aining he'd been put through at school. Such training would make no
sense to his cellmates. To the good citizens of Kellonia, it would
seem horrifyingly illegal. He glanced up again.

"You know how it is," he went on. "A guy learns as he goes."

Big Carl Marlo swung his legs over the side of his bunk.

"Looks like you learned real good," he said. He examined Stan.

"Pete tells me about this deal. I kinda miss the action this time, but
Pete tells me he's got the blanket and he's all set to plug you good,
you should maybe try a hassle.

"Only all at once, you're on him. He feels a couple quick ones, then
he don't know nothing till next day. You can maybe do things like that
any time?"

Stan shrugged. "Guy never knows what he can do till he tries. I know a
few other tricks, if that's what you mean."

Marlo nodded. "Yeah. Know something, kid? Ain't no use you waste your
time being no fabricator nurse. You got a good profesh already, know
what I mean?"

Stan looked at him questioningly.

"Sure." Marlo nodded. "So you come here, like maybe you're a tourist,
see. But the joes get you and they bring you up here. Going to teach
you a trade--fabricator nurse, see. Only they don't know it but you're
one guy they don't have to teach, 'counta you got something better.
All you gotta do is find your way around."

"I have? Do you really think...."

"Sure. Look, there's a lot of antique big-timers around, see. These
old guys figure they need some guy can push the mugs. Pay real good,
too, and they couldn't care less you're a graduate. Maybe makes it
even better, see. You get in with one of those old guys, you got it
made. All legit, too. Oughta look into that, you get out."

Stan smiled. "The first day I was on this planet, they went through my
bags while I was out looking over the town. They found a paper knife
and a couple of textbooks." He shrugged.

"So I came back to the hotel and someone hit me with a flasher. I came
to in a cell." He glanced around.

"Somebody finally told me they'd given me two to five years for
carrying a dangerous weapon and subversive literature. Now what would
I get if I went out and really messed some guy up?"

Marlo waved a hand carelessly.

"Depends on who you work for," he declared. "You got the right boss,
you get a bonus. Worse the guy's gaffed, the bigger the payoff, see?"

Stan reached for his bag of toilet articles.

"That's legitimate?"

"Sure." Mario smiled expansively. "Ha