. The way I have it worked out, they'll never bring either
one of us back."

That wasn't exactly true. _One_ of them would have to come back. Marquis
hoped that 4901 wouldn't catch on to the fact that he would have to be
resurrected, but that Marquis never would. He hoped that 4901's mind was
too foggy and dull to see through the complex plan. And that was the way
it worked.

Marquis explained. 4901 listened and smiled. It was the first time
Marquis had ever seen a prisoner smile.

He left what remained of the capsule of poison where 4901 could get it.
During one of the next four eating periods, 4901 was to slip the poison
into Marquis' food can. Marquis wouldn't know what meal, or what can. He
had to eat. The bells had conditioned him that much. And not to eat
would be an overt act of self-destruction.

He wasn't conditioned not to accept death administered by another.

And then, after an eating period, 4901 whispered to him. "You're
poisoned. It was in one of the cans you just ate."

"Great!" almost shouted Marquis. "All right. Now I'll die by the end of
the next work period. That gives us this sleep period and all the next
work period. During that time I'll dispose of you as I've said."

4901 went to his bed and the bells rang and the dark came and both of
them slept.

* * * * *

Number 4901 resisted the conditioners enough to follow Marquis past his
regular work room into the food-mart. As planned, 4901 marched on and
stood in the steaming shadows behind the hydroponic beds.

Marquis worked for a while at the canning machines, at the big grinding
vats. Then he went over to 4901 and said. "Turn around now."

4901 smiled. He turned around. "Good luck," he said. "Good luck--to
you!"

Marquis hit 4901 across the back of the neck with an alloy bar and
killed him instantly. He changed clothes with the dead man. He put his
own clothes in a refuse incinerator. Quickly, he dragged the body over
and tossed it into one of the food-grinding vats. His head bobbed up
above the gray swirling liquid once, then the body disappeared entirely,
was ground finely and mixed with the other foodstuff.

Within eight hours the cells of 4901 would be distributed minutely
throughout the contents of thousands of cans of food-concentrate. Within
that time much of it would have been consumed by the inmates and
Managers.

At the end of that work period, Marquis returned to his cell. He went
past his