Part 5 (1/2)

Outside, the Hadjis wished him luck. Barrent decided to see what his new business was like.

Blazer Boulevard was a short alley running between two streets. Near the middle of it was a store front with a sign which read: ANTIDOTE SHOP.

Beneath that it read: _Specifics for every poison, whether animal, vegetable, or mineral. Carry our handy Do It Yourself Survival Kit.

Twenty-three antidotes in one pocket-sized container!_

Barrent opened the door and went in. Behind a low counter he saw ceiling-high shelves stocked with labeled bottles, cans and cartons, and square gla.s.s jars containing odd bits of leaves, twigs, and fungus. In back of the counter was a small shelf of books with t.i.tles like _Quick Diagnosis in Acute Poisoning Cases_; _The a.r.s.enic Family_; and _The Permutations of Henbane_.

It was quite obvious that poisoning played a large part in the daily life of Omega. Here was a store--and presumably there were others--whose sole purpose was to dispense antidotes. Barrent thought about this and decided that he had inherited a strange but honorable business. He would study the books and find out how an antidote shop was run.

The store had a back apartment with a living room, bedroom, and kitchen.

In one of the closets, Barrent found a badly made suit of Citizen black, into which he changed. He took the girl's weapon from the pocket of his prison s.h.i.+p uniform, weighed it in his hand for a moment, then put it into a pocket of his new suit. He left the store and found his way back to the Victim's Protective Society.

The door was still open, and the three ragged men were still sitting on the bench. They weren't laughing now. Their long wait seemed to have tired them. At the other end of the room, Mr. Frendlyer was seated behind his desk, reading through a thick pile of papers. There was no sign of the girl.

Barrent walked to the desk, and Frendlyer stood up to greet him.

”My congratulations!” Frendlyer said. ”Dear fellow, my very warmest congratulations. That was a splendid bit of shooting. And in motion, too!”

”Thank you,” Barrent said. ”The reason I came back here--”

”I know why,” Frendlyer said. ”You wished to be advised of your rights and obligations as a Free Citizen. What could be more natural? If you take a seat on that bench, I'll be with you in--”

”I didn't come here for that,” Barrent said. ”I want to find out about my rights and obligations, of course. But right now, I want to find that girl.”

”Girl?”

”She was sitting on the bench when I came in. She was the one who gave me the gun.”

Mr. Frendlyer looked astonished. ”Citizen, you must be laboring under a misapprehension. There has been no woman in this office all day.”

”She was sitting on the bench near those three men. A very attractive dark-haired girl. You must have noticed her.”

”I would certainly have noticed her if she had been here,” Frendlyer said, winking. ”But as I said before, no woman has entered these premises today.”

Barrent glared at him and pulled the gun out of his pocket. ”In that case, how did I get this?”

”I lent it to you,” Frendlyer said. ”I'm glad you were able to use it successfully, but now I would appreciate its return.”

”You're lying,” Barrent said, taking a firm grip on the weapon. ”Let's ask those men.”

He walked over to the bench with Frendlyer close behind him. He caught the attention of the man who had been sitting nearest the girl and asked him, ”Where did the girl go?”

The man lifted a sullen, unshaven face and said, ”What girl you talking about, Citizen?”

”The one who was sitting right here.”