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."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"Shut up."
The little cart bumped and wobbled and presently Thorby felt the change to pavement Occasionally they stopped; the woman would remove a bundle, be gone a few minutes, come back and dump dirty clothes into the cart. Thorby took it with the long patience of a beggar.
A long time later the cart left pavement. It stopped and the woman said in a low voice, "When I tell you, get out the right-hand side and keep going. Make it fast."
"Okay. And thanks again!"
"Shut up." The cart bumped along a short distance, slowed without stopping, and she said, "Now!"
Thorby threw off his covering, bounced out and landed on his feet, all in one motion. He was facing a passage between two buildings, a serviceway from alley to street. He started down it fast but looked back over his shoulder. The cart was lost disappearing. He never did see her face.
Two hours later he was back in his own neighborhood. He slipped down beside Baslim. "No good."
"Why not?"
"Snoopies. Squads of 'em."
"Alms, gentle sir! You swallowed it? Alms for the sake of your parents!"
"Of course."
"Take the bowl." Baslim got to hands and knee, started away.
"Pop! Don't you want me to help you?"
"You stay here."
Thorby stayed, irked that Pop had not waited for a full report. He hurried home as soon as it was dark, found Baslim in the kitchen-washroom, paraphernalia spread around him and using both recorder and book projector
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