"I'm _not_ so sure," he interrupted. "And Lloyd will need one point of information that only I can give him. I'll tell it to you, just in case." He held up his hand to stop any further disclaimers from Grace, and said, "Tell him that the Plan is in the hospital, the main hospital. I put it there for safekeeping a long, long time ago. It would become radioactive, of course, but the Plan was useless until all radiation outside the Hive was gone, anyhow. Besides, radiation preserves things; I'm proof of that. Tell him it's in the safe in the administrator's office. The combination's the same as Lloyd's Voteplate number. I saw to that when it was issued." "Mr. Bodger--!" Grace said, nearly in tears. "I don't understand _any_ of this! What Plan!? What radiation outside the Hive!? It doesn't make sense--" "Lloyd will understand." "But even if he does," she said, "he doesn't have his Voteplate anymore...." "Doesn't?" Bodger said, frowning, then his face cleared. "Even so, he must know the number by heart, I should think. Anyway, it's in the files in my office.... But I don't quite understand--Why doesn't he have it? He had it when I passed out, didn't he?" "Yes, but in order to command the Goons, he took Stanton's, and left his own in Stanton's pocket, probably to avoid having to answer questions about possession of two plates if he was searched or something...." "_Stanton's_ got the plate?!" Bodger said, sitting up. "If he knew its significance--!" He shook his head, trying to disabuse himself of a nagging worry. "He can't, of course. But it's awkward, him having it. Lloyd will have to get it back, or he can't key the dial of the safe with it." * * * * * He swung his legs off the bed, suddenly, and stood up. Grace grabbed his arm when he swayed a bit, but then he steadied himself and shrugged her off. "I'm all right," he said. "I just don't like Stanton's having that plate." "Does it matter so much?" Grace asked. "Even if Lloyd forgot the number, or the files were lost and he couldn't get a new plate made up--Surely the safe can be _broken_ into?" Bodger nodded. "Of course it can. But Stanton, with Lloyd's plate, wouldn't need to take so much time. And he could destroy The Plan in a very few minutes." He went toward the door to the corridor. "I'll feel much better when I've checked on him, Grace." Grace hesitated, then ran after him. "Lloyd wants me to stay with you. You're still not over your seizure, you know." "Worrying about Stanton's not going to make me any calmer," Bodger said, stubbornly. "If you insist, come along." * * * * * He entered the living room and crossed to the door. Beside the door was a small metal box inset into the wall. Bodger opened the lid of this and touched a button. From a speaker in the box, a voice said, hollow and efficient, "Orders." "A Goon escort for Secondary Speakster Bodger and Miss Grace Horton, at Unit B, Hundred-Level."