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. Then he discovered that he was lost. He retraced what he thought was the route -- and in fact was; Baslim's renshawing had not been wasted -- but all he found was a featureless tunnel. So he set out again, uncomfortably aware that whether he found his own room or not, he must soon find where they hid the washroom, even if he had to grab someone and shake him.
He blundered into a place where he was greeted by squeals of female indignation; he retreated hastily and heard a door slam behind him.
Shortly thereafter he was overtaken by a hurrying man who spoke to him, in Interlingua: "What the dickens are you doing wandering around and butting into things?"
Thorby felt a wave of relief. The grimmest place in the world, lonelier than being alone, is Coventry, and even a reprimand is better than being ignored. "I'm lost," he said meekly.
"Why didn't you stay where you were?"
"I didn't know I was supposed to -- I'm sorry, noble sir -- and there wasn't any washroom."
"Oh. But there is, right across from your bunkie."
"Noble sir, I did not know."
"Mmm . . . I suppose you didn't. I'm not 'noble sir'; I'm First Assistant Power Boss -- see that you remember it. Come along." He grabbed Thorby by an arm, hurried him back through the maze, stopped in the same tunnel that had stamped Thorby, ran his hand down a seam in the metal. "Here's your bunkie." The panel slid aside
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