There； face down on the bed； was a pretty…looking boy。 He had makeup on his face。 A beatific smile was on his lips。 A crew member was standing there； getting back into his clothes。 The man leered at Captain Bolz and； buckling his belt； swaggered out。
The boy licked his lips and smiled a vacant smile。 He had just lain there； ignoring them。
Teenie had abruptly issued into the passageway from the next cabin。 She was counting a sheaf of what appeared to be gold paper。 Was it money？
She had seen him。 〃Hello； Maddie。 How's tricks？〃 Without waiting for an answer； she went in； stuck a joint in the pretty boy's mouth and lit it。
〃Teenie！〃 Madison had cried。 〃What are you doing？〃
〃What's it look like I'm doing？ I'm trying to make some money we can spend when we land。 Greenbacks won't be any good on Voltar。 You want us to starve？〃
〃But what are you doing with that boy？〃
〃Oh； him？ That's Twolah； nicknamed Too…Too。 He's just about the most nympho catamite you ever did see。 And when he's hopped up on marijuana he can take it all day and all night； too！ He's a sponge！ Kind of cute； too。 You want a piece？〃
Madison had recoiled in horror。 〃You mean you're selling him to this crew？〃
〃Of course。 Five Voltarian credits a crack。 I've made 150 credits already。 My own worry is that this crew is going to run out of money。 They say this voyage lasts six weeks。 But they got some jewelry and things。 And they can steal ship fittings。〃
〃Listen； Teenie； this captain here is boiling mad。 He came to get me to see if I could control you。〃
Teenie had looked at Bolz with a strange sort of smile。 〃Oh； he can't do anything about it。 He's afraid the crew will mutiny if he interferes with this business。 I made sure he believed that by throwing a knife at him in the dark。 So now he's trying to get you to do the dirty work and stop me。 He's a （bleep）； Maddie。 But don't give it a second thought。〃
At that moment another crewman had e in and； after a sneering look at Bolz； as though daring him to do something； had handed Teenie five credits。 Then he began to take off his engineering coveralls。
Madison had opened his mouth to protest but Teenie had cut him off。 〃Unless you want to have to pay a credit for watching； get lost。〃 And she had slammed the door in their faces。
Bolz had given up on him and Madison had gloomed in his cabin for another week。 Then he had gotten curious and begun to wander through the ship。
He had guessed he was going toward the bridge when he had passed an open door。
There Teenie had sat。 It was Captain Bolz's office！ Teenie had had Captain Bolz's hat on the back of her head； her ponytail over her shoulder； and her hands had been busy with a ledger book。
〃Hello； Maddie。 You decided to e out of your hole？〃
〃What are you doing in Captain Bolz's office？ He'll murder you！〃
〃Oh； no； he won't。 Old Bolzy got upset with all the （bleeping） that was going on。 He doesn't like boys but all the chatter from his crew got him so hard up he was busting his pants。 But I handled it。〃
〃You mean you're letting Captain Bolz…do…sleep with you？〃
〃Oh； hell no； Maddie。 I got more sense than that。 I just been going down on him once a day to keep him cooled off。 I charge him ten credits and I'm just looking up to see how much money he's got。 And look here； he's rolling in it。〃
〃Are you going to rob him？ He'll kill us！〃
〃No； no。 No robbery； Maddie。 How crude！ I'm worth whatever the traffic will bear and I could show you if you'd ever let me。 You could even… … 〃
〃No； no！〃 Madison had said； aghast； horrified at doing something like that with a girl。
〃You sure？〃
〃Of course I'm sure。 You're trying to make me be unfaithful to my mother！ I won't have that； Teenie。 And don't do anything awful to Captain Bolz。 We're at his plete mercy！〃
Her laughter had been extravagant。 〃Bolzy？ Look at all this dough； Maddie。 See？ These things are numbers。 My problem is that I set my price too low and Bolzy； after he's had it done to him； can't （bleep） for another whole day； not even with what I learned from the Hong Kong whore。〃
She had looked dreamy； her too…big eyes fixed on the ceiling pipes； caressing her too…big lips with the end of a pen。 Then she had laughed abruptly。
