I countered: "The shoe is on the other foot--I'm darned sore at you." He tried to find his receding hairline with his thin eyebrows. "Don't look so amazed--do you think I haven't figured out my defending that TK Crescas was no accident? You set me up for it." "Set you up for a resoundingly successful defense," he observed. "And a resoundingly bad press!" I said. "I have a living to make in this town--" "Psis are still citizens," he said. "I'm tired of seeing them thrown to the wolves by the jackals who practice law from a phone booth. Psis deserve a decent defense. Without you, Crescas would be in prison." [Illustration] "And without _you_," I growled at him, "I might still have a law practice." "So you're helping them find Mary Hall--to embarrass me?" "I've already found her," I said. "Feel embarrassed?" "Not yet," he conceded. "What are you planning to do?" "We've accepted a fee to turn her over to a client," I revealed. "I guess that's not unethical to tell you." "And you'll do that?" "After one more step." "And that is?" "Prove that she hasn't got the Stigma." "_Hasn't_ got it!" He hopped out of his chair and pressed his knuckles on my desk. "You'd better do a little more research, if you're going to let your black heart bleed over these Stigma cases, Judge," I grinned at him. "All this talk about Mary Hall using HC on your vision. That will never embarrass you. There isn't such a thing as HC--hallucination is an old wives' tale. It was sleight of hand, in the bank and in your courtroom. Don't stand still for that noise about HC." "I'll be switched," he said. "You're serious?" "Sure." He frowned at me. "She's still in trouble," he reminded me. "The Federal Grand Jury--" "Restitution ought to cure that," I said. "Especially if we threaten a lawsuit for slander--I think it's libelous to claim a Normal has the Stigma. Mutual release all around." "You'll represent her?" he asked. "Would you consider it ethical? I don't see how my assignment to turn Mary Hall over to your political opponents will stop me from representing her in a lawsuit, do you?" He shook his head, straightening up. "I don't see how," he agreed. "I hope you do defend her, Maragon. The Courts have had to be pretty tough on these pathetic people. If they had reputable representatives, I for one would be a lot more ready to suspend sentences and find other ways to help them out of the jams their weird powers get them into." "I'll think about it," I said. "In the meantime--stay away from me." "We're both poison right now," he agreed. "And thanks." * * * * * Mary Hall was still at T-shirted Elmer's when I dialed his phone, and she agreed to meet me on the street in front of the Moldy Fig. My 'copter had barely settled to the pavement when she came running from the doorway to the stairs and hopped into the bubble with me. "Columbia University," I told the hacker. "Rhine Building."