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"I've been talking to people My God, what a ht all the tiines are barely keeping us up to speed The stupid submarine division ordered the ship to sail with an old torpedo boat escort that looks as if it was left over froation lights on"

Kovacs saw an uncharacteristic alarm in the marble features

"How long have I slept?"

"It's nighttime We're on the open sea" Karl shoved a dark blue life jacket at Kovacs and slipped into a similar jacket

"Nohat do we do?"

"Stay here I want to check the lifeboat situation" He tossed Kovacs a pack of cigarettes "Be uest"

"I don't smoke"

Karl paused in the open doorway "Maybe it's tione

Kovacs spilled a cigarette froo, when he got s, and he felt dizzy fro tobacco, but he recalled with delicious pleasure the innocent debauchery of his college days

He finished the cigarette, thought of lighting up another but decided against it He had not had a bath in days, and his body itched in a dozen places He washed his face in the sink and was drying his hands on a threadbare tohen there was a knock at the door

"Professor Kovacs?" a muffled voice said

"Yes"

The door opened, and the professor gasped Standing in the dooras the ugliest woman he had ever seen She wasthe seams of a black Persian laht red lipstick, and, with such heavily rouged lips, she looked like a circus clown

"Pardon my appearance," she said in an unet aboard I had to resort to this silly disguise, and a few bribes"

"Who are you?"