〃I have it！ I'll just begin to slip hash oil into his hot jolt。 Man； I'll have him （bleeping） three times a day！〃
Madison had retreated to his cabin； the vision of being on a spaceship out of control turning into nightmares in his dreams。
He had suffered through the rest of the trip； clinging precariously to his sanity。
He had landed in a place of such strange architecture he could not accept it。
He had been talked at by men in odd uniforms。
In a room that seemed to be made of stainless steel； they had plopped a helmet on his head and then for six successive days he had thought that he must have some awful disease that had put him in a a。
Just this morning he had awakened fully。 He had found his baggage was there in the room with him。 He had seen what might be a shower but couldn't figure out how to turn it on。 He had then stood in front of what might be a nozzle and peered at it and it suddenly sprayed him！ Very disconcerting！
Now there was a knock and he was soaking wet。
He went to the door intending to open it； but it opened。
A man was standing there in a black uniform。 〃You better get a move on；〃 the man said。 〃The chief has just sent for you。〃
〃The chief？〃
〃Lombar Hisst！ Don't stand there gaping。 If that's your baggage； get some clothes out and get dressed。 And you better look pretty respectable。 But don't delay。 The message said it was very urgent。 So put some throttle to it。〃
〃Where am I？〃 said Madison。
〃You're standing right there； idiot。〃
〃No； no。 I mean where is this place？〃
〃Well； the chief is at Palace City where he always is these days； and I've got your airbus standing by。 So hurry。〃
〃No； I mean where is this place I am in？〃
〃You're in the Training Center of the Extra…Voltarian Personnel Induction Unit； Coordinated Information Apparatus。〃
〃Yes； but what sun or star or something？〃
〃Oh； sizzling ets； I knew I should have brought an induction escort with me。 You mean you don't know where you are？〃
〃You get the idea；〃 said Madison。
〃This is the planet Voltar； capital of the Voltar Confederacy。 You're thirteen miles south of Government City in an Apparatus pound。 I am Captain Slash of the 43rd Death Battalion； Apparatus。〃
〃What's going on？〃
〃Buckets； how would I know？ Here。〃 And he fished out something and gave it to Madison。 〃But don't spend any time on it。 I tell you the chief is waiting！ Hells； man； get DRESSED！〃
Madison went back toward his baggage； head in a whirl。
Then it hit him suddenly。 HE HAD BEEN SPEAKING VOLTARIAN！
He couldn't understand how that had e about。
He started to lay aside whatever it was the man had handed him。 His eye caught at it。
A NEWSPAPER！
He read something about the storming of a mountain on Calabar where the Apparatus had lost a thousand troops to heavy fire from the rebel forces of Prince Mortiiy。
NEWSPAPERS！ THEY HAD NEWSPAPERS HERE！
He suddenly felt more at home。
Then he was startled to realize he was reading it all with ease！
Had he forgotten English？ He said； 〃The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog。〃 No； he could still speak English。
He looked at the paper again。 It had headlines and news stories； just like a paper should。 It was all kind of bland； with no appeal to a PR； but it was a real newspaper； titled The Daily Speaker。
Oh； this was great。 It wasn't such a foreign world after all。
He opened up the sheet to an inner page。 There were some pictures； three…dimensional； in color。 He turned another sheet。
A small picture。 Was it familiar？
YES！
JEROME TERRANCE WISTER！
No； this must be just coincidence rampant。 What would a picture of him be doing in a Voltar paper？ Madison knew that even he wasn't good enough to reach out into circulation like that！
He read the caption and story。 It said：
HELLER WHEREABOUTS
UNKNOWN
menting yesterday on the general arrest warrant broadcast on Homeview； a Fleet spokesman said； 〃The Fleet has no knowledge of any general warrant for Jettero Heller。 The famed bat engineer was last reported on mission and the Fleet has no knowledge of his whereabouts。 It is probable that the rumored g