay status says No Pay…P； so that means you were to be attached to Palace City。 Hisst signed this authorization not only as Chief of the Apparatus but also as Spokesman for His Majesty； so that would make it Royal。 We can't determine which letter designation to put after the new pay status。 I'm afraid you will have to e back。〃
Madison's stomach rumbled。 He thought of his image with Flick。 He thought of Teenie's meaningful look。 He thought of his anxiety to get started。 〃Is there no way it can be done now？〃
〃Well； it's dangerous；〃 said Cipho。 〃You might overdraw somebody's budget。 You might decide to buy Industrial City or something and then you'd jam all our puters。〃
〃What kind of money is in those budgets？〃 said Madison desperately。
They went in the other room and came back。 Cipho said； 〃The Apparatus is nearly overdrawn because of the revolt on Calabar。 Palace City is nearly empty now； so its allocation is only 50 percent utilized。 The Royal expenditures have dropped to almost nothing。〃
〃Money；〃 begged Madison。 〃How much money is in them？〃
〃There's a billion Palace City that won't be used and about four billion Royal。〃
Madison's hopes soared。 〃Look； just give me a pay status on all three。〃
〃Hmm；〃 said Cipho。
〃Look；〃 said Madison； putting on his most earnest and sincere face； 〃I am a reasonable man。 If I guarantee to advise you if I intend to draw more than a billion at any one time and confer with you； will you make it a pay status for all three？ That way it would only debit from existing funds。〃
〃You'd have to put it in writing；〃 glowered Cipho。
〃It would keep the puters from locking up；〃 said the first executive。 〃Give him some paper。〃
They got the signed and stamped undertaking and marked his identoplate Pay Status： Unlimited…APR。
Madison accepted it with a very straight face。 Never in his whole career had he ever had a billion…dollar drawing account！ Oh； what he could do with that！
They had the look of men who had bested him。 And he was very solemn as he walked away。
A BILLION…DOLLAR DRAWING ACCOUNT！
Chapter 2
On the way out； Madison put his new identoplate to use。 At the cash…withdrawal counter the pretty girl there looked at the identoplate and stared at him round…eyed。 〃Unlimited pay status？〃 she gulped。 〃How。。。 how much cash do you want？〃
Madison gave her the first figure that came into his head。 〃Oh； fifty thousand for now。〃
She scratched her head。 〃That will be an awful wad。 It will ruin the shape of your suit。 Wait right there。 I'll see if we have some thousands。〃
She came back with a neat pack and while she was stamping things； Madison looked at the banknotes。 It was the first time he had seen any Voltar money up close。 It was gold…colored paper； quite pretty。 It sparkled。 He petted it。 Very nice。
〃You wouldn't have some idle time tonight； would you？〃 asked the girl hopefully。
Madison ran。
He got in the airbus and Flick closed the door for him。 〃We got some money？〃 said Flick。 And when Madison patted his pocket； Flick leaped behind the controls and they took off。
〃I'm STARVING！〃 said Flick； as he threaded his way through Government City air lanes。 〃I'll just drop down to a busy street and we'll get some hot jolt and FRESH sweetbuns off a vendor。 You also owe me a pack of puffsticks。 I gave one to that guard； remember？〃
He dropped down into the parking strip beside the thronged and noisy street。 He yelled at a dark…plected old man who was pushing a cart laden with estibles and other things。
〃Two hot jolts； four sweetbuns； one pack of puff…sticks；〃 said Flick。
Dutifully the old man handed them in and then held out his hand。
〃Pay him；〃 said Flick。
Madison got out a thousand…credit note and handed it over。
〃I can't take that；〃 the old man said。 〃It would clean out the change of the whole street。 You only owe me a tenth of a credit。 Haven't you got a coin？〃
〃Wait a minute；〃 said Madison。 〃Two coffees； four buns； one pack of puffsticks。 Ten cents？ You must be mistaken。〃
〃Well； things are a little high these days；〃 the old man said。 〃And after all； I've got to make a living。〃
〃No； no；〃 said Madison。 〃I'm not haggling with you。 I'm just trying to figure out how much a credit is worth。 I got it： how much is a good pair of shoes？〃
〃Oh； call it a credit and a half；〃 the old man said。 〃They're kind of dear； the good ones I mean。〃
Madison did a racing calculation。 He had been thinking in terms of dollars。 As close as he could guess； one credit must be worth at least twenty bucks！
He sank back on the seat in a sudden shock。 He didn't have a billion…dollar drawing account。
HE HAD ONE FOR TWENTY BILLION！
A voice penetrated his shock。 〃Well； pay the man；〃 said Flick。 〃He's got some blank vouchers there。 Just stamp one。〃
Madison was still in shock。 Flick came back to him； stuffed the thousand…credit note into his breast pocket and tapped around his coat and found his identoplate and drew it out。 The old man was presenting the paper through the window and Flick； looking at the stamp face； was pushing the button to get it to e up with the right stamp。
Suddenly Flick froze。
He was staring at the plate。
Suddenly Flick cried； 〃Pay Status UNLIMITED？〃
He stared at Madison。
The mouth opened in the squashed oval of a face。 The mouth closed。
Flick looked back at the identoplate。 He worked the button and made the picture of Madison e up。 He looked at it。 He looked back at Madison。 Then Flick shifted the button and stared at the pay status again。
Flick sat back。 His eyes were jiggling。
The old man urged the paper at the driver。 〃Stamp it for my tenth of a credit； please。〃
Flick got his eyes in focus。 He went into sudden motion。 He scribbled on the paper and stamped it and said； 〃THROW THE WHOLE CONTENTS OF YOUR CART IN！〃
The old man looked at the paper in shock。 Then he hastily began to pitch things through the window。 He barely managed to tip up the last tray when Flick took off。
〃HOT SAINTS！〃 cried Flick as he raced into the air。 〃MY DREAMS HAVE JUST E TRUE！〃
Chapter 3
The airbus was accelerating so rapidly and with such a wild turn that Madison was sent sprawling into the tumbling packs； canisters； chank…pops and jugs of sparklewater。 He thought the world had gone vermilion until he found； from the floor of the vehicle； that he was looking at it through a disposable umbrella of that hue which； somehow； had sprung open。
〃What the blazes are you doing？〃 yelped Madison。
〃Just hold on；〃 said Flick。 〃I'll have us there in a minute flat！〃
〃I didn't give you any orders to go anywhere！〃 howled Madison from amongst cartons of puffsticks。
〃You don't know the place like I do；〃 Flick called back。 〃Just don't worry。 We're not lost。 I know exactly where we're going。〃
The airbus swooped perilously。 It wasn't a minute。 It was more like ten。 And Madison had just begun to get himself sorted out when WHAM！ they landed。
Flick was out of the airbus like a flash。 Madison； prying a sweetbun off his face； heard him chortling。 〃There she is。 Oh； Gods； you beauty！ Just what I have always wanted！〃
Madison gingerly pried himself out of the car； dabbing at his face。 They had evidently landed straight through the open doors of a huge display room。 The sign in reverse on the window said Zippety…Zip Manufacturing Outlet； mercial City。
Flick was standing ecstatically； looking at the ceiling。
A rather good…looking man in a bright green suit came over； somewhat upset about this unorthodox landing but not saying so。 〃I'm Chalber。 Is there something I can do for you gentlemen？〃
〃That！