uble and I was just
angry enough to want him on the spot when it was finished. There were
two rings on his chest plate, and I was not surprised when the badge pin
fitted them neatly.

"There, now you are a real cop." Sarcasm dripped from the words. I
should have realized that robots are immune to sarcasm. Ned took my
statement at face value.

"This is a very great honor, not only for me but for all robots. I will
do my best to fulfill all the obligations of the office." Jack Armstrong
in tin underwear. I could hear the little motors in his guts humming
with joy as he booked Alex.

If everything else hadn't been so bad I would have enjoyed that. Ned had
more police equipment built into him than Nineport had ever owned. There
was an ink pad that snapped out of one hip, and he efficiently rolled
Alex's fingertips across it and stamped them on a card. Then he held the
prisoner at arm's length while something clicked in his abdomen. Once
more sideways and two instant photographs dropped out of a slot. The mug
shots were stuck on the card, arrest details and such inserted. There
was more like this, but I forced myself away. There were more important
things to think about.

Like staying alive.

"Any ideas, Chief?"

A groan was my only answer so I let it go at that. Billy, the balance of
the police force, came in then. I gave him a quick rundown. Either
through stupidity or guts he elected to stay, and I was proud of the
boy. Ned locked away the latest prisoner and began sweeping up.

That was the way we were when China Joe walked in.

Even though we were expecting it, it was still a shock. He had a bunch
of his toughest hoods with him and they crowded through the door like an
overweight baseball team. China Joe was in front, hands buried in the
sleeves of his long mandarin gown. No expression at all on his ascetic
features. He didn't waste time talking to us, just gave the word to his
own boys.

"Clean this place up. The new police Chief will be here in a while and I
don't want him to see any bums hanging around."

It made me angry. Even with the graft I like to feel I'm still a cop.
Not on a cheap punk's payroll. I was also curious about China Joe. Had
been ever since I tried to get a line on him and never found a thing. I
still wanted to know.

"Ned, take a good look at that Chinese guy in the rayon bathrobe and let
me know who he is."

My, but those electronic circuits work fast. Ned shot the answer back
li