he was pretty sure none of those present had any
sound knowledge of robotic intelligence.

"Please let me come back ... sir!" He had almost forgotten the last
word, so he added another "Please, sir!" to make up.

Coleman needed that package under the boat very badly, he would promise
anything to get it. Jon had no doubts as to his eventual fate, all he
could hope to do was kill time in the hopes that the phone message would
bring aid.

"Come on down, Junky, I won't be mad at you--if you follow directions."
Jon could hear the hidden anger in his voice, the unspoken hatred for a
robe who dared lay hands on him.

The descent wasn't difficult, but Jon did it slowly with much apparent
discomfort. He hopped into the center of the floor--leaning on the cases
as if for support. Coleman and Druce were both there as well as a group
of hard-eyed newcomers. They raised their guns at his approach but
Coleman stopped them with a gesture.

"This is _my_ robe, boys, I'll see to it that he's happy."

He raised his gun and shot Jon's remaining leg off. Twisted around by
the blast, Jon fell helplessly to the floor. He looked up into the
smoking mouth of the .75.

"Very smart for a tin-can, but not smart enough. We'll get the junk on
the boat some other way, some way that won't mean having you around
under foot." Death looked out of his narrowed eyes.

Less than two minutes had passed since Jon's call. The watchers must
have been keeping 24 hour stations waiting for Venex 17's phone message.

The main door went down with the sudden scream of torn steel. A whippet
tank crunched over the wreck and covered the group with its multiple
pom-poms. They were an instant too late, Coleman pulled the trigger.

Jon saw the tensing trigger finger and pushed hard against the floor.
His head rolled clear but the bullet tore through his shoulder. Coleman
didn't have a chance for a second shot, there was a fizzling hiss from
the tank and the riot ports released a flood of tear gas. The stricken
men never saw the gas-masked police that poured in from the street.

* * * * *

Jon lay on the floor of the police station while a tech made temporary
repairs on his leg and shoulder. Across the room Venex 17 was moving his
new body with evident pleasure.

"Now this really feels like _something_! I was sure my time was up when
that land slip caught me. But maybe I ought to start from the
beginning." He stamped across th