Before he died, Thorsen took one last look at the figure with the long golden hair lying on the threshold of the ladies' room. X "This story is absolutely authentic," the director said. "Several ETI agents saw the whole thing. But somehow in the confusion somebody stole Baker's body." "Really, Director!" Street said. "You don't actually believe Baker was a woman." "Are you suggesting a disguise?" "It _had_ to be. Baker's body disappeared by getting up and walking away. The only way it could do that was for it to be armored. The only way Baker could get into that building was for his armor to be hidden. There was only one way he could hide the two spheres of electronic equipment necessary to project the cuirass field, and he couldn't do it if he _really_ had been a woman." XI The director leveled his gun at Street. "I am at last convinced that there is only one way in which you could be so certain that Baker is not dead. You know he is alive, and you know it because you are Baker." "You are correct," Street said. "I am the celebrated Robin Hood of space. It is too great an honor to deny." "I will go into confinement for many years because of what I am about to do, but I must see the Galaxy rid of you." The director fired the lethal charge at point-blank range and the tall man tumbled to the floor. "I had to do it," the director said over the body. "It was well enough to frame you for Baker's crimes due to your suspicious knowledge of him, but I didn't know you were going to fail to protest, that you were going to go along with the lie. I couldn't stand another man living to take the honor for being Baker. There can be no living Baker but _me_." XII The tall man rolled over on the floor and sat up. "Then you admit that you are Baker? No, never mind firing again. I am wearing meteor armor under my clothes. It's sufficient to stop a gun blast." "You are a clever devil," the director snarled. "A man has to be clever to be Baker." "You are NOT Baker!" the director shrieked. "I am!" "Are you?" the tall man said superciliously. "Think why you came here. You've been working too hard, Director. You received too many stories about Baker. You began envying him his freedom of movement. Soon you began thinking you _were_ Baker. Your analyst sent you to me, to make you see through this legend of Baker. It was to my advantage to do so." The director wavered. "If I'm not Baker, who is?" "I told you," the tall man said, drawing a gun and shooting the director in the head. "I am." He smiled down at the body. "You weren't wearing armor, were you?" * * * * * Street reversed the dial on his gun and shot the director a second time. Quickly, he stirred from his paralysis.