"You can call me Jack. You don't know me."
"I can see there's a toughness about you," Lugert said. "You're like
me. I didn't think there were any others like me in the world. Where
did Karson find you?"
"In the past, Lugert. In yesterday. He dredged me up from the
20th-Century. There were lots like you and me then, Lugert."
For the first time fear showed in Lugert's face. A driblet of
perspiration snaked down the side of his fleshy jaw. Paler than he had
been before, he said, "From the past? Then--then you can really kill
me?"
Jack nodded. "I'm going to. Karson's paying me 25 pounds of gold for
it."
"_Gold?_ But that stuff's worthless! You can find it anywhere. What do
you want gold for?"
"In my time," said Jack, "the stuff wasn't so common. It was worth
plenty. Times change."
A crafty glint showed in Lugert's eyes. "You're just a hired killer,
then. A man without conscience. Suppose I offer you 30 pounds of gold
not to kill me. Fifty pounds? A hundred?"
The generator in Jack's arm twitched warningly. He knew Karson and
Lorence were listening in. "No," he said. "There's no percentage in it.
You don't have the time-net. You can't send me back to my own time.
I'll stick with their offer."
"No! Look, we can be partners! You're the kind of man I can get to
like, Jack. We'll work together, you and me. Fifty-fifty! An even
split!"
Again the generator twitched. Jack sighed. "Sorry, Lugert. Can't do it.
I made an agreement and I'm going to stick to it. I'm going to kill
you."
Sweat streamed down Lugert's face. "It's not fair," he said. "I had
this world under my thumb--and then they had to find you somewhere!
Why? Why'd they have to mess everything up?"
"Sorry, Lugert. It's just a lousy break for you," Jack said
emotionlessly. "This is the way it's gonna be."
"No!" Lugert yelled.
Jack raised the .38. Lugert threw up his hands as if to protect himself
but Jack's finger tightened anyway. The gun went squirt!
Lugert toppled heavily to the floor. He lay there on the heavy-pile
rug, his blood spilling out and staining the brown carpet a deep red.
Jack looked at him calmly. Then he turned and left the room.
The floor was still empty. Quietly he got into the untended elevator,
rode it to the lobby, and stepped out into the street. The whole job
had taken 10 minutes. Ten minutes and four killings, and he hadn't even
raised a sweat.
* * * * *
Darell and Karson and Dr. Lorence were waiting for him in the
councilroom of the Government Building when he got back.
"Great work," Karson said. He looked pale and shaken. "We watched the
whole thing over the transmitter Lorence built into you. Every step.
It--it was well done."
"Thanks," Jack said. "Is the gold ready?"
Lorence handed him a heavy satchel. "It's here. Twenty-five pounds.
Plus five pounds extra for your cooperation."
"Thanks again," Jack said. "Glad to be of help." He didn't mention
the moments when he wavered, when he had nearly gone over to Lugert's
side--probably would have if it hadn't been for the generator planted
in his arm.
He wondered briefly how it would have been, living here with all these
quiet philosophical types.