he shrugged. "He believes what he says," she told him. "He
honestly doesn't think he has any psi powers."

"That mitigates the affair," Maragon said. "Still, our purpose
demands an object lesson. I have to fine you, Mr. Robertson.
You've broken one of our rules by using TK to stack a poker deck.
Because you weren't aware of it, though, half of your fine will
be remitted if you join the Lodge within a week. Accordingly I
assess you ... uh, how much, Milly?" he asked.

"He's got eight thousand and some in his breast pocket," she said
with fiendish accuracy. "Every penny he has in the world."

"Assess you eight thousand dollars," Maragon concluded. He got
wearily to his feet, and started to pad past me toward the door.
"Mr. Bupp will collect," he said. The woman followed him, her
hose hanging down around her ankles, and climbed the stairs
stolidly behind him.

* * * * *

Lefty, whom Maragon had called Wally Bupp, walked around behind
the desk and took the swivel chair that the older man had just
vacated. "I'll take the eight thousand now, Tex," he said, poking
his chin at me belligerently.

"You'll take four," I said, getting my feet under me.

He frowned. "Four?" he repeated.

"Four knuckles," I gritted and started for him. The gun barrel
rammed me in the kidney, harder than it had in the alley. They'd
smuggled in some protection. I really slammed on the brakes,
halfway across the desk. Lefty hadn't bothered to flinch, but sat
there with his legs crossed, looking idly at his fingernails.

"Look behind you," he said.

I did. The gun eased off my kidney as I turned. There wasn't
anybody there.

"TK," Lefty said. "I also used it to trip you up when you went
for me in the alley, after I'd TK'd a left right in your gut.
You're a hard guy to stop, Tex. But don't overdo it."

"Mere pain never stopped a guy who really meant it!" I went for
him again.

Then it hit me. A deep and sickening pain throbbed from my
breastbone down my left arm. The lights started to dim, and I
sagged down on the desk.

"How'd that feel?" Lefty asked, apparently not expecting an
answer. "I clamped your coronary artery shut for a few seconds.
A post-mortem would never be able to tell it from the real thing
if I held down tight."

[Illustration]

His grin had a viciousness in it I hadn't seen before. He held
out his hand. I struggled erect and handed my wallet to him. He
only took out the big bills, an