As the gas rolled towards me I lowered my head and slipped the goggles
over my eyes. When I looked up I was the only person in the bank that
was able to see. I was of course careful to breathe through the filter
plugs in my nose, so I could enjoy the continued digestion of my last
meal. My teller had vanished from sight and I did a neat dive through
the opening, sliding across the counter on my stomach.
After this it was just a matter of pick and choose, there was certainly
no shortage of money rolling around loose. I ignored the small stuff
and went to the source, the riven vault out of which poured a golden
torrent. Within two minutes I had filled the bag I had brought and was
ready to leave. The smoke near the doors was thinning a bit, but a few
more grenades took care of that.
Everything was working perfectly and under control, except for one
fool of a guard who was making a nuisance of himself. His tiny brain
realized dimly that something wrong was going on, so he was staggering
in circles firing his gun. It was a wonder he hadn't hit anyone yet. I
took the gun away and hit him on the head with it.
The smoke was densest near the doors, making it impossible to see
out. It was just as impossible of course to see in, so no one in the
street had any real idea of what had happened. They of course knew
_something_ was wrong; two policemen had rushed in with guns
drawn ... but were now as helpless as the rest. I organized the relief
of the sufferers then, and began pulling and guiding them to the door.
When I had enough of a crowd collected I joined them and we all crawled
out into the street together. I put the goggles in my pocket and
kept my eyes closed until I had groped clear of the gas. Some worthy
citizens helped me and I thanked them, tears streaming down my face
from the fringes of the gas, and went my way.
That's how easy it is. That's how easy it always is if you plan ahead
and don't take foolish risks. My morale was high and the blood sang in
my veins. Life was deliciously crooked and worth living again. Finding
Angelina's trail now would be simplicity itself. There was nothing I
couldn't do.
Staying on the crest of this emotional wave, I rented a room in a
spacemen's hotel near the port, cleaned up and strode forth to enjoy
the pleasures of life. There were many rough-and-ready joints in the
area and I made the rounds. I had a steak in one and a drink apiece
in each of the others. If Angelina had come to Freibur she would
surely have passed--at least briefly--through this area. The trail
would be here, I felt that in my bones. Crooked bones once again, and
sympathetic to her own lawlessness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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