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at them across the wet sand.
A silvery robot in a floral shirt and real straw hat came walking from
the opposite direction. He was pushing an ebony portable bar.
"Tropical drinks, mister and lady? Legal drugs? Tour maps?" "None of
those," Jake told him.
"You're not enjoying San Peligro to the fullest," observed the got ,
rolling on.
"I've noticed that."
After a moment Kacey pointed skyward. "There. See?"
Flying low overhead was a lemon yellow sky van with the word FOODZ
printed in large magenta letters on its belly and side.
"How often do they bring in the meals for the New Town cafeterias?"
"Twice a day," she answered. "This time every morning, again at three
in the afternoon."
"And your contact at Foodz is?"
"A very loyal supporter of J. J. Bracken."
"I don't know if I trust a political loon."
"His name is Edwin Temmerson and he heads up the whole Foodz operation
in the Caribbean area," she said, nose wrinkling. "We can trust him."
Uphill on their right sat the New Town Pharmaceuticals com the
trio of squat plastiglass-and-neo wood buildings pro by the glaring
metal fence. Gunmetal robots, five of them on the beachfront side,
stood at intervals along the fencing.
"Is this Temmerson guy fond enough of your boss to go up " against the
Burdons?"
"I'd say yes," she said, "especially after I con him into believing
he'll be helping J.J. by helping me. And if, which I doubt, he won't
let us slip inside by way of one of his delivery vans, he'll at least
help me get detailed maps of the interior of the whole New Town setup
here."
"I already have those," Jake informed her.
"Well, I'm having lunch with Edwin today. I'll work out--"
"Do it deftly and subtly, huh? Otherwise he's liable to warn the
Burdon twins that we--"
"Jake, sooner or later you're going to have to accept the fact that I
am not a nitwit." She halted on the warm sand and stood looking toward
the New Town buildings.
A light wind was coming across the sand from the sea, and the fronds of
the palm trees that rose up behind the drug plant were flickering.
Taking hold of her arm, Jake headed them back the way they'd
"Couple of those guard bots are commencing to eye us."
"You're overcautious."
' "Helps in my work." reception room of Dr. Stolzer's establishment
had a strong metallic smell. Each pale green wall held a small,
noncommittal landscape painting. The air circ system kept the
temperature just below the comfort level.
When the tall blond android in the spotless pale yellow suit came into
the room, Molly Fine stood up and smiled. She was wearing a skirt suit
that made her, she hoped, look two or three years older.
"Miss Eshler?" inquired the andy.
"Xena Eshler, from the Young Adult Psychiatric Overlook Committee of
Greater Los Angeles." She produced the very convincing fake ID packet
that Rex/GK-30 had provided her with. "I'm Evelyn. That's
E-v-e-l-y-n." He took the identification and, frowning, sifted,
slowly, through them. "These all in order, Miss Eshler. What do you
require of us?"
"You'll find this in order, too." Molly handed him the spurious but
nearly foolproof court order. She'd had to rely on a fake order
because her attorney uncle, the nearly honest one, had informed her
last evening that it would take him at least four days, if not more, to
arrange for a real one.
Evelyn's very plausible pink forehead furrowed. "Miss Gross man is not
supposed to have visitors," he said. "None at all at this stage of her
therapy."
"Obviously Judge Maxon doesn't agree. She feels that the
YAPOC/GLA needs to clear up at once, and as soon as possible, the
charges of malpractice and mistreatment that have arisen concerning
Miss Grossman."
"What charges?"
"Here's a copy." Another expert fake document was passed from Molly to
the mechanical man.
After a moment of scanning it, Evelyn said, "Dr. Stolzer is out of the
country at the moment. I've been left in charge." His sigh was very
believable. "Very well, Miss Eshler. We don't want any trouble.
Although I can assure you Miss Grossman, as all our is being very well
treated." Turning his back, he went walking across the chill reception
room toward a black door.
Molly followed.
i As they stepped into a long, cool corridor that smelled of metal
medications, the blond android told her, glancing back over broad
shoulder, "You're aware that this particular patient is ill. That she
also suffers from delusions. Most of what says, therefore, is little
more than that fantasy of a very disturbed young woman."
dealt with a great many patients of this sort." "You are, I might
mention, quite young yourself and I wonder if "
"My organization feels that youth best understands youth."
"Not a theory I subscribe to myself, but I acknowledge their right to
hold it."
They went through another doorway, along another corridor. At its end,
Evelyn touched his palm to an ID plate. The door recognized his whorl
pattern and rattled open.
Evelyn moved along the new corridor they'd entered, stopped at a door,
and pressed his hand to another ID plate. This door opened more
quietly and he started across the threshold.
"I have to see her alone," said Molly, not following him. Evelyn came
back into the hall. "That could be dangerous to--"
"You apparently didn't read the court order as thoroughly as you
should've, Evelyn."
"I'll give you ten minutes." Stepping aside, he gestured for her to
enter Susan's room.
Molly did that. She put her finger to her lips as Susan looked up from
her bed, about to speak.
The door slid shut behind her. Molly put her finger to her lips
again.
Then from a pocket in her jacket she took a bug-disabling disk and
stuck it to the nearest wall.
"It'll take them a few minutes to realize they're not getting a darn
thing from their eavesdropping gadgets."
Susan left the bed, ran over to Molly, and hugged her. "I'm glad
you're not dead."
"What do you mean?"
"I saw--I had another vision. This was about Dan."
Molly took hold of both her friend's arms. "He's not dead?"
"No, I don't think so. But the bald man--the one you saw at the
joint--he stun gunned Dan last night and took him away from
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