Free Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick by Philip K. Dick

on.”
    “Wait. Look. My right pocket. Look for yourselves.”
    He relaxed, waiting. The hood on his right reached, dipping cautiously into the pocket. Jennings smiled. It was over. He had seen even this. There was no possibility of failure. This solved one problem: where to stay until it was time to meet Rethrick. He could stay here.
    The hood brought out the half poker chip, examining the serrated edges. “Just a second.” From his own coat he took a matching chip, fitting on a gold chain. He touched the edges together.
    “All right?” Jennings said.
    “Sure.” They let him go. He brushed off his coat automatically. “Sure, mister. Sorry. Say, you should have—”
    “Take me in the back,” Jennings said, wiping his face. “Some people are looking for me. I don't particularly want them to find me.”
    “Sure.” They led him back, into the gambling rooms. The half chip had turned what might have been a disaster into an asset. A gambling and girl joint. One of the few institutions the Police left alone. He was safe. No question of that. Only one thing remained. The struggle with Rethrick!
    Rethrick's face was hard. He gazed at Jennings, swallowing rapidly.
    “No,” he said. “I didn't know it was you. We thought it was the SP.”
    There was silence. Kelly sat at the chair by her desk, her legs crossed, a cigarette between her fingers. Jennings leaned against the door, his arms folded.
    “Why didn't you use the mirror?” he said.
    Rethrick's face flickered. “The mirror? You did a good job, my friend. We tried to use the mirror.”
    “Tried?”
    “Before you finished your term with us you changed a few leads inside the mirror. When we tried to operate it nothing happened. I left the plant half an hour ago. They were still working on it.”
    “I did that before I finished my two years?”
    “Apparently you had worked out your plans in detail. You knew that with the mirror we would have no trouble tracking you down. You're a good mechanic, Jennings. The best we ever had. We'd like to have you back, sometime. Working for us again. There's not one of us that can operate the mirror the way you could. And right now, we can't use it at all.”
    Jennings smiled. “I had no idea he did anything like that. I underestimated him. His protection was even—”
    “Who are you talking about?”
    “Myself. During the two years. I use the objective. It's easier.”
    “Well, Jennings. So the two of you worked out an elaborate plan to steal our schematics. Why? What's the purpose? You haven't turned them over to the Police.”
    “No.”
    “Then I can assume it's blackmail.”
    “That's right.”
    “What for? What do you want?” Rethrick seemed to have aged. He slumped, his eyes small and glassy, rubbing his chin nervously. “You went to a lot of trouble to get us into this position. I'm curious why. While you were working for us you laid the groundwork. Now you've completed it, in spite of our precautions.”
    “Precautions?”
    “Erasing your mind. Concealing the Plant.”
    “Tell him,” Kelly said. “Tell him why you did it.”
    Jennings took a deep breath. “Rethrick, I did it to get back in. Back to the Company. That's the only reason. No other.”
    Rethrick stared at him. “To get back into the Company? You can come back in. I told you that.” His voice was thin and sharp, edged with strain. “What's the matter with you? You can come back in. For as long as you want to stay.”
    “As a mechanic.”
    “Yes. As a mechanic. We employ many—”
    “I don't want to come back as a mechanic. I'm not interested in working for you. Listen, Rethrick. The SP picked me up as soon as I left this Office. If it hadn't been for him I'd be dead.”
    “They picked you up?”
    “They wanted to know what Rethrick Construction does. They wanted me to tell them.”
    Rethrick nodded. “That's bad. We didn't know that.”
    “No, Rethrick. I'm not coming in as an employee you can toss out any time it pleases you. I'